Questions children under 12 ask you about compters.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

My 9 year old grandson asked me, "Does Microsoft run on everything".

I explained that the computer I provide for him to use runs a Linux OS, some of the computers he uses at school run an Apple OS, and our multimedia computer (also known as, the Netflix computer) runs a Microsoft OS. I also explained that some smart phones run a Microsoft OS, his mother's phone runs an Apple OS, and his grandmother's phone runs a Linux OS.

His response was, "Oh...OK".

I LOL'ed quietly to myself. I think I gave him more information than he wanted. A yes or no probably would have been sufficient.

I thought the question asked and my response was funny; then wondered, what kind of questions about computers other people get from children under 12 years old?

[haqking]

My 9 year old grandson asked me, "Does Microsoft run on everything".

I explained that the computer I provide for him to use runs a Linux OS, some of the computers he uses at school run an Apple OS, and our multimedia computer (Netflix computer) runs a Microsoft OS. I also explained that some smart phones run a Microsoft OS, his mother's phone runs an Apple OS, and his grandmother's phone runs a Linux OS.

His response was, "Oh...OK".

I LOL'ed quietly to myself. I think I gave him more information than he wanted. A yes or no probably would have been sufficient.

I thought the question asked and my response was funny; then, wondered what kind of questions about computers other people get from children under 12 years old?

My daughter who is 13 and wiped her windows laptop in favour of Ubuntu and did it on her own said once "people dont use linux cause people are funny like that"

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

My daughter who is 13 and wiped her windows laptop in favour of Ubuntu and did it on her own said once "people dont use linux cause people are funny like that"

Did she ever ask you something were you thought your response to her question was funny?

I laugh at myself sometimes; because, I provide more information to a child than they need. They are learning to solve increasingly difficult problems over a period of time. I laugh at myself when I try to provide the final solution when I should be teaching them to solve the problem themselves as their knowledge increases.

It is funny how children will say or ask the strangest things.

[sammiev]

My 2 kids laptop is rather new (18 months) and I have dual boot system setup and they prefer Linux over Windows. :)

[Dr. C]

My 9 year old grandson asked me, "Does Microsoft run on everything".

I explained that the computer I provide for him to use runs a Linux OS, some of the computers he uses at school run an Apple OS, and our multimedia computer (also known as, the Netflix computer) runs a Microsoft OS. I also explained that some smart phones run a Microsoft OS, his mother's phone runs an Apple OS, and his grandmother's phone runs a Linux OS.

His response was, "Oh...OK".

I LOL'ed quietly to myself. I think I gave him more information than he wanted. A yes or no probably would have been sufficient.

I thought the question asked and my response was funny; then wondered, what kind of questions about computers other people get from children under 12 years old?

It is actually very perceptive and an indication of how ingrained the Microsoft monopoly has become in society. When it comes to computers one thing I have learned over the years is to always pay very close attention to what children and teens have to say and the questions they ask. More often than not there is real wisdom there.

[whiskeylover]

My 1 year old usually just drools on the keyboard.

[sammiev]

My 1 year old usually just drools on the keyboard.

LMAO! :popcorn:

[Khakilang]

My daughter ask what is the computer use for. So I thought her everything what the computer can be use. And when she grew up to be able to use computer, she prefer Linux because she find Window a hassle with the updates as its slow down her internet usage. Until today she never look at Window any more.

[Dangertux]

My 1 year old usually just drools on the keyboard.

Be happy that is all, my son (2 1/2) has a habit of ripping keys off his mother's laptop and chewing on them. I probably will get a bulk discount from toshiba next time I order a spacebar lol.

And I really hope my children become interested enough in technology to ask me about computers they are a bit young yet 1 and 2 1/2, so maybe in a few years :-)

[Legendary_Bibo]

"Can I take apart your computer? I want to see if I can put it back together" - my young cousin referring to my laptop.

[whiskeylover]

Be happy that is all, my son (2 1/2) has a habit of ripping keys off his mother's laptop and chewing on them. I probably will get a bulk discount from toshiba next time I order a spacebar lol.

