Schools, Homes Show Rapid Rise In Computer Use
Newcastle Herald
Friday May 6, 2005
EDUCATION and the process of education has come a long way in the past couple of decades.
The computer age has resulted in the very latest technology being available to school students. Most are introduced to computers from an early age. Not only does every school have computers, these days most households have at least one of their own. Between 1994 and 1998, the proportion of all households with a computer rose from 29 per cent to 47 per cent, while from 1996 to 1998 the proportion with internet access rose from 4 per cent to 19 per cent. While those figures are the latest available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the rate of computer ownership has accelerated in the past few years. Home computers and the internet are rapidly becoming everyday tools for communication, information gathering, study and research, tele-working and operating home-based businesses. At the same time, the multimedia dimension of home computers and the internet allows them to be used for a wide range of cultural and recreational activities: listening to music, watching television and films, photography and art. Not only is it desirable for every home to have one, it is considered to be a must for schoolchildren. A considerable demand can be placed on the family budget in the scramble to keep pace with the latest developments. But there are ways to ease the financial pain, according to Matthew Griffiths from Harvey Norman at Broadmeadow. "There are cheaper alternatives to the latest and greatest computers available," he said. "We find that second-hand and factory-second packages are very popular, and we're now getting a good supply. "Second-hand computers are ex-rentals and they have been checked, reformatted and they're ready to go. "The seconds may be an out-of-date model and they may have a damaged box or they may have had a problem that has been fixed." Mr Griffiths said his store's customer base extended "up the valley". "People come to us for the latest and best in computers, and also for the cheaper lines. "And they take advantage of the fact that we have well-trained staff who are keen to help."We'll help people set up their machines and answer their questions," Mr Griffiths added.
© 2005 Newcastle Herald