High-Tech Company Donates Computers to Middle School

Citing the difficulty of “solving 21st century problems with 18th century technology,” Oracle Corp. donated five computers to a South-Central Los Angeles middle school Monday, the first part of a donation program the software giant says will bring computers and the Internet to the 100 poorest schools in the state.

“We want to bring the world to these children’s fingertips,” said Oracle vice president Marc Benioff in a classroom at George Washington Carver Middle School.

To emphasize the point, Benioff, with a few simple commands, had the Louvre Museum home page on his computer’s screen.

“The kids need this stuff,” he said. In June, Oracle announced a $100-million commitment to America’s Promise--the Alliance for Youth, an organization led by former Gen. Colin L. Powell.

“This is pretty fascinating, and these computers are so fast and exciting,” said Mario Figueroa as he clicked on web sites ranging from the White House to the animated television show “The Simpsons.”