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Ford Giving Free PCs to All Employees 199

Posted by Roblimo from the promoting-computer-literacy-in-a-very-cool-way dept.
trims writes "Ford Motor Company is giving each of its 350,000 employees a computer & printer (and good ones, too), plus Internet service (by UUNet). Are we getting to the point where corporations subsidize the Internet in the name of productivity? It's a NY Times article (free registration required)" The Internet access is supposed to cost $5 per month - and possibly less in low-wage countries. Nice move, Ford!
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Ford Giving Free PCs to All Employees More

Ford Giving Free PCs to All Employees

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  • What PC?? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    is it one of those 'HotWheels' PC's??

  • ack (Score:1)

    by cdlu ( 65838 )
    Free registration required... why can't NYT get an Anonymous Coward account kind of thing... make the NYT site run off slash 0.9.2...

    Anyhow, from what I gather in the header, it looks kind of cool. Considering such companies only spend about US$600 on each car they advertise they are putting a fair investment into the computers. :)

    I don't know if this is good or bad though, yes give everyone computers, but boy will you[Ford] ever have headaches if problems start arising with them. 350,000 computers takes more then a 10 guy tech-support to operate.
    #include <signal.h> \ #include <stdlib.h> \ int main(void){signal(ABRT,SIGIGN);while(1){abort(-1); }return(0);}
  • I wonder if these new PCs are going to be liberally plastered with ads to recoup the cost. Or does the company actually consider that giving PCs away is a relatively cheap way of getting their work force more computer savvy?
  • Hm, it says HP expects at least 300,000 orders as a result of this offer. It also says that the machines (HP Pavilions [hppavilion.com]; 500 MHz Celeron, 4.3 GB disk, CD-ROM, 56K modem, puny 15" monitor) ship with MS [microsoft.com] software, including "word processing and spreadsheets". I wonder what kind of money a deal like that gives to MS?
    ObLinuxRant: just think of the money Ford could have saved if they gave their employees boxes with Linux on them! Heh, I don't think the support costs would go down quite as much, though. ;^)
  • According to the Detroit NBC affiliate's 11:00 News, it looks like they are just giving the personal computers to people so that they will learn technology and become more productive. It seemed as though the thinking is that if people are already used to some technology, teaching them new ones (like computer controlled welding and things like that) will be easy. There were no mentions of adds, or any thing else. The computers are indeed brand name PCs. My thinking: 350,000 PCs = lots of IP address to get (Although I don't think it is THAT big a deal for UUNET).

    --Josh

  • The Ford style (Score:4)

    by Pseudonymus Bosch ( 3479 ) on Thursday February 03, 2000 @11:27PM (#1306559) Homepage
    You can have your computer any color,... as long it is black.
    --
  • You know, I am only guessing, but if the union wants its members to have free machines, it might have something to do with these people being unable to afford anything better.
    That, and the fact that I don't think that too many people in this country get it. A machine is a machine is a machine is a hunk of plastic on the kitchen table that will somehow magically acquire a ton of porn and useless mp3s and then get dumped after one too many blue screen episodes....
    Besides, it's free for Fuck's Sake. So who cares?

    "i whupped batman's ass..."

  • WTF (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Now all these Ford employees have two jobs!

    * Work for Ford by day
    * Work for MS by night

    Company Memo
    ---------------------------------
    Dear Employees,

    Congratulations on your new computer.
    Here are a few of the things you can look forward to:

    DLL Hell
    Format C:
    IRQ Conflict
    Virus
    Support Line
    Monopoly
    DOS
  • Learning Windows does not promote computer literacy, it promotes computer dependancy.

    -----------------------------------------
  • Thats all fine and dandy but what would really steal the show is if Ford gave away a new PC with every car or truck they sold.

    I mean think about it, the profit margin is so high on new vehicles anyway they sure wouldn't lose anything. And it would do a lot for customer satisfaction. I mean why spend the millions of dollars in advertising when something like this would probably work better and the dollars that would be spent on advertising go to the customer, where they belong anyhow.

    Imagine the tech support headache though...


    Nathaniel P. Wilkerson
    NPS Internet Solutions, LLC
    www.npsis.com [npsis.com]
  • hey cool... I'd given up on NYT.. guess they came over to the dark side :)

    thanks for pointing that out.
    #include <signal.h> \ #include <stdlib.h> \ int main(void){signal(ABRT,SIGIGN);while(1){abort(-1); }return(0);}

  • leery... (Score:4)

    by wavelet ( 17885 ) on Thursday February 03, 2000 @11:36PM (#1306566)
    For one I'm leery of the privacy concerns now that the "company" owns the machine that is supposed to be for "home use". I try to keep a clear distinction on what is work related and business related.

    I have a business laptop and for all intents and purposes, it does everything I need it to do for work related purposes. I take it home and do work at home. I have a dial-up account with the company that gets me to the corporate intranet and internet access through the company proxy. Having a "home" PC from the company really would *not* add any "functionaly".

    I also have a "home" PC, which I own. I have a dial-up account and email address with a personal ISP. I think the distiction is important because of privacy concerns. Knowing alittle about computer forensics and security, I would want to keep my personal files, browsing habbits, etc on a machines that can't be revoked by the company for analysis at anytime.

    There seems to be a growing trend towards providing services for employees for their "conveniece". I read an article about how companies are using concierge services to help out employees with getting flowers, planning parties etc. The premise was that for every $1.00 spent by the company on the concierge service they company would recieve $1.75 worth of work out of its employees. With company t-shirts, cups, parties, home PC, etc I think we take one step towards being owned by a cult. In the article it tells of a woman who was emotionally distraught that the company was providing all these services just to get more productivity out of her not because they thought she was a great person.

  • The article mentions that Ford will not be using advertisements, though it will have links to Ford web sites when you go to the home page for the program.

    Emre |=^)
  • We get a free PC, fairly high spec. Basically you get a budget and build your own system from a major supplier (ok.. Dell ;). I've yet to hear of anyone getting a Linux system, but I never even opened the NT bundle that came with mine. And you can chip in for extra bits (like a 19' FST monitor).

    The problem is that it's value reduces pro-rata for three years after you get it, leave before then, you have to pay off the outstanding balance. Which given the depreciation and rapid obselescance (sp?) on PC's sucks. If you leave early, say after a year, you still owe 3500 Nlg (Dutch Guilders) on a PC which is worth maybe 2000 (tops) by that time.

    But if you stay it's not a bad deal (which is no doubt part of the plan). I think it is aimed most at the staff who would not otherwise buy a decent PC (we're not all techies here), and for them I think it is a good idea, gives them experience, etc.. Even if it is experience in the wrong OS.


    EZ
    -'Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to log in..'
  • I wonder how the IRS views this program.