And I really hope my children become interested enough in technology to ask me about computers they are a bit young yet 1 and 2 1/2, so maybe in a few years :-)

Kids are the cutest at that age :)

[Megaptera]

A sign of the times perhaps, but I ask my son (13 y o) when I've got questions about Windows!

[Dangertux]

Kids are the cutest at that age :)


They really are adorable, but they are a handful. My daughter will also steal and stash wireless devices (phones, mice, television remotes, wii controllers) and pretty much anything else electronic she can get her hands on.

She is a huge fan of wikipedia when she gets ahold of my iphone lol.

[fixerdave]

My favourite... the 5 year old girl that crawled up on chair in the lab (I work in a college computer lab) and asked "where's Internet Explorer?" I showed her the icon and she was off and running. Couldn't touch the floor, actually had to kneel on the seat to reach the keyboard and mouse, but she knew what she was doing when she got there.

My kid, on the other hand, at 15 months hasn't quite got it yet. About the only button he's figured out so far is the power button. So, his poor laptop (running a Puppy Linux variant --- the laptop is rather disposable at this point) gets turned off/on/off/on/off/on/off/on/off/on. He likes watching "Hanna's Horse, just because there's lots of moving stuff. Game over... power off. The Gcompris fishtank is another favourite, though mostly because he likes the "Na Na-Na Na" sound when a fish get through. Until he gets bored anyway, then power-off, and on. Good thing the OS boots from a CD, though it does make some pretty horrible grinding noises when he stands on it trying to turn the TV on.

Oh yeah, he tore the keycaps off long ago... most of them anyway, he was chewing on the backspace key today. Sigh,... Now he's working on peeling off the membrane. Poor, poor laptop.

I've been working in a computer lab for something like 16 years now... the days of normal-looking people picking up a mouse and pointing it at the screen are long gone.

[earthpigg]

Aren't you folks worried about your kids *eating* some of those keys?

[Dangertux]

Aren't you folks worried about your kids *eating* some of those keys?

So far mine have only chewed them, and the keys were taken away shortly after but yes it's a concern. This is called parenting. The need for replacement comes not that they are chewed but usually as they are being removed the clips holding them in place are broken.

[Jay Car]

Granddaughters on a summer visit decided to decorate my favorite keyboard using some sort of glittery glue. (ooooh, sparkly!)

So, I unplugged the keyboard and took it outside and let them spray it down while they played with the garden hose. It was fun, the keyboard got cleaned (though 3 years later it still has some sparkly spots), and the girls happily asked me if they could clean the keyboards at home with the garden hose too.

heh.

I probably should have told them to ask their moms first...

Grandchildren are the frosting on Life's cake. :)

[fixerdave]

So far mine have only chewed them, and the keys were taken away shortly after but yes it's a concern. This is called parenting. The need for replacement comes not that they are chewed but usually as they are being removed the clips holding them in place are broken.

+1

You have no idea how much stuff there is for children to stuff in their mouths, or how much they will try it. Any environment stripped of anything a child could swallow/choke on would be so sterile the poor kids would grow up mentally deficient. You have to let them explore some, and they explore with their mouths. Mostly, I suspect it's teething, just wanting to chew on hard stuff. No runs to the hospital yet... not yet...

All that high-priced kid-safe designer stuff to chew on... he's not interested - he wants the letter Q - so we go "spit it out!" W, spit, E, spit... sigh... At least it's his laptop. No replacements, just the next hand-me-down

[Dangertux]

+1

You have no idea how much stuff there is for children to stuff in their mouths, or how much they will try it. Any environment stripped of anything a child could swallow/choke on would be so sterile the poor kids would grow up mentally deficient. You have to let them explore some, and they explore with their mouths. Mostly, I suspect it's teething, just wanting to chew on hard stuff. No runs to the hospital yet... not yet...

