I think the issue is not having a desktop-type computer at all and having a tablet/phone that’s so locked down the kid isn’t given the opportunity to explore or troubleshoot.

Tinkering is how you learn to solve problems, which requires having something tinker-able without having to go down a hacky rabbithole.

the iphone was the beginning of the downfall

striping menue options down for usability and "natural gestures" like swiping caused a whole generation to be able to partake in internet discourse without having a basic understanding of how they got there

*Reads comments in thread*

I started with a pair of matchsticks and a trenchcoat that I got at Galipoli in WW1, using the Phosphorus I found in the Bosphorus to craft makeshift TI calculator based on specs I got via Fax from a Samurai. I ran slackware on my slacks until we defeated the Ottomans, but they unleashed their puppy linuxes on us, and we stood no chance.

If you're using Lemmy there's a good chance you'll be excluded from the study. Some of the largest Lemmy communities are Linux related.

Good grief! The word is excluded. Holy shit.

Hot take: macOS, being Unix like, fosters more tech literacy than Windows.

It's much better now with windows terminal and winget, but a decade or so ago even basic things like installing python and adding it to PATH were infinitely easier on Unix-like environments.

For those privileged to have programming classes, the first 2-3 sessions were the teachers going round doing tech support just to install python on shitty locked down Windows laptops.

Windows being terrible makes you learn a lot of stuff, but so much of it is untransferrable.

I started on Mac (the Macintosh Plus), then went to Windows, and now Linux (for about two decades by now). 🤷‍♂️ Work as a software engineer... Nothing to see here, folks.

I'd take macOS over Windows anyday if those were my only choices. It's UNIX so a ton of Linux knowledge is transferrable.

(At least starting in 1999, prior Mac OSes weren't Unix based but still IMO pretty neat)

I think that being forced to learn about WINE at a young age may have been beneficial actually (if extremely unpleasant)

As always, this is a relatively tech-knowledgeable platform. 99% of people didn’t know shit about computers before or after the advent of the iphone, and even before that, building a PC wasn’t on the radar for most.

OTOH fixing issues with computers, PC users would know way more than a Apple user because PCs had way more issues. Not really a flex, but certainly relevant to the discussion.

Ummm how do kids turn out if you install Linux Mint on a cheap laptop and give it to them to screw around with? Asking for a friend.

used Solaris at 11

Plays factorio

Yeah I might be autistic.

What about people who started on DOS?

honestly i think part of the reason i’m a computer tinkerer now is my formative years were spent trying to run specific minecraft launchers, n64 emulators and other stuff on the family mac

I think that when you started matters a lot.

If they're implying that growing up with a Mac means worse problem solving skills because they don't go wrong as much clearly didn't experience MacOS prior to 10.

I don't get the hype for Apple stuff. Custom built desktops or frankenlaptops look way cooler and it is a lot of fun to finally figure out what kind of gear you need.

Das wirft natürlich eine sehr interessante wissenschaftliche Forschungsfrage auf, die ich mir erlaubt habe, in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zu recherchieren:

"Does early exposure to different operating systems (macOS vs. Windows) correlate with differences in technological literacy and general problem-solving abilities among children and adolescents?"

The available research does not provide conclusive evidence that early exposure to different operating systems directly correlates with differences in technological literacy or problem-solving abilities among children and adolescents.

While studies reveal some interesting distinctions, the evidence is limited. Ronaldo Muyu et al., 2022 found Windows is more popular among university students (84.61% vs. 11.38% for macOS), suggesting potential usage differences. Shahid I. Ali et al., 2019 found no significant competency differences between Mac and Windows users in Excel skills. Cem Topcuoglu et al., 2024 noted that users’ perceptions of operating systems are often based on reputation rather than technical understanding.

Interestingly, Bijou Yang et al., 2003 found Mac users had significantly greater computer anxiety, which might indirectly impact technological literacy.

More targeted research is needed to definitively answer this question, particularly studies focusing on children and adolescents.

At 7yo my family got our first home computer. I had no idea how to use it properly, so I was constantly bricking OS on it which lead my father to constantly call in his friend to fix our computer. I bet constant ass whooping made me quickly learn how to undo my own mess. At 10yo I could reinstall win98 though floppy with NC

First computer I used was DOS.

So I started with a DOS machine that my dad had at work, then my school got a few Apple Macs in the library so I played Oregon Trail on the green screen, them the first computer we had at home that I was able to spend hours on was windows 3.1.

"discluded"

I'm studying computer science and while most use Linux, there are definitely more macOS user than Windows… so yeah, I don't really agree

Linux didn't exist when I was 12. 😑

What if you were started on an Apple computer before Macs existed?

As a non autistic Linux user since I was 14, I concur.

C-64 -> DOS (at school) -> Unix (at uni) -> Every Windows from 3.1 to Win10 including some NT -> Linux/Win10

That pretty much dates me, with that huge stretch of time.

Messed around with Linux a few times on and off (Mandrake was first), never took the plunge until recently where it's now my primary. And it's not Arch.

"discluded"

🤣