Leader: PC giveaway to win over tech have-nots

The UK's report card has always been a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to IT, often being outshone by its more technology-savvy European neighbours, especially the Scandinavian tech tiger, Sweden.

So when it comes to turning Blighty into a nation of web-surfing, PC-owning, computer literate hardcore techies, the government looked no further than the Swedes for inspiration, choosing to follow in the footsteps of the Scandinavians and introducing a Home Computing Initiative (HCI) scheme – giving company bosses tax breaks if they loan their staff PCs for home use for a small amount deducted from their salary each month.

The aim, says the government, is to help build up the UK's computer skills to give both UK firms' productivity and citizens' job prospects a boost.

So will the HCI be just the tonic needed to win over tech Philistines?

There are, and will always be, some people who can't afford or simply don't want to participate in the scheme. For everyone else, there seems to be one vital element that's been missed out in the government's rush to get everyone online – education.

Chances are, if you're one of the lucky ones getting your hands on a home PC for the first time, you might need a bit of a hand installing and negotiating the vagaries of Windows, AOL et al.

The DTI expects employers or PC suppliers to take care of the tricky business of education but how many have the time, money or willingness to see their staff have the basic skills they need to get started? Even for those with rudimentary knowledge of how to use a computer, a little bit of teaching could ensure workers that don't normally use a PC in the course of their working days can get the most out of their machine.

Thankfully, putting a PC in the home will mean most people will have access to at least key educative resource – kids. Successive governments have done such a good job getting IT onto the curriculum and popularising the use of tech in everyday schoolwork – kids might even be taking their GCSEs on a computer in a few years - that the households taking advantage of the HCI scheme will be relying on their children to lead the way.

Another blot on UK Online's copy book? Unlikely. With any luck, in 10 or 20 years time, PC use should be second nature to everyone – and schemes such as the HCI will be all but redundant.