RE: Which Platform to Start?
Kat (and everybody),
----- Original Message -----
From: Kat <gertie at PELL.NET>
To: EUforum <EUforum at topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 12:05 AM
Subject: Re: Which Platform to Start?
> I'd guess finding a 486 with a 610meg hd would be rare in
> most "3rd world" countries, and some "2nd world" ones as well.
>
> Kat
There are 3rd world countries and 3rd world countries. No doubt what you say
is sadly true in many cases. But I live in Argentina, where a PC will cost
you perhaps 10 or 15% above the domestic US price. You won't see any ads for
anything less than a Pentium II or K6-2, 64 MBs RAM, 10 GB HDs, CD-ROM
player, standard sound & video, 56K modem and 15" monitor (mostly Samsung
and ViewSonic), and maybe an Ethernet card too, all of which will probably
cost you less than $1,000, usually financed in 6- or 12-month installments
on 20-22% yearly interest, meaning you'll pay some $200-250 a month for a
good if simple brand system.
A programmer will make anything from $500 to $2,500 a month, depending (as
always) on luck, knowledge and experience. More if you can qualify on
hardware, networking and other specialties (Can manage Apache? You're on!
Got a Novell certificate? Name your price!). There are many job openings.
Not only in software, telco and Internet companies, of which there are many,
but also every business bigger than a magazine kiosk has one or more
computers. Ubiquitous computing is a government priority. Computer magazines
fill the stands. Computer books are big sellers. In downtown Buenos Aires
you may find ten ATMs in the same block. An Internet dial-up connection will
cost you perhaps 50 cents per hour, maybe less; ADSL for less than $100 a
month.
What is this all about? Scale. You are not alone. Even though developed
countries have led the way, the rest of the world is catching up fast, if
only because computing is comparatively cheap, simple and clean, requires
little infrastructure and can be left to individual initiative. All it takes
is a more or less stable economy and a good deal of freedom, which at
present are not the rare commodities they were 20 years ago. So people and
universities and business and government can afford to spend time, effort
and resources on R&D, sometimes jumping straight from the 19th into the 21st
Century. High time, too.
Gerardo
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