    The PC's are apparently owned by PeoplePC, and not by either HP or their workers. However, HP pays part of the standard lease rate for any of their employees who participate. Is this subsidy considered taxable income for the worker?

    Nevertheless, I think it's a good idea. Five years ago, I was able to get a high-end new computer because my employer provided interest free loans for computer purchases. Of course, when I left for a higher paying job, I had to pay the entire remaining balance in one lump sum; but it's better than losing the whole computer with all my personal files.

    --
    Index of Alternative Operating Systems

  • Gee I wonder how many prblems have been had with Linux? Can anyone tell me. It seems that the way people here slash MS, Linux must be the closet thing to Nirvana a computer ever gets. I wonder how many support calls would be made if 350,000 people recieved a Linux box. Just Think! ,thats 350,000 more people that can be converted to Linux. Oh my god then it would be worth Money's attention to try to take over. hmmmm....

  • 8-) (Score:3)

    by Zemran ( 3101 ) on Friday February 04, 2000 @12:12AM (#1306572) Homepage Journal
    If I worked for Ford I would rather they gave me a PC than a car. If I worked for BMW ...

  • &gt owned by a cult.

    But there is choice in the matter. You don't have to wear company apparel, nor use a company-owned home PC.

    Why was that woman emotionally distraught? This practice is about as close a violation of the TANSTAAFL rule as we're ever going to find. Companies reward great employees with salary increases. These other things are fringe benefits. Enjoy them!

    Privacy is another matter. I'd probably burn my personal stuff onto cds and wipe the hard drives before sending the machine in for maintenance.

  • Re:What PC?? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Intel Inside. Idiot Outside.

  • Yes because.. (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The Ford Motor Company Halewood Transmission Plant in Merseyside, England, has launched the iB5 transmission assembly line, a 70- node modular system using a visual logic controller on home-based PC control software. The Halewood installation is the first of its kind within the European community and is currently in full production. The control software incorporates in-process testing, press force monitoring, and torque control to operator position pick-up recognition systems. Integration of the VLC provides a common look and feel to the HMI and a logical user-friendly format to bring on-line diagnostic and fault-recovery beyond the realm of maintenance personnel and engineers down to the operator level. These advanced diagnostics provide operator visual aids, digital images to assist maintenance in identifying the component area of breakdown, and on-line access to electrical drawings.
    Engineers, operators and maintenance personnel are able to use this technology from their own homes, and have been doing so as part of the largest trial of homeworking in Europe ever.
    What I want to know is when this kind of software will be available for Linux based PCs and when other large corporates are going to take this employment model up.
  • It seems that you haven't tried to do more that use a web browser on a Windows machine. Try writing a WDM that is compatible with everything in the world while still not locking up the machine and wiping your HD. Another thing...Since all of the windows people are such F...... idiots why do I make so much money supporting windows technology. (remember i'm an idiot too) Hmmm... And just one more thing. Not everyone in the world wants to live , eat , breath code. Unfortunatly I do. Windows is good for those people who don't care about the 12 node Beowulf in my personal lab or what it can do. If someone gave me a 500 mhz machine I'd be happy. Just give me one and watch me smile as I add my 13 node. (gee I might even try to see if I could get Windows to work as the OS on the 13th (I have no idea how I'd do it but why not))
  • I just wouldn't use there machine for anything I wanted to keep private or take the machine if I had to stay there one day longer than I wanted to.
  • The Internet access is supposed to cost $5 per month - and possibly less in low-wage Countries

    Could you tell me when is this supposed to happen? I work in a small company in Bulgaria (this is on the Balkan Peninsula, Europe), and we pay $300 per month for the Internet connection and another $35 for the leased line. This isn't much but we only get 14400 bps for the whole LAN of nine PCs, three Macs and a Linux server (This sounded a bit like The Last Supper, didn't it? :)).

    The ISPs say that it's the connection to the USA that is expensive but I think that those prices are much smaller in the Central and West European countries.

  • looks like (350 000 accounts) * (5$ / month) = $1 750 000/month sure money for uunet.
    this makes it $21 000 000 / year. yep, that's cool :).
  • I am so glad I encourage my children to use Linux (not that it takes much). Now when they are older and looking for jobs they will have a head start over all those who were saddled them with dead end systems and taught outmoded systems theory either at school or from their parents employers.

    I do think a generation of drones is in the making.

  • While I would like to believe that this is a pure genuinely "nice" move on the part of Ford, my instinct and general distrust of corporate America tells me otherwise, but I have no solid basis for any argument.

    I still don't know all the facts, but I understand from a few poorly written mass media articles that this has something to do with the discussions between Ford and the UAW. The part that interests me most is whether this whole deal was part of the labor contract, or is merely a generous gesture from Ford.

    As far as the whole privacy/Ford-is-big-brother theory, I doubt that is of any substance. While it is entirely possible that they could do that, just the thought of the nightmarish PR scandal that would arise if such a scheme was uncovered should shy away even the most Orwellian of corporate policy makers.

    Just my four ha'pennies

    Jesus may love you, but I think you're garbage wrapped in skin.
  • I'm a potential beneficiary of this, and this is the first I've heard of it! :-)

    Anyway, the point is that this isn't for the benefit of folks like us. Anyone slagging off Ford for the low-spec base machine (I'm still using a P1 233 with a 14" monitor for software and PCB design at home BTW, and I've never needed more) is missing the point. This is for ppl who haven't got a PC, have never heard of /., and whose income is well below what most of us are on. They're not too bothered about the spec - just being able to write a letter in Word is a giant step forward for them.

    The big deal for me is the cheap net access. In the UK, British Telecom owns the last mile of copper, their pricing is criminal, and our telecoms watchdog is talking about being _less_ restrictive?!?! If Ford's going to do cheap net access for its employees, that's going to remove the single biggest obstacle to getting on line for folks in the UK, the phone bill.
  • I'd be rather amused if Ford, in giving its
    assembly-line workers computers, ended up
    sparking their interest in doing side businesses
    on the Internet, like selling stuff on eBay,
    writing web pages, maybe writing code, etc.,
    initially as a hobby, then making money from it,
    and soon making more money than at Ford :)

    Actually, Ford is usually trying to cut back
    its labor force anyway, so perhaps this isn't
    such a bad thing for them. And of course some
    people will end up using those new computer skills
    to work in other more computer-centric positions
    within Ford, which is good for Ford.
  • The buzz on the internal ford newsgroup ford.misc
    reflects the tone of the original post. The announcement mentions that the $5 internet connection will include 'incidental personal use.'
    How this type of use will be distinguished from business use is the source of concern. Also, what are the privacy implications of this tight relationship between your employer and your ISP?

