That rosie view never plays out in practice. I know I've read several articles about the domestic use of computers in education (i.e. outside actual computer science classes) and they paint a fairly negative picture. Even moreso if you consider it from a cost/benefit perspective. My crack about wanting to spend my money on food was said in haste. If I really wanted the most bang for my buck, I'd probably support the development of self-sustaining indigenous businesses and encourage foreign investment.

Another thing that's a little galling is that these things are being sold to governments, and not always governments that extremely impoverished. So if I were to participate in the buy-one-give-one program, I'm subsidizing a foreign government's purchase of educational materials that, really, it should have been purchasing already at full cost if they're as beneficial as you maintain they are. What are they doing with the funds my subsidy frees up?