Brazil: Tech powerhouse, but gap remains

@import url('http://www.cnet.com/css/ssa/news/special.css'); #h1 {background:url('http://i.n.com.com/i/ne/p/2008/brazil_980x182.jpg') left top;width:980px;height:182px;} #Sidebar h3 {background-color:#000;margin:0;padding:5px 10px;color:#FFF;font-size:1.3em;text-transform:none;} .upcoming {color:#999;} CNET News special report: Computing in Latin America E-mail del.icio.us Digg this Brazil: Tech powerhouse, but gap remains August 26, 2008 E-mail del.icio.us Digg this Though long in the shadow of the U.S. when it comes to computing, Latin America is home to a number of fast-growing regions, including Brazil--already the world's fifth largest PC market. In the last few years there has been a massive shift in the PC market. While there has been continued growth, new regions account for much of that growth. Though many of the world's fastest-growing technology markets are in Asia and Eastern Europe, a number of them are in our own hemisphere, including Brazil. While the factors leading to growth in Brazil are some of the same seen in other emerging markets--access to credit, a growing middle class, government support--the country has some unique attributes that set it apart from other growing regions. It's a hotbed for open-source software and home to some of the most sophisticated banking systems in the world. At the same time, a combination of geography and economics has left millions on the other side of the digital divide. To explore these issues, CNET News' Ina Fried spent two weeks in Brazil and Colombia earlier this year, visiting several dozen computing projects and conducting more than 100 interviews both during the trip and over the last several months. Through stories, blogs, photos, and interactive panoramas, CNET News has tried to get a glimpse into the rich and complicated intersections of society and technology in Latin America. Day 1: An emerging market faces challenges As a PC sales market, Brazil is unquestionably strong, but it's also a place where abject poverty abounds. Day 2: Digital inclusion, but how? While hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on digital-inclusion projects in Latin America, many of the programs start and end with the technology. Day 3: Brazil's love of Linux The open-source software definitely gets a warm reception here, but its role can easily be overestimated, too. Day 4: Students get a new Classmate A look inside one of Latin America's largest one-to-one computing efforts.