Samuel Chiltern answered
You haven't mentioned which specific economy you're referring to, so I'll talk in broad terms about the benefits of home computers on the global economy.
Retail
Any major retailer that does not have an Internet presence is immediately at a disadvantage, because Internet shopping continues to boom, despite the global downturn.
The ease with which a retailer can profile their customers, and recommend or up-sell new products to them, has made retail a very lucrative realm within the Internet.
Also, home computers themselves need to be sold, and this in turn has created a whole new segment within retail.
Local Communities
The rise of Internet shopping has had a negative effect on local communities, many of which have lost their independent music store and bookshop to Internet behemoths, such as Amazon.
The result has been a reduction in local jobs, which can lead to younger members of a community having to move out of an area, in order to find employment elsewhere.
However, the prevalence of home computers now means that people can work from home, or even set up their own businesses from home - and this may mitigate the need for individuals to abandon their communities, to some extent.
Manufacturing
The increasing desire to own a home computer has driven demand for the manufacturing of these machines, and has created many jobs in product design (mostly in the first world), and manufacturing (mostly in developing nations).
Support
With every machine sold, there follows the requirement to support and maintain that computer. Some people can do this themselves, but most will either call a help-desk, or take their computer to their local repair shop, thereby supporting jobs in the local community.
Retail
Any major retailer that does not have an Internet presence is immediately at a disadvantage, because Internet shopping continues to boom, despite the global downturn.
The ease with which a retailer can profile their customers, and recommend or up-sell new products to them, has made retail a very lucrative realm within the Internet.
Also, home computers themselves need to be sold, and this in turn has created a whole new segment within retail.
Local Communities
The rise of Internet shopping has had a negative effect on local communities, many of which have lost their independent music store and bookshop to Internet behemoths, such as Amazon.
The result has been a reduction in local jobs, which can lead to younger members of a community having to move out of an area, in order to find employment elsewhere.
However, the prevalence of home computers now means that people can work from home, or even set up their own businesses from home - and this may mitigate the need for individuals to abandon their communities, to some extent.
Manufacturing
The increasing desire to own a home computer has driven demand for the manufacturing of these machines, and has created many jobs in product design (mostly in the first world), and manufacturing (mostly in developing nations).
Support
With every machine sold, there follows the requirement to support and maintain that computer. Some people can do this themselves, but most will either call a help-desk, or take their computer to their local repair shop, thereby supporting jobs in the local community.
