About the Powerbook Project
The Powerbook Project is a not-for-profit initiative to refurbish as many unused Apple Powerbooks as possible and distribute them to the elderly, disabled, and underprivileged. The goal of The Powerbook Project is to provide refurbished Powerbooks at “no cost” or “low cost” directly and through assistance from others to the needy who qualify. The objective is to get disadvantaged people onto the internet for the first time with some type of permanent access. While there are One Laptop, One Child programs to help people in developing nations, there are elderly people, disabled, and poor people in our very own country who also need our help. The Powerbook Project is an organized effort to consolidate resources to do this.
While the number of internet users in America is at an all time high, China (253 million users) has passed the United States (228 million users) for the first time*. The United States has fallen to #13 global ranking among countries with the highest internet penetration rate**. As America loses its place in the world as a technology leader, and as the country that invented the internet, shame on us for not doing better. We CAN do better and we will. While there are some people who will never go online, there are still millions of Americans who cannot afford to go online. By connecting more people to the superinformation highway one-at-a-time, we help improve the daily lives of others who are less fortunate than you and me. The Powerbook Project is a grassroots effort to get more people on the internet by refurbishing unwanted or broken laptops and keeping them out of landfills to help protect our environment.
Source: * CIA web site, ** InternetWorldStats.com
There are thousands of old Macs that will get thrown away and discarded and it will be impossible to "save" most of them from landfills or recycling centers. But at the Powerbook Project, if we can make a small contribution by becoming a part of the solution, a small contribution can make a big difference. We want to broaden the awareness of e-waste issues, encourage a few people out there to help us by donating or selling us an unwanted “idle” Powerbook, and we can all sleep better at night. Read on to discover why we decided to focus on Powerbooks and what you can do to support us.
