After a recent grad school assignment in which we had to purchase 10 computers for $815 each, including OS and anti virus, I'm beginning to wonder if traditional computing is the way to go.
Library budgets are tight and getting tighter, especially as communities react negatively to the prospect of their real estate taxes going up to fund their local library.
So throw away the computers, and outsource the entire thing to Amazon. Amazon has spent a gazillion dollars building up their infrastructure. Check out Amazon Web Services on the Amazon homepage - about halfway down on the left hand side of the page.
Amazon Web Services provides developers with direct access to Amazon's robust technology platform. (Amazon.com,2008)
And that is one big platform. Imagine a library full of desks with LCD monitors, keyboard, mouse and USB ports. No computers, because everything goes through the Amazon platform.
Forget floppy disks or CD's, everything is migrating to flash drives. I was beside myself when I picked up a 4GB flash drive in Best Buy for $40 last month. If I'd waited a month I could've picked up an 8GB flash.
8GB! And check out Portable Apps at http://portableapps.com/.
PortableApps.com Suite™ is a collection of portable apps including a web browser, email client, office suite, calendar/scheduler, instant messaging client, antivirus, sudoku game, backup utility and integrated menu, all preconfigured to work portably. Just drop it on your portable device and you're ready to go. (Portable Apps, 2008)
You can download the standard version that will take up 86MB of room, or the lite version which will take up around 30MB.
Forget Windows. Bring your flash drive with the portable office suite, plug into the library's USB port, research, do homework, go home.
I bet with a little imagination libraries could start to slash their tech bills dramatically.
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