Re: What Apple II to buy if not a GS?

[behrenss@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Soenke Behrens)]

Marc,

In article <CHuKDD.HA9@freenet.carleton.ca> aa382@freenet.carleton.ca (Marc Sira) writes:
>In our last episode, behrenss@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Soenke Behrens) said:
>>I do not think the Apple // is a wise investment. A cheapo Mac (like
>>a used Performa 400) would probably be better ... because of the higher
>>resolution it offers, and because of the better sound it offers ... which
>>means that edu soft can take advantage of that and be so much more fun.
>Kids (wisely) don't care much about resolution and the like, though
>sound is a somewhat stronger argument (but GS prices are now reasonable).

[About Mac being easier to use and therefore killing creativity]

Dunno. Do you want your kid to be a hacker? Why frustrate it with
equipment it has to fully understand before being able to use it?
Not everyone is a computer dweeb who likes that kind of thing,
and many kids in particular are not.

>learning experience you want to give your kid; the standard it's-all-
>planned-out-for-you-just-push-that-mouse-button Mac educational
>"experience", or learning through native inquisitiveness and interest,
>without well-defined beginnings or endings (rather healthier, again IMO).

Well, the beginnings and endings in Mac soft are not well-defined, either,
that's the whole point about event-driven stuff. It's just they are
dead easy to use. So, learning to use the thing is easier. Sure, the
attitude is more towards a tool without knowing how it works. So what.
So perhaps the kid can spend more time being creative with the computer
and less trying to figure out how to operate the darn thing.

>I think too many people consider the flash of newer systems and software
>and imagine kids will jump on the same technogeekery bandwagon; this
>is not the case. It is of course diffcult to think like a kid when you're
>not one anymore (somewhat sadly perhaps :). "Fun" is not the same thing
>as technical superiority, though.

I agree 100%. That's why I said "edu soft can take advantage of that and
be so much more fun" instead of "the newer machines are cooler" :).

Kids won't be excited about techno stuff, they certainly will be about
nice colours, sound samples from the computer and an environment they
can explore with ease (without having to be a tech geek who knows about
computers first).

That and the fact that the machine might actually double as "family computer"
for a while make me shy away from Apple // technology. I believe that
computers with more power are able to shield the user (the kid) from the
internals better, thus making the learning curve less steep, lessening
frustration, and allowing real fun things through their superior human
interface equipment (like monitor, sound, keyboard, mouse).

You might also argue with the kid's health ... if the kid "catches fire"
and spends more than just a little time with the machine, a good monitor
will give its eyes a rest.
I should know, I ruined my eyes on a //+ monitor :)

Anyway, I don't want this to become a religious issue. When I have to
decide about buying a computer, I look at what is available, look at
pros and cons, and make a decision. "Machine Foo is cool" just doesn't
come into it.


Regards