  • 350,000 Ford employees, 1% (minimum)are probably computer savvy
    3,500 computer savvy Ford workers 5% might read Slashdot
    175 computer savvy Ford workers that read Slashdot, 10% think they're funny
    17 new computer Savvy Ford Working Slashdot Hot-Grits-Down-My-Pants Workers Great.... Thank you.

    -----
  • One spin that has been put on it here at Ford is that this is effort is similar to Hank's $5 for a day's work, allowing his employees to also be his customers. Ford is reengineering itself to be a leading 'consumer company in automobiles and related services'. The internet is a big part of this and Ford is trying to bootstrap it's workforce onto the internet.
  • As far as the whole privacy/Ford-is-big-brother theory, I doubt that is of any substance.

    My take is that you're no more subject to abuse of your privacy using a Ford provided pc than by using your own pc. I'm sure you're 'general distrust' is not limited to Ford Motor Co.
  • Next, UUNet will be giving all it's employees Ford cars, and subsidising gas costs.
  • While I would like to believe that this is a pure genuinely "nice" move on the part of Ford, my instinct and general distrust of corporate America tells me otherwise, but I have no solid basis for any argument.

    One word: Tax.

  • Doesn't have to be that hard. Configure X and xdm and similar program to work flawlessly and don't give them the root password.
    Problem solved. :)
  • I don't think it's necessary to be so suspicious about the company's intentions. Why would Ford want to know about the personal Internet dealings of its employees? More likely, they're giving them the personal computers so that they don't use their work computers for "inappropriate" uses. For many people, the only computers they have access to are the ones on their desks at work, and that is guaranteed to lead to them using it for personal (i.e., "inappropriate") e-mail, commerce, and entertainment.
  • Don't know what kind of crappy setup you had. But Windows is pretty much the same, set it up and it goes on forever.
    The problem is most people don't have longstanding static configurations. Eventually they'll want to change something/add something and that's where Linux is _STILL_ harder.
  • As Ford intends to promote 'computer literacy' why not make the machine dual booting? It wouldn't cost anymore (just change the disc image).

    Additional tech support requirements should be minimal as the majority of people would just use Windows (anti-flame comment: additional is the key word in that sentence).

    However, a few of the more adventurous would try Linux and get much more computer literate as a result. They might even get more productive with the inevitable increase in 'uptime'

    Ford are you listening?

    MM

    A company is known by the people it keeps...
  • I live in Detroit, so the story I heard must be true... ;)

    As I understand, Ford has some fund set up for employee education, but many of the employees work so much overtime that the fund gets little use. So this fund will be used to buy PCs.

  • This is not the first time (Score:4)

    by Corrado ( 64013 ) <rnhurt@@@gmail...com> on Friday February 04, 2000 @02:12AM (#1306610) Homepage Journal
    My best friend's Dad used to work at Ford and in the early to mid 80's they sponsored a workshop in which they taught you how to assemble a computer. It was a 9-10 week course and at the end of it you got to keep your computer. I think it was yours to keep with no strings attatched.

    I think it's cool Ford is doing it again. Kudos to them.

    Later...

  • Oh, here comes the big privacy part again. Everyone seems so paranoid nowadays. I don't think Ford is really interested in how many times their employees surf to Disney.com or Hotmail.com or so. The ones who they might wanna know about, know more about puters, and most definately, they'll format the HDD and partition it right the day the get it. (Did anyone mention Linux ? ;-) So what ! What if your company knows what you are doing on your 'puter ? What are you all doing with your computers that is so top-secret ? Am I the only one who's not employed by the FBI / CIA / KGB ? -- B10m
  • in france I pay 400 francs =~ 70 US$ for a 512 kbps incoming, 128 outgoing ADSL line, with dynamic IP. 1mbpb incoming / 256 outgoing with static IP costs 1200 francs = about 200 US$ It's rather cool, to take you less then 15 minutes to downlaod and install start office on linux @ ome :)
  • $5 a month! Not bad, eh?

    I pay close to 133$ US per month and that is for lousy 31,200bps access, and have to suffer thru busy lines, and disconnections.

    This is in Saudi Arabia, and half that amount is a monthly subscription fee (233 SR), and the rest is per minute charges from the telephone company (0.075 SR per minute).

    You can read more about it in Cost of Access in the Middle East vs. other places [2bits.com] on my Saudi ISPs Comparison web site [2bits.com], and also Middle East Internet Statistics site [2bits.com].

    You guys in North America have it really easy, with free access providers popping up, and free local calls as well.

    Sigh! If this sounds like a complaint, it probably is!

  • try ID: cypherpunk, password: cypherpunk.

    And, if you run into another site that requires that you register, enter that name and password. If it requires an email address, use the spam receiving service at spam@tinaa.com [tinaa.com].


    ...phil

  • Windows is pretty much the same, set it up and it goes on forever.

    If you have a secret for avoiding DLL Hell [desaware.com], I'd sure like to know it.

    You're damn right most people don't have static configurations. Software is constantly improving and upgrades are constantly needed. It's unreasonable to expect someone to keep on using Word 95 when everyone around him is using the new Word 97 file formats.

    So given that most people do not live in a bubble and need to upgrade their software, let's compare Windows and Linux on the typical tasks of software installation, removal, and upgrading.

    In Redhat Linux I can, with a single command, list all the files that come with StarOffice and all the dynamic libraries it depends on to run. In Windows, well, if you know a way to list all the files that come with MSOffice and all the DLLs it requires, I'd sure like to know.

    In Redhat Linux a single centralized program can uninstall any software package on the computer. It knows what files to uninstall, lets you see what those files are if you want, and checks to make sure the uninstall doesn't break any dependencies. If you can get Windows to tell me the files it's about to uninstall, to check program dependencies before uninstalling, or even to present a uniform uninstallation interface instead of the hodgepodge of hundreds of different uninstall.exe's made by dozens of different companies, well, I'd sure like to know.

    In Redhat Linux, if I'm about to install a package, I can list the files contained in the package, the libraries the package requires, and check that my system satisfies all the dependencies before installing the software. In Windows, well, if you know a way to get setup.exe to reveal what files it's going to install where, and what DLLs the installed program needs, I'd sure like to know.

    Now you may rightly argue that grandma doesn't need to know anything about DLLs to install her software, but that's no justification for leaving out the capability entirely. System administrators use Windows too, and all the sysadmins I know would be very happy if it could be possible to have Windows make their lives easier in ways that Linux already is.

  • I dont beleive it will have blatent advertisements, however stuff strewn across the environment will be very Ford centric. Stuff like backgrounds, dialers, browser pre loaded bookmarks and logo's etc. Also the same will hold for Worldcom (UUNet), without a doubt they will pump their own brands and co-brands across both the wksta and the browser when online.

