RE: Baby's first PC

[Tony Butler <lists@xxxxxxx>]

Quoting Alex Monaghan <ha@xxxxxxx>:
> store may have be different, but worth a try. We recently got a good
Thomas
> the Tank Engine one where you have to clean / mend / operate etc...
Reader
> Rabbit series seems to be good for keeping the attention.

Excellent.  Thomas is one of their favourites.

> At this age, the most important thing is getting the attention,
interest and
> basic control of the PC.

They've already mastered the Power switch on my main server :(

> PS We don't have a screen, we use the TV Out capability of the
graphics card
> and run the sound through the HiFi, touch screen is probably teaching
them
> to poke & prod TV's etc...

I thought about just attaching PC to TV, but am concerned that quality may
not
be high enough and that screenburn may ensure.
OTOH, I _do_ want the tv to expire..... :)

> Also if you want remote mouse / KB, go for RF rather than IR as
they're
> bound to turn it the wrong way, sit in the IR path etc...

Good point.  I will probably only go wireless though if I can find a child
friendly solution.  Normal mice are waaayyy too big and too many buttons
for a
3 yr old.  Yesterday, tested one of em out with Paint and my ms scroll
wheel,
million button jobbies & whilst he could master click & move, he
wasn't
dexterous enough to avoid pressing some of the other mouse buttons at the
same
time.  Hey, just realised there _is_ a use for a Mac after all - those
single
button mice would be _perfect_ for a 3 yr old :-))

cheers,

T.
<looking for hiding place from Mac-evangelists!>