Ask Slashdot: Best Computer For a 7-Year Old?

Posted by timothy on Sunday September 9, 2012 @07:30AM from the better-than-an-easy-bake-oven dept.

First time accepted submitter Boldizar writes "My son turns seven next month and I'd like to buy him a cheap computer. I'm looking for the Slashdot hivemind opinion on what would be the best computer for a child. I'm looking for a computer that will teach him basic computer literacy, and hopefully one wherein the guts are a bit exposed so that he can learn how a computer works rather than just treating it like a magic object (i.e., iPad) – but that would still keep him interested and without leaving him behind in school. For the same reason, I prefer a real keyboard so he can learn to type. I don't know enough about computers to frame the question intelligently. Perhaps something in the $300 range that would be the computer equivalent of an old mechanical car engine? Another way to think about it: I'm looking for the computer equivalent of teaching my son how to survive in the forest should the zombie apocalypse ever come."

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Commodore 64 by Hatta · 2012-09-09 07:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Get him started off programming BASIC, and then inlining bits of machine code. He'll be a natural in no time.

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1. Re:Commodore 64 by ottawanker · 2012-09-09 07:53 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I completely agree. How many of us started out with a C64 and turned out fine?