Home is where the hardware is

Black Enterprise, March, 1996 by Tariq K. Muhammad

For those who cannot afford a high-priced, state-of-the-art multimedia machine, the message should not be lost. "It isn't important that you have the very latest and best technology money can buy," says Daniel Johnson. "However, it is utterly important that every family--especially the children--have access to some computing facilities."

Many public libraries and schools offer online access for free, and local papers often carry advertisements by people who are looking to sell a working system because they have upgraded, adds Anita. Ideally, access to a computer should be in the home, where its wonders can be discovered at leisure. To this end, computer companies are racing to provide low-cost Internet access computers with enough software and hardware for surfing the Net, and many should be available later this year. That will lower the cost index of home computing facilities a great deal, bringing it into range for many who previously thought it an extravagance.

Whether we welcome them or not, computers--and technology in general--are already an important part of how we live and work. The Johnson and Creed families have taken the initiative to stay in step with the latest that technology has to offer, not out of an infatuation with new gadgetry, but out of the realization that computers will soon be as commonplace as television sets--but much more productive.