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Comment by tuckerman | Hacker News Reader

He's still too young for something like this but I've been searching for something to use when we more properly introduce my son to computers. Using modern components to make something useful that still exposes the electronics side, encourages tinkering and exploration over media consumption, etc and it seems like a project like this could fit the bill nicely!

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Creator here!

That sounds exactly what i had in mind, and i really wanna do the same when my boy is old enough for computers.

It's a teaching tool and a fun toy to tinker with

https://www.nand2tetris.org/

No doubt you've already looked into Ben Eater's various offerings (?).

I came across them (and they seem very cool!) but my working theory is that, in addition to more electronics heavy projects like those, I also want something that can fill the role of the apple ii plus that was the "family computer" when I was a kid without going straight to giving him access to a modern desktop/computer which feel so hermetic.

I'm somehow very confident in this while also being sure that people probably thought very similar things about home radios destroying the youth in the 1920s :D

Look into the RC2014 project then perhaps (https://rc2014.co.uk). It's been around for ten years of so — has quite an ecosystem already.

I think machines are more for adults and passionate teenagers than for children. But you can also look at the tulip creative computer that is more geared towards creative computing (especially music)

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