Slashdot Mirror
Computer For a Child?
jameswing writes "I am thinking of buying a UMPC, such as an Eee PC or a Wind for my son, and wanted to get input from Slashdot. He is almost 2 and really curious about our computers, and anything electronic. I want to foster this in him, without having him on my desktop or laptop. I also don't really like the idea of getting one of those cheap 'Learning Laptops' that have a tiny screen and are really limited.
Does anybody have one that they use with their children? How sturdy is it? Will it stand up to a 2-year-old? If not, what are good alternatives?
What are your thoughts? Suggestions?"
I learned to read with that age, which was considered a prodigy in my city (and a freak, BTW, in equal proportions).
I really dug into encyclopedias, and was very interested in science. Until I stole a book from a dad's friend.
It was COBOL. I was 4. Now I'm a sad CS teacher finishing my ph.D. in high-performance computing. And I have 12 euros in my bank account right now.
Let him live. And when time comes, guide him to a law school.
The BMW M5 has a very simple computer system, just a single turn and push knob. Easy to learn.
Then when he gets the hang of that, take off the training wheels and let him use vi.
Stick it in the bath? Eat the battery? Lick the power supply?
he's interested in anything that goes "ping"
Well, teach him how to use ping then...
Give the 2 year old a fish & you have fed him for today.
Teach him how to fish & you have fed him for life.
Why buy him a computer. Take him to Frys or something.
Let him pick out the parts & make his own computer.
Once he is done, point him to one of the Linux sources - he
can build his binaries & install it.
Baby Banger
They should really consider getting a new name for their app...
I suspect that is I were to use the OP's definition of being interested in "anything electronic," one of our dogs would fit it. Of course, she also eats her own poop.
So short sighted!
Just think of the uber-mecha-geek that he could turn out by teaching the child so early on that:
1. Computers are more interesting than people (including you)
2. Being interested in the computer is the only way to make your father happy.
Social dysfunction and extreme geekhood here we come!
I bet he's not an AOL either.
ACK!
Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
Note to self: another justification for that new Macbook: the keys don't come off
Have you got him his slashdot account yet? Since the UIDs are already in the millions, by the time he's in his teens and ready to really start using slashdot, OK- ten, that number might be as high as 2 to 2.5 to maybe even 3 million. So save that "low" single million UID now so he'll have built in cred in a few years.
Just imagine that proud moment in only a few years when he's asking you about Natalie Portman and hot grits! Or when he wake's you in the middle of the night because he clicked on something expecting to see a goat. Good times! And why wait when you can get him started now?
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Well, teach him how to use ping then...
To be fair, event adults can be impressed with a a machine that go ping
You packet was rejected. It is not in the correct format. RST.
Indeed. I would suggest "Baby Beater" as a suitable alternative.
May the Maths Be with you!
Also, zombo.com.
Baby Banger.. brought to you by PedoBearSoft Inc.
My cat would like to thank you for that moment of entertainment we participated in at the Boohbah website.
Whoosh!
"Give a woman two glasses of wine and some pad thai, and they'll agree to just about anything." the Sports Guy
not to get too pedantic, but that should be an echo-reply.
bad puns should really be a SYN.
I quite agree. Everyone was out of order when they arrived at this thread, but things could be amicably resolved with a three-way handshake.