Message-ID: <m0uIjQp-0002TEC@atlas.sr.net> Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 01:16:00 GMT From: Hiwat en van Laar <mailto:garfield@SR.NET> Subject: Re: Computers to Africa To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
I think Marcus Day really came to the core of the problem. If you send "old" or new equipment without manuals, spare parts, software or support it is waste of money. Especially for old equipment this is true, because where do you find a 20 MB MFM or a 20 MB 8 bits IDE harddisk for a XT nowadays? The smallest harddisk you nowadays find at a computer parts shop is 540 MB E-IDE. But if spare parts are available, old equipment will work fine for a lot of "easy" jobs. For instance textprocessing, using Wordperfect 5.1, a XT will be good enough to do the job. Or for learning DOS, just the same. And a lot of average people still use their computer only for textprocessing. But of course I know that for "heavy" applications like GIS you will need to have a Pention with a lot of memory on board. So people if you want to help us in the developing world, send equipment with manuals, spare parts, good software and give us good support. Otherwise it is dumping and in that case you better fill your own landfills with it.Ing. Michael M. Hiwat Republic of Suriname South America
12/5/1996 Marcus Day wrote:
>To me this is a difficult question. To some extent I agree with both
>participants. I live in the developing world and I have seen first hand
>both sides of this issue. I have seen in the past two years a weird old
>Wang network with 8" floppies sent do here, with propriatary operating
>system that litterally went straight to the land fill. On the other hand my
>wife and I own a montessori preschool and use 3 XT 8088 computers with 20
>meg hard drives and CGA monitors to run 1989 versions of share ware
>eductional software. The kids love it and more important I have the
>technical expertice and alot of junk for spare parts to keep them running.
>
>If the human resourses and spare parts are present to keep the "old"
>equipment running it will work. Sending any technologhy (new or old) to a
>place without manuals, spares parts and support is a waste of money. Most
>governments do not have the money to maintain donor gifts so when they
>break down, its either off to the landfill or more likely the object rots
>in it place with people saying "oh thats a good _________________,
>(fill in the blank) it just needs something, we wrote to the name on the
>plate but they haven't written back"
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