Leosghost - 12:44 am on Dec 5, 2009 (gmt 0)

get more than one box ..

we got my son his first machine ( IBM ex french govt machine cheap via an online surplus seller ) when he was 10 ..

he learned on it ..and he broke it ..I fixed it ..he broke it ..this went on for a year or so ..

then he started to understand what was breaking it ..

now he is 16 and he has 3 machines ..and 3 big LCD's ( one is just to read help files , tutorials and pdf's whilst he works on 3D and flash ..( one machine is connected to the net with one LCD. for youtube and surfing etc .it runs linux ..another with 2 LCD's is not connected directly to the net ..for his 3D and flash dev work and to make his animations and cartoons..vista ..and one machine for spare in case we need to fix one of the others ..it's the old IBM running XP pro sp3 ) ..and he is now more cautious than I am about how he treats them and switching off during storms etc ..

buy them each their own machines ..cheap ..and be prepared to maybe throw them away when they break ( waterproof keyboards coukd be a good investment ) ..or fix hardware and software ( VM is your friend ) ..let them learn "fragile" without making them afraid to touch ..

you'll love it ..they'll show you things you never would have thought of ..or discovered by yourself or with you in charge of the keyboard ..

cost you less than $500.oo for two machines that can run cartoons and movies etc via VLC and two LCD screens to save their eyes ..dual boot them linux ( mint is easy on the eyes and has all they need built in )and whatever flavour of doze you have licensed discs for ..( because they will come up against it one day anyway ) ..acceptable hardware specs you should know anyway ..