    Never knock on Death's door:

  • I have that image of Japanese zaibatsu providing everything for their employees. "I am Toyota" and the like.
    But I maybe wrong.
    --
  • [...]it would do a lot for customer satisfaction

    No! Computers are frustrating for most of the people. Imagine if they associate their computer frustation with your company. Bad business, bad business.
    --
  • Some people on slashdot really need to grow up a little.

    Someone giving away something practically free? bash it because its a *shitty* HP or because it has windows on it.

    Then there's the moron AC who said
    work for ford by day
    work for MS by night

    Get a clue. I have to use windows at work, does that mean i'm working for MS? if so I haven't received my paycheck yet.

    This kind of bashing happens on pretty much every story on slashdot. Are these people just jealous or just so selfish that even if something doesn't have anything to do with them and it isn't the way the way they'd like it if it did have to do with them, that they get pissed?

    grow up
  • 350,000 is a big number. How is Ford expecting to benefit from this gift. I think the money could be better spent to generate a stronger work force, and I don't think that the employees really need the computer literacy. And what the hell is with Ford's slogan anyways, "In a perfect world everything would be different?" What does that mean, everything sucks? I think Ford is trying to develop the UberTruck by performing horrible experiments on innocent GM cars. Next thing you know they'll be leading my Pontiac on a train so that she can be enslaved, tortured, and eventually killed.

    They're just trying to brainwash us. I smell conspiracy.

    --
  • For the most part, no one does anything which is not good for themselves. However some people, and some companies even, have a wider and broader view of what is good for themselves other then what will drive up their stock price next quarter, and thankfully Ford seems to have this here.

    My guess behind their motives is this. First, it definitely increases company loyalty. In the modern age company loyalty is all but out the window.

    Second, it will help make the entire work force technologically more savy. This has two important effects. One is that it makes the current workforce easier to retrain when they upgrade their equipment used internally. The Second is it makes it a more attractive place to work for technology people. By being the first to do such a program, they greatly increase their competitive edge vs. others companies.

    Third it gets them a lot of great press. People look at Ford differently 'cause they are doing something which is not blantantly in their self interets.

    This is all a very cynical look at things, but I have started reading Heinlein books again so you must forgive me. :)

    Ford should be congradulated a lot for taking a holistic view of their best interests, and realizing that further educating the american public in any way, keeping them competitive in any way, so that america continues to lead the world in technology, hence continues to have lots of disposable income, hence can buy high end Ford Explorers and such is in their best interests.

    (p.s. all statements are IMVHO)
  • If you have a secret for avoiding DLL Hell, I'd sure like to know it.
    Yes, I run Windows 2000 with system file protection on ;). Windows 2000 also has 'personal dlls' for apps that need to ensure the DLL version doesn't change.

    In Windows, well, if you know a way to list all the files that come with MSOffice and all the DLLs it requires, I'd sure like to know.

    Yeah, it's called dependency walker, it comes with Visual Studio (with source I believe). I think it comes with the platform SDK too. It lists all DLLs, etc that an app depends on. You can also use "DUMPBIN.EXE" with the /dependents switch to list dependencies from the command line.

    If you can get Windows to tell me the files it's about to uninstall, to check program dependencies before uninstalling, or even to present a uniform uninstallation interface instead of the hodgepodge of hundreds of different uninstall.exe's made by dozens of different companies, well, I'd sure like to know.

    It's up to an application to do it's installing uninstalling. However, Windows has (since win95) offered installation APIs which are generally followed "ok" by installtion programs such as installshield. Windows 2000 does offer a cooler extended install API set, allowing apps to 'self heal' when files go missing or get deleted. In Redhat, as long as you use RPMs, you'll be fine, but even then it's still a chore to make sure you have the right dependencies downloaded and installed.

    Windows, well, if you know a way to get setup.exe to reveal what files it's going to install where, and what DLLs the installed program needs, I'd sure like to know Fault of InstallShield and windows application makers. Maybe a fault of Microsoft for not enforcing it more (i guess even if they did they'd be sued and again for trying to be a bully).

    Now you may rightly argue that grandma doesn't need to know anything about DLLs to install her software, but that's no justification for leaving out the capability entirely. System administrators use Windows too, and all the sysadmins I know would be very happy if it could be possible to have Windows make their lives easier in ways that Linux already is.

    If you're an experienced Windows programmer, you should know how to do most of the above. Most microsoft setups (like Windows) consist of cab files which you can list contents of etc.
  • I'm so glad nice paternalistic Ford can find the funding to subsidise PCs for its workers in the US. What a pity that over here (in the UK) the same company is seriously considering shutting down an entire plant, moving production to where workers' rights are weaker and throwing thousands of people onto the dole (welfare to US readers). Makes you think. Hopefully.
  • The only problem with this is some yahoo will go in and change the password, and then it's useless from then on.
  • DETROIT, Feb. 3 -- The Ford Motor Company said today that each of its 350,000 employees worldwide, from factory workers in India to car designers in Michigan, would be offered a high-speed desktop computer, a color printer and unlimited Internet access for just $5 a month.

    Employees' families will be encouraged to use the equipment, made by the Hewlett-Packard Company, and will be given e-mail accounts. The Ford offer, which executives said was intended to promote computer literacy, includes color monitors, speakers, technical support and ample capacity for workers and their families to create their own Web sites.

    Mark Margevicius, a senior research analyst at the Gartner Group, a computer consulting firm, said that Ford was the first big company to try to make home computers available to all its employees. "I have not even heard of anything like this happening," he said.

    Ford executives portrayed today's initiative as an example of corporate munificence and as a way to improve company communications with workers, but auto industry experts said that it could carry several benefits for the company. Ford has had the best labor relations in the domestic auto industry -- its last strike was in 1986 -- but morale has been damaged by its plans to spin off its auto parts division, Visteon Automotive Systems, later this year. Visteon workers will be included in today's program even after the two companies separate, Ford officials said.

    Ford and other automakers have invested heavily in automation and need workers who are comfortable operating computers that control the equipment. Factory jobs such as robot repair now require as much as a year of training, some of which could be done online at home.

    Envious of the high stock market valuations of computer and Internet companies, Ford officials have begun a concerted effort in the last year to portray their company not as a stodgy manufacturer but as a maker of consumer products actively involved in electronic commerce. Recent initiatives include using the Internet to procure auto parts, promote new car models and keep track of automotive maintenance records.

    Ford executives have long admired the way the Saturn division of General Motors uses its corporate image to sell cars and have tried for several years to project a more progressive image of their own. As part of this campaign, Ford already advertises that its automobiles tend to score the best on government crash tests, and that its sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks pollute far less than regulations allow.

