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Bridging the Digital Divide With Refurbished Computers

  • Nicolas England explains the ins and outs of Linux to new computer owners Maria and Juan Guajardo. Photos courtesy of Bill Bishop
    Nicolas England explains the ins and outs of Linux to new computer owners Maria and Juan Guajardo. Photos courtesy of Bill Bishop
  • Landon Von Minden (far right) explains to Urbano, Sonia and Emily Gomez how their new computer operates. Sonia will use the machine to work on her GED and Emily will be able to connect with her school on line. Landon is finishing his 8th grade in La Grange.
    Landon Von Minden (far right) explains to Urbano, Sonia and Emily Gomez how their new computer operates. Sonia will use the machine to work on her GED and Emily will be able to connect with her school on line. Landon is finishing his 8th grade in La Grange.
  • La Grange High School soon-to-be senior Sean Green carries equipment donated by Mike Koeth and CompuCleanser in Weimar.
    La Grange High School soon-to-be senior Sean Green carries equipment donated by Mike Koeth and CompuCleanser in Weimar.
  • Janet Mareno was Zooming an English session the night after got her first computer.
    Janet Mareno was Zooming an English session the night after got her first computer.
  • Bill Rose shows one of the old computers he loaded with Linux to his mule.
    Bill Rose shows one of the old computers he loaded with Linux to his mule.
Our buddy Eric Batchelder in Swiss Alp had one stored in a shed, locked away so his buffalo couldn’t get to it. Marsha Pyle had two in her closet. Mike Koeth, a civic-minded computer repair guy in Weimar, had a garage full of dusty Dells and orphaned HPs guarded by swarms of mud daubers. Everywhere we looked, we found them – old, unused computers that nobody wanted and nobody was willing to…

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