Computers, Children and the Digital Divide

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish Market researchers estimate that more than one billion personal computers are in use worldwide. Availability has improved in developing countries, but still remains limited compared to industrialized nations. Experts continue to debate how best to close this digital divide. Nicholas Negroponte established the One Laptop Per Child project in two thousand five. He would like to put a low-cost laptop in the hands of every child, especially those living in extreme poverty. His nonprofit organization has shipped its specially designed laptop to developing countries around the world. He says it is already in the hands of more than one million children in thirty-one countries and nineteen languages. "And one country, Uruguay, has just completed doing every single child in the country," he says. But the program has critics. They say trying to supply every child with a laptop, even at the current price of one hundred sixty dollars, is costly and inefficient. Stephen Dukker also makes low-cost computers. But his can run programs and applications for several students at once. He says these "virtual desktops" lower costs, reduce energy use and lessen the need for technical support. His company NComputing says it has set up over forty thousand networks in more than one hundred countries. Stephen Dukker says all you need to conne

Published 2010-05-06 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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