    Ford also has a history as a ground-breaking employer. Henry Ford, the company's founder and great-grandfather of its current chairman, William C. Ford Jr., infuriated other industrialists in 1913 when he doubled the wage for assembly-line workers to $5 each eight-hour day. But the move reduced training costs at a time when workers were so scarce in Detroit and turnover so high that only one in 10 Ford employees stayed for more than a few months.

    Ford officials said they did not know how many workers would want the computers, but predicted that almost all would take them. Delivery of the Hewlett-Packard computers and ink-jet printers will start in the United States in April, and the price might be set lower than $5 a month for workers in lower-wage countries, said James Yost, Ford's chief information officer.

    Ford will offer Internet home pages in 14 languages for employees and does not plan to pay for the program through online advertising, though there will be home page links to Ford Web sites. UUNet, a division of MCI WorldCom, will be the Internet service provider.

    Nearly 190,000 of Ford's 350,000 employees live outside the United States, as the company builds cars in countries like Poland and India to sell to their growing middle classes.

    Mr. Yost and Ford's vendors declined to estimate the cost of the program. Nick Grouf, the chairman and chief executive of PeoplePC, the company that will manage the program, said that for other clients, PeoplePC has distributed less-powerful personal computers with unlimited Internet access but without printers for $24.95 a month. Given the discount that Ford is offering, this suggests the company could spend close to $100 million a year if most of its employees participate.

    Ford is earning record profits and has $23.6 billion in cash reserves.

    The basic PC in the Ford program, the HP Pavilion, is powerful, with a 500-megahertz Intel Celeron chip. It has a 4.3-gigabyte hard disk, a CD-ROM drive, a 56K modem, speakers, a 15-inch color monitor and Microsoft software including word processing and spreadsheets.

    Employees will be eligible for the computers, printers and Internet access even if they already have them at home. They can lease more-powerful models -- with Pentium III chips, laser printers and even DVD players for movies -- at deep discounts if they are not satisfied with the base model. Prices for upgrades have not been determined.

    Hewlett-Packard expects at least 300,000 orders, which would equal 4 percent of its worldwide PC shipments last year.

    PeoplePC will ship the computers and provide round-the-clock technical support by telephone, including toll-free lines in many countries. Ford will not monitor employees' Internet use or e-mail in any way, Mr. Yost said.

    The program was discussed during Ford's negotiations in the fall with the United Automobile Workers union, and was backed by Jacques Nasser, Ford's chief executive. Ford is committed to the program for at least three years, after which it will review it, Mr. Yost said.

    G.M. and DaimlerChrysler concluded their talks with the U.A.W. before the idea came up. Their spokesmen said today they would study Ford's initiative. Toyota, Nissan and Honda said they had no plans to follow Ford's example.

    Ford factories in the United States already provide free computer training labs for all workers to surf the Internet. Mark Pudelek, a 34-year-old assembler of engine alternators in Rawsonville, Mich., said that he had gone online at the factory but would now get his first home PC for his wife and 5-year-old daughter.

    "I think it's going to be a great learning tool for my daughter, for the ABC's, counting and all," he said.
  • It's written by Steven Miller at Microosoft. And it does a heck of a lot more than lsit dependencies, it also tells you what functions of the dependent DLLs are used, DLL versions, base addresses etc etc.
    It can list dependencies for any valid Win32 module (DLL, EXE, OCX etc).
    Quite a useful app, and essential for Windows developers.

    The executable is called "depends.exe" which comes with the NT Resource kit (amongst some other really cool utilities - many are equivalents of unix commands).
  • They want to run 350,000 D.NET clients and beat Slashdot. :)

    Nipok Nek
  • According to NPR yesterday, the PC's are a required part of the new Ford contract with the UAW, and the UAW is hoping to get Daimler-Chrysler to follow suit when its contract comes up for discussion. The article indicated that the PC's were the union's idea, not Ford's.
  • Doh, forgot to mention where you can get the resource kit.

    The full resource kit costs money, but depends and many other utils from the resource kit are now free.

    These are for NT4SP4, but depends will also work on Win9x.

    Download it here [microsoft.com]
  • Thanks for the reply; I find it very informative.

    I'm still not very impressed that I have to buy a separate product (Visual Studio) to perform a basic administrative function that I'm accustomed to having in the base system (dependency tracing).

    It's up to an application to do it's installing uninstalling.

    Yes, indeed it is, and I don't like this approach. I think the Redhat Linux approach where a single centralized program does all the installing and uninstalling presents a much more uniform and powerful interface. (And no, it doesn't have to be command-line; plenty of graphical front-ends to rpm exist.)

    Putting the responsibility of installation/uninstallation on the application reminds me of the bad old days of cooperative multitasking in Windows 3.1 where the application was responsible for claiming and releasing CPU timeslices. Microsoft has since done the smart thing and moved CPU timeslice control into the central system, a la preemptive multitasking. Why not do the same for software installations?

    The new APIs in Windows 2000 sound good but in my view they don't go far enough, because (un)installation is still the responsibility of the application. All the APIs in the world aren't going to help if the applications aren't using them.

    I know you can list the contents of cab files, but I do not know any way to find out where the contents get put into my system after I install them. In Redhat Linux, I can list the files in an rpm package and also see what directories they get put into.

    Anyway I appreciate your response and I like how things are improving but I still find that, with my unique preferences, keeping a Redhat Linux box current is much easier than trying to maintain a similarly current system in Windows.

  • This sounds wonderful!
    People do need to learn how to use computers, if not at the level of most of the users of /., in order just to feel comfortable working in the world today.
    Ford seems to understand how important it is for its employees to have computers and have access to the internet. Some will argue about the people that this will somehow make all of these employees drones, and that they will have no choice with the computers, and that M$ and Ford will use them to controll the employees. This is a choice the employess will have to make. It is a choice. If you don't like the deal, don't get the computer.
    I laugh in response to those individuals who suggest that the computers should have Linux preinstalled, and that to not do so is evil. Find me a distribution that is easy enough to use that someone who does not own a computer can figure it out, and I will gladly (and happily) endorse its use. Lets be realistic.
    • Third it gets them a lot of great press. People look at Ford differently 'cause they are doing something which is not blantantly in their self interets.

    I'm glad to see a company trying to eliminate the "digital divide." While you and I have a computer and internet access, I'd imagine that most of Ford's assembly line workers don't have a computer. I think this is a great move, and I would hope to see other companies (including ones in other industries), especially ones that pay low wages, follow in Ford's footsteps.
  • In light of your new information about the dependency checker:

    Okay, depends.exe can be downloaded at no cost. That's good. It can list the dlls that an executable requires. That's good.

    But I'm talking about much more. Let's say I want to know not just what dlls winword.exe requires, but the dlls that MSOffice as a whole requires. As far as I know, and taking into account what you told me, there is no way to do this.