All that high-priced kid-safe designer stuff to chew on... he's not interested - he wants the letter Q - so we go "spit it out!" W, spit, E, spit... sigh... At least it's his laptop. No replacements, just the next hand-me-down



Lol isn't that the truth, when my son was 18 months or so I bought him this rather fancy play table all sorts of bells and whistles things that talk and make noise. It was like 80 bucks or something like that. He messed with it for like 10 or 15 minutes then proceeded to beat on an empty plastic water bottle with a 2 dollar toy drum stick for about 2 1/2 hours straight. Children fixate on what they want, in a sense they are a lot like adults they will get it eventually. As a parent I don't try to prevent them from getting it I only control their curiosity in a safe constructive manner. Note this does not apply to things like meat cleavers they can't have those at all lol

[earthpigg]

Well crap, now you people have me wanting to breed.

I just have to remember not to use the word "breed" around potential breeding partners, for potential breeding partners generally do not like the word "breed".

Bizarre critters, they are.

[whiskeylover]

Lol isn't that the truth, when my son was 18 months or so I bought him this rather fancy play table all sorts of bells and whistles things that talk and make noise. It was like 80 bucks or something like that. He messed with it for like 10 or 15 minutes then proceeded to beat on an empty plastic water bottle with a 2 dollar toy drum stick for about 2 1/2 hours straight. Children fixate on what they want, in a sense they are a lot like adults they will get it eventually. As a parent I don't try to prevent them from getting it I only control their curiosity in a safe constructive manner. Note this does not apply to things like meat cleavers they can't have those at all lol

Chewing on water bottles seems to the favorite of my son too. You buy them the flashiest toys ever, and they proceed to start chewing on them. Or just ignore them (if they don't make a banging noise) and go play with something that they can chew/bang.



Well crap, now you people have me wanting to breed.

I just have to remember not to use the word "breed" around potential breeding partners, for potential breeding partners generally do not like the word "breed".

Bizarre critters, they are.
True. Although, one day you'd find a PBP (potential breeding partner) who likes the word "breed", and you'd end up marrying her and converting her from PBP to BP.

Good luck.

[spynappels]

My 20 month old knows that to talk to his grandparents, he needs to be facing the screen on his mum's laptop (built-in webcam) and knows to tap the laptop and say "Nan" when he wants to "talk" to them. he seems to have given up on removing keys from the keyboard and eating them though, thank goodness. Ho does not have his "own" laptop yet and he was driving his mum mad.

He seems to have a fascination with classical music at the moment and will get the DVD remote out and point it at the DVD player and press the buttons to try and start his favourite concert DVD.

[cecilpierce]

My 11 year old grandson is getting so good on Linux I have to ask him how to do stuff :D

[poliltimmy]

My 6 yr old granddaughter lives with me. When my daughter bought herself a windows lap top a few weeks ago, my granddaughter asked her "Where are the footprints?"

[Tristam Green]

My 6 yr old granddaughter lives with me. When my daughter bought herself a windows lap top a few weeks ago, my granddaughter asked her "Where are the footprints?"


"Granddaddy hasn't put the stickers on it covering up all those nasty wittle old Windows stickers yet, honey. Never let THE MAN get you down."

[Dangertux]

My 6 yr old granddaughter lives with me. When my daughter bought herself a windows lap top a few weeks ago, my granddaughter asked her "Where are the footprints?"


I love this -- that is awesome :-)

[Paqman]

My little one hasn't asked any weird questions, mostly because she doesn't say a lot yet. Although the word of the week this week seems to be "yay!" which is fun.

About the only time she uses a computer is when we sit her down in front of kneebouncers.com, which is flash site for kids that lets them control the cartoon action on the screen by mashing any key. The trouble is, now she just wants to pound the daylights out of any keyboard she sees. Maybe we didn't think that one through properly...

[1roxtar]

When my son was 11, I installed Ubuntu on his netbook because he kept crashing WinXP too many times and too easily. When he came home from school and booted up his computer, he calls out to me saying "Hey, Dad. What's this Ubeetoobee thing on my computer?" I was like "it's 'Ubuntu...OO-BOON-TOO'" I still laugh about it to this day. He ended up liking Ubuntu because he never had problems with it again.

[Paulgirardin]

"Daddy,doesn't that man have a spell check.He spells computer wrong".;)

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

"Daddy,doesn't that man have a spell check.He spells computer wrong".;)

LOL, "Daddy, did that man's child chew on his space bar"? ;)