This is rather apropos for me as I'm wondering how to introduce my son to computers once he turns 3. I do think that older computers had an advantage in that they forced a certain level of comprehension. I also do not want to get my son used to phones or tablets because I feel that they tend to be more consumption devices than promoting creation. And I also feel that it's good to have a clear separation between computer time and non-computer time. I often see people using a tablet or phone as digital pacifier and it doesn't seem like a good long term parenting technique to me.

So I'm hesitating between giving him something running linux like the author or setting up a mister with Atari ST and just having him use it as if it were an old computer. Linux is more modern and more complex whereas Atari ST has a rich software library, the interface and system that is relatively easy to understand.