    Information about what libraries a software package requires as a whole is very useful for a system administrator. Windows is as far as I can tell architecturally incapable of performing this basic function, because there is no central program keeping track of which files go with which software packages. If there is a way of listing all the files that came with MSOffice, again, I'd like to know :-)

  • This almost makes me proud to still be driving my '91 Tempo...

    The Divine Creatrix in a Mortal Shell that stays Crunchy in Milk
  • ObLinuxRant: just think of the money Ford could have saved if they gave their employees boxes with Linux on them!

    I wonder what percentage of them will end up running Linux, FreeBSD or Hurd anyway.

  • So what happens when a "Save the Children" TM group decides that it's wrong for an employer to force feed internet filth to the eyes of innocents?

    Is Ford going to be sued for corruption of minors if they don't install filters on the PCs?

    Sounds silly, but this is the American way of life (for the Ford employees that are still in the US)

  • Don't you mean it is a confirmation of TANSTAAFL? Ford certainly isn't doing this because it loves all its employees.

    This could have far reaching consequences if more companies start doing this. It's like those free PCs where you have to look at ads all the time.

    Except now, XYZ corporation gives you a free PC, to use with XYZ corp's ISP. And since it still owns the computer and is paying for the access, it has legal rights to snoop on you. The really nefarious part of all this is that those people who would most need a free computer, because they are unable to afford one, are just the kind of people they'd want to keep tabs on.
  • I think you folks think that Ford will preinstall some commercial Linux distribution on the computers to be sold to their employees.

    Only one problem: Linux in its current state is still too hard to use for neophyte computer users. Besides, there's a LOT more software available for Windows 98 users, so I'm not surprised that the machines made available by Ford through PeoplePC are running Windows 98 Second Edition.

    My guess is that the machines have Windows 98 Second Edition and Microsoft Works 2000 installed on the hard drive.

    Once Linux supports "hot docked" PnP devices and has driver installs as easy as Windows 98/2000, THEN we can seriously consider it as an alternative to Windows 98/2000. Hopefully, the Linux 2.4.x kernel, improved OpenGL support and other improvements due this summer will do just that.
  • If I'm not mistaken Apple at one point gave away Macs to their employees only to pull them out later under a hail of complaints from the employee's loved ones. It seems that the employees were are work more or less 24x7.
  • I wouldn't be too concerned about invasion of privacy in this case. I must agree with other statements I've seen on this topic that I think this is just a way of Ford helping itself by helping it's employee's get used to new technology. The end result my be self preservation, but the way I see it, this benifits all involved.

    I've seen some of the robotics systems inside of Ford. Most of them are the latest Allen-Bradly PLC setups and basicly can be controled through a point/click mannor. Far cry from just a few years ago where you had to do all the ladder programming by hand then transfer it to the PLC via dat tape.

    I've seen other companies provide PC's for their people and I think it's great. Though I think this is the first time it's ever been done on this grand of a scale. Basicly I think what will either make this great, or a disaster is the terms that Ford will put in place to the employee's that take them up on this offer.

    So, as far as I can see, Ford is doing a great thing by helping to spread techonology to those that may afraid or unable to afford it. So long as the people of Ford are happy with this, who is to say anything against it.

  • >The really nefarious part of all this is that those people who would most need a free computer, because they are unable to afford one

    They are Ford employees. They generally have a stable job and decent salary and the costs of computers are very low. These are not the type of people who can't afford their own computers.
  • Statoil, the state-owned oil company in Norway gave all employees new PCs a couple of years ago. They also got free ISDN connections to the net...
  • It's actually a brilliant move for Ford. People PC/HP/UUNet is probably charging Ford roughly $20 per person per month. Then the worker pays $5 of that. So Ford is paying $15 a month. If the person that gets the PC does 2 hours of work (sending e-mails, fixing up a document, etc) a month Ford makes their money back in productivity. Sure they may say they're fostering a better understanding of technology, but they're doing it in a way that benifits them. I definately don't see anything wrong with it though. People get cheap PC's with Internet access and Ford gets more work done. This is also why they would have to use MS. Having a ramp up time for their people to learn a new OS would be wasteful. Trust me, Ford is not about to replace thier Win95/NT platform choices overnight.
  • >I think the distiction is important because of privacy concerns.

    I do think that Ford is big and smart enough that they wouldn't have to resort to "inapproprate computer use on personnal time" to fire you. And if they are worried about you looking for another job they know that most contacts of this nature are done either in person or on the phone, not by email. Don't forget Ford is not some computer/tech company. They make assembly-line cars.

    >In the article it tells of a woman who was emotionally distraught that the company was providing all these services just to get more productivity out of her not because they thought she was a great person.

    The company I work for pays me money on a monthly basis. I'm quite distrought, physically and emotionally, because they do it not because I'm a great person but because I'm productive. Does anyone know a good lawyer?

  • The exact specs & options (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ./ doesn't want to allow tables...too bad.
    FECP HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS
    (Note - Models and components may vary by region)
    Basic Configuration Basic Plus Premium Ultimate Processor Celeron 500 Celeron 533 Pentium-III 600Mhz Pentium-III 733Mhz RAM 64MB 64MB 128MB 256MB HardDrive 4.3 GB 10.2 GB 20.4 GB 40.0 GB Modem 56Kb modem 56Kb modem 56Kb modem 56Kb modem Optical 1 48x CD-ROM CD-RW (burner) CD-RW (burner) CD-RW (burner) Optical 2 DVD Player DVD Player Network Card 10BT Network Card 10BT Network Card 10BT Network Card Keyboard Keyboard Keyboard Keyboard Keyboard Mouse Mouse Mouse Mouse Mouse Speakers Small Polk Audio Spkrs Small Polk Audio Spkrs Large Polk Audio Spkrs Large Polk Audio Spkrs and Subwoofer Monitor 15" color monitor 17" Color Monitor 17" Color Monitor 19" Color Monitor Video 8Mb 8Mb Premium Video Card w/16MB Premium video Card w/16MB and TV-out Chassis Mini-Tower Mini-Tower Mid-Tower Mid-Tower Software, MS-Works 2000, MS-Money, Quicken Basic 2000, QuickLinkIII, MS Encarta, McAfee Antivirus MS-Works 2000, MS-Money, Quicken Basic 2000, QuickLinkIII, MS Encarta, McAfee Antivirus MS-Works 2000, MS-Money, Quicken Basic 2000, QuickLinkIII, MS Encarta, McAfee Antivirus MS-Works 2000, MS-Money, Quicken Basic 2000, QuickLinkIII, MS Encarta, McAfee Antivirus Power Protector Belkin strip surge protector Belkin strip surge protector Belkin strip surge protector Belkin strip surge protector Printer HP 610 Color Inkjet HP 610 Color Inkjet HP 610 Color Inkjet HP 610 Color Inkjet

    OTHER UPGRADE OPTIONS:
    1st Upgrade 2nd Upgrade 3rd Upgrade Printers HP 930 Color Inkjet HP Officejet T45XI
    Color Printer, Scanner, Copier HP 1100 AXI Laserjet Monitors From 15" to 17"

    From 15" to 19"
    From 17" to 19" From 17" to 19" No Upgrade

    (Upgrades will be at employees' expense)

  • Remember, Ford is the company that helped create a middle class with the $5 day back in the early part of this century. While Ford will certainly make sure this gets considered in UAW negotiations, it is indeed possible for corporations to act in their "enlightened self-interest."

