Inner City Schools & Computer Use: Late 1980s
Setting: New York City (Harlem), around 1986-1987; Modern day with some sci-fi elements, including aliens and robots
Databases & Search-engines used: Google, Wikipedia, some pdf documents
Search terms used: computer use in 1987 ; computer use in schools+1980s; computer literacy in the 1980s
Scenario: Basically, I'm setting up a character to be contacted by an alien using what effectively is a ultra-tech version of a PDA (he'd been given it earlier in the story by another alien he'd befriended). He's established as being an inner city kid, so I was trying to figure out if it was possible for him to have at least some rudimentary experience using a computer via a school or a typing class. I was working on the presumption that he was attending a Catholic school that had been given a donation of some older Apple IIe desktops (like a 1985 model). None of my research turned up much more than very basic facts and statistics for use mainly about use in 1985 then jumping to the early nineties.
Also, any additional comments about internet access and what kinds of knowledge the average PC user would have during this time would be appreciated.
EDIT: Thanks for the quickness and all the information. I've also gotten a couple of very good ideas from them. 8D
Databases & Search-engines used: Google, Wikipedia, some pdf documents
Search terms used: computer use in 1987 ; computer use in schools+1980s; computer literacy in the 1980s
Scenario: Basically, I'm setting up a character to be contacted by an alien using what effectively is a ultra-tech version of a PDA (he'd been given it earlier in the story by another alien he'd befriended). He's established as being an inner city kid, so I was trying to figure out if it was possible for him to have at least some rudimentary experience using a computer via a school or a typing class. I was working on the presumption that he was attending a Catholic school that had been given a donation of some older Apple IIe desktops (like a 1985 model). None of my research turned up much more than very basic facts and statistics for use mainly about use in 1985 then jumping to the early nineties.
Also, any additional comments about internet access and what kinds of knowledge the average PC user would have during this time would be appreciated.
EDIT: Thanks for the quickness and all the information. I've also gotten a couple of very good ideas from them. 8D