    Taking a slightly different angle, the owner of the Washington Capitals has issued laptops to all the players and coaches, for the purpose of greater interaction with fans through the team's website. Will the Fords do the same thing now with the Detroit Lions?

  • I wonder what percentage of them will end up running Linux, FreeBSD or Hurd anyway.

    Well under 1%. I'd put serious money that it will never be even 0.1%. The only people that might would be the engineers, and they already have home machines better than this.

    My brother-in-law works for Ford on an assembly line- these are the folks who don't have machines now. (Although they make good money.) Trust me, getting most of them to use Win98 will be hard enough- Linux is so far beyond the average assembly line worker as to be Urdu. They aren't techies. (Although I'd daresay that most can do work on cars that the average ./'er could only dream about.)

    Eric

  • It doesn't look like there will be anything else but Microsoft software on these computers.

    One shoe seems to fit all Ford workers. No Linux option for them.

    //Pingo

  • It doesn't look like there will be anything else but Microsoft software on these computers.

    One shoe seems to fit all Ford workers. No Linux option for them. The fine print might even forbid tampering with the OS.

    //Pingo

  • 1: Ford will lower the time employees spend on-line while at work. In my company this was a big problem.

    2: Lower the training costs, If Ford spends $200.00 (this is low) to train each employee on the office suite, this knowledge (and $) is lost when the employee leaves the company. Now the employee will have to pay for it by buying the computer when they leave.

    3: Lower Microsoft Enterprise Agreement prices for Ford. This could be where a large part of the money is coming from. An average EA for a company with just 2000 users is $190.00. (win/office/back office CAL). How much "rebate" (aka kickback) is M/S giving to Ford?

    Just my thoughts.
  • If the access Ford provides goes through their proxy, the employees should be leery of being monitored. Ford could easily track urls their employees visit and compile a list of "undesireables" by whatever criteria fits Ford's definition of undesireable, assuming they have one.

    If I were a Ford employee, I would not use the company-provided access for any private matters; especially email, unless encrypted.

  • They wouldn't have saved *any* money by going with Linux instead of MS Windows.

    Ford is outsourcing to PeoplePC (PeoplesPC?) and paying (I imagine) a monthly fee per user. The cost to PeoplePC to ramp up a seperate Linux support organization would have been reflected in the cost to Ford.

    PeoplePC/HP are probably paying $75 for a Win98 license and some sort of MS Works-type software bundle. How much, in could they have saved? $75? Well, that is the up-front cost, but the support costs would have gone through the roof (where will they find a few hundred Linux support technicians? And what will they cost?

    This offer builds on PeoplePC existing infrastructure, to adopt Linux would require them to nearly start from scratch!

    Just wanted to inject some reality into the debate...

  • I bloody well wish they'd do that Adam UUNET Canada CNS Specialist
  • ok - so now all these ford employees will be hosted by those wonderful clueful folks at UUnet [cough cough].

    so now I can count on even more spam on the net, but now with an emphasis toward crappy cars. sigh.

    --

  • executive at large PC vendor:

    Damn, that last order for PCs fell thru. we have all these PCs in stock, ready to ship, and the customer refuses to buy them anymore. I think I heard him say something about not wanting that crappy M$ software on them or something... so what can we do with all these?

    executive at ford:

    hey, I hear you guys have a shitload of PCs that you can't unload. tellya what, I'll buy them at half cost, the whole lot of them. whaddya say?

    accountant at ford:

    hey, we could turn a positive spin on this. we can get a tax break by giving these as gifts, we only paid half cost for them, and we get free PR as a result! sure, lets go for it.

    security and HR at ford:

    and also, since we control the way they access the net, we can see if the employees are browsing any 'controversial' sites. of course we have piss tests and background checks before we hire anyone, but this gives us yet another way to screen out 'bad apples'. so even if the employee sneaks by and fakes the piss test (etc), his browsing habbits will surely show his true nature. if he's a commie, druggie or even secretly prefers foreign cars, we'll soon know about that. think of the possibilities - we'll know more about each of our employees than ever before.

    --

  • Q: what do ford cars and M$ software have in common?

    A: they both break down regularly.

    ;-)

    --

  • I wonder if corruption will be an issue.. Specially on the "low-wage" countries (take the "Did IBM Bribe Argentina? [slashdot.org]" story for example). The whole thing consists on sending free money to buy computers, everywhere.

    I live in Argentina, so I'll try to get me one of those computers.. I think my uncle works on Ford.. :)

    --

  • I'm not leery about this. The thing that does bother me is that all I see in the world today are companies that are taking care of their employees. I work for Gateway computer, one of the largest computer companies in the world. You would think that we could get free computers, hell we make the things. You can't get a cheaper computer then that. But wait, we get a huge discount. Are you ready for this. 10%. A whopping 10 percent. This is relaly great considering that sales tax is 6%, which boils that great discount down to 4%. And that wonderful privilege comes after you have been with the company for a whole year. I'm glad to hear that Ford is taking care of their employees. Hell somebody has to.

    Maybe I should start sell cars rather then computers. At least I would get a free computer out of the whole deal. Does anyone have an email address for Ford's personnel dept.

    Am I alone in the thoughts that a company should sell product to their employees at cost. Wouldn't the idea of, we don't care to make money off of our employees, because they make money for us be nice!!!

  • And you can chip in for extra bits (like a 19' FST monitor).

    wow a 19 foot monitor image playing QuakeIII on that one!!!!

    grin

    The ArsonSmith

  • Where you can have any colour of computer, as long as it is a semitransparent fruit flavour.
    ---
  • Here's cnet's article on it. [cnet.com]

    I think this is a cool idea. Five dollars a month is way less than just an Internet connection would cost, let alone renting a computer and a printer. I have to wonder why the printer though. It's an extra expense for Ford, and does it add much value for the home users?

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • As far as the whole privacy/Ford-is-big-brother theory, I doubt that is of any substance. While it is entirely possible that they could do that, just the thought of the nightmarish PR scandal that would arise if such a scheme was uncovered should shy away even the most Orwellian of corporate policy makers.

    I agree. Most of these sneaky schemes backfire, and good managers know it. Companies which are busy being clever usually see their cleverness fail, while companies which concentrate on their core operations surpass them.

    Of course, Ford isn't doing this to be very nice guys-- if for no other reason because it wouldn't be very nice for people whose pension funds are invested in Ford stock. This could just be like corporate scholarships or other endeavors, but here are my theories:

    Ford once represented the culmination of the industrial revolution. It made its mark because it recognized the new realities of the economy, and built a business around the new model. It paid its employees more because that's how you get the best people. It built simple, bare-bones cars for a market noone ever really pushed for (much as Apple did with the PC).

    So maybe they just realize that just as in the early twentieth century the agricultural economy was industrialized; the industrial economy will now become information-based. By that logic, it makes sense to get your workers computer-literate.

    I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that Ford isn't going to monitor their employees. If even one of them is a cracker, the fact that they had tacit permission from Ford and were supposedly being supervised creates a big liability problem. Besides, then they wouldn't be used.

    The problem is that we are in the midst of the information revolution, but most sectors of the economy have only superficially benefitted from it. Sure the superficial benefits are significant, but imagine if a car company-- from the ground up-- took advantage of what technology could give them. Factories even more automated than they are now, staffed by people who are highly skilled and who like working there! Ever notice that CS people work like dogs, and get paid almost 50% more than the American median income straight out of college? If you think high salaries are expensive, try mediocrity.

    Most of the obstacles for these companies aren't technological, they are bureaucratic. So by shaking things up and cutting the cost required to train people later, they'll be up and running while their competitors struggle to catch up. Of course, that is assuming that Ford can endure the growing pains such a radical shift will cause. I think this is a great idea, and I hope that Ford can make it pay for them.

  • I was at the Barber shop last night and a bunch of Ford union locals were there because the local plant was shut down due to a problem with one of the parts in the engine.

    It sounded to me like they got the computers out of the last round of union negotiations (barber shop talk isn't always reliable). That would make sense to me, I doubt Ford would cough up that much money just to be Good Guys, even if it does benefit them to a degree. As a guy who is normally paranoid about anything related to corporations, I'm not worried about this at all. I think this was extracted by the union :)
  • No, really. Ford's insight was essentially the power of network effect: selling cheaply to millions beats selling expensively to thousands any day, and it guarantees a future market. Also, making a world where buying and using your products is the easiest thing in the world is great for the bottom line.

    Besides proprietary software, other industries that could really use a Henry Ford:

    Telcos -- you know, if we opened up all this unused capacity and stopped getting in people's way, everyone would buy it!

    Record and Movie Studios -- you know, if we made digital distribution easy and stopped getting in people's way, our products would spread like wildfire of their own accord!

    Airlines -- you know, if we made our pricing comprehensible, shared the market, and stopped treating passengers as cattle, we could run this place!

    Why haven't more industries learned this lesson?
  • Folks, you have to realize that not everyone is a techie. Some of these people might not even own a computer. Like eric has written above, these folks have different capabilities. Most of us would dream of being able to strip our cars and rebuild them. Just because the average computer user looks for convenience (which Free OS's lack), user friendliness, and simplicity does not make them Lusers. Even if Microsoft does have its software shipped with these HP computers, that does not mean that some people wont opt for another OS or software. Here is an opportunity for those who want to branch Linux out into the mainstream market. make Linux easy to use, set up and maintain and the world will beat a path to your door or even 350,000 users and Ford might say thank you.
  • Although at first glance, this appears to be a direct result of collective bargaining between Ford [ford.com] and the United Auto Workers [uaw.org] union in the United States, the implications are more profound than that. This deal represents both a workforce communications and a fringe benefits revolution.

    Ford CEO Jac Nasser currently communicates with Ford's white-collar employees via a weekly e-mail newsletter. Putting computers in the homes of all Ford employees would allow him to access the automaker's entire work force via the Internet, even those employees who do not have desks because they work on assembly lines.

    Looked at from a historical perspective, this deal could represent a major social revolution. It appears that Ford will be the first major company to offer all of its employees home computers at no cost. It was also the company that pioneered the five dollar day [hfmgv.org]. This dramatically boosted workers take home pay in the early 1900s and allowed assembly line workers to afford the Model Ts that they produced.

    This does not even consider the goodwill that the company and the union will engender in the workforce by providing a free computer for use in every employee's home. Think of the educational possibilities for the children of each Ford employee.

    What would happen if a benefit like this were available to the employees of other large companies?
    --

    Dave Aiello

  • Okay, I recognize that irony doesn't come across clearly in a text medium, but I thought my irony was clear enough. Most people never load anything onto their machines that wasn't there when they bought them other than games, tax software and the free CD from some big ISP. I think we all know that.
  • "We can give you two thousand pennies." Or something like that.

    Seriously, though, I of course meant Free as in speech. But your point is still interesting. It is frankly amazing how close to gratis the whole thing really is.

    But, I'd even dirty myself by paying money to USWorst for high-speed internet, but not $900 a month for a T1, ferchrissakes!

    I suppose that's what happens when you have an inventory that increases in value over time -- you don't sell it for anything. I wonder if the telcos will ever see competition from wireless as a threat to their inventory's value. Imagine -- a whole new world of cheap bandwidth, freeing the mind and spirit for boundless creativity!!

    Nah.

    -- Theodoric of York, medieval phone company executive.
  • I'm disappointed once again in the lack of research on slashdot posts.

    Nowhere was it mentioned in the original post that this was a result of discussions between the United Auto Workers and Ford during their last contract negotiation. As a result, about half the posts here on the topic questioned the company's motives and intentions, even suspecting that the company wanted to track their internet usage, or limit it to approved sites. Neither appears to be the case.

    From what I can tell, this probably came out of a discussion that can be summarized, roughly, as:
    "We can't pay that much for a non-tech-savvy workforce."
    "Well, then, help make that workforce tech-savvy."

    In fact, this was specifically mentioned as part of <a href="http://www.uaw.org/contract99/ford/index.htm l">the UAW/Ford contract agreement</a> back in October; Ford agreed to study it as part of a broader initiative to extend educational services to workers and their families.

    According to <a href="http://www.ford.com/default.asp?pageid=106&s toryid=674">the Ford press release</a>, access will not be through the corporate network but through the ISP PeoplePC via UUNET.

    Under US income tax laws, the cost of a service provided by the company as a benefit will have to be subtracted from the market value, and the difference taxed the same as income. Enforcement is always difficult with such benefits, though.
    ----

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