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The demand for authenticity
Eric Jorgensen, a programmer at Microsoft, has invented PixelWhimsy, a computer program that allows toddlers to sit at a regular computer and bang away on the keys to create sounds and colors and shapes, but without damaging the computer.
Asmin Jalis, who also works at Microsoft and whose 2-year-old boy, Ibrahim, has been using PixelWhimsy, said his son liked it better than his toy computer. “We have a toy laptop for him, and he knows it’s a fake,” he said.
Or more generally:
Cellphones, laptops, digital cameras and MP3 music players are among the hottest gift items this year. For preschoolers. Toy makers and retailers are filling shelves with new tech devices for children ages 3 and up, and sometimes even down. They say they are catering to junior consumers who want to emulate their parents and are not satisfied with fake gadgets.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on November 29, 2007 at 07:06 AM in Education | Permalink
Comments
This recognizes that a high-tech child is better prepared to disrespect authority, using examples from a broader experience than the home. By empowering that disrespect, the child becomes a better negotiator, less containable within the home, unable to molify except with better technology.
Posted by: Gregg at Nov 29, 2007 7:23:08 AM
"but without damaging the computer"
Asmin's 2-year old must be on some drug because any 2-year-old boy will damage the computer, the desk, and the floor the desk sits on giving half a chance. But Microsoft has never been known for being in touch with the real world (see: Vista or any product developed by them in the last 20 years.)
As for Greggs comment - I can't tell if thats sarcasm or not ... I hope it is.
Posted by: tim at Nov 29, 2007 8:18:33 AM
Not surprising. Girls traded paper dolls for plastic real sized ones in the 60's or earlier, traded fake oven play sets for an easy bake oven that actually cooks "food", use their mom's makeup and jewelry and clothes. Children always wanted to emulate adults and use the real thing. This is just the modern iteration.
Posted by: v at Nov 29, 2007 8:27:06 AM
PixelWhimsy sounds just like Toddler Keys, only presumably it's not going to be available as a free download like Toddler Keys. TK has been a lifesaver for us, because yes, despite having his own toy laptop, our two-year-old wants to play with the mouse and keyboard on the "real" computers. The best thing about Toddler Keys is that you can lock the power button and disc drives with it without activating the rest of the program, so you can prevent your two-year-old from turning off your computer while you're working. I hope the guy who invented it gets some sort of credit, but I bet he won't, and I bet PixelWhimsy won't be an improvement on it.
Posted by: Jennifer at Nov 29, 2007 8:34:56 AM
I'm pretty sure that "without damaging the computer" refers to deleting files or downloading programs.
I recently commented to my wife that cell phones and computers should have toddler modes similar to this. My 13-month old won't touch his toy cell-phone but will play with mine for an hour. The keyboard is another of his favorites. Usually there are about 50 windows open after he's through with it.
Posted by: Steve R at Nov 29, 2007 8:35:29 AM
Yes PixelWhimsy is free and no it wasn't developed by Microsoft. The developer works there, though I'm not sure why that's relevant for the story. I've met the developer. He takes child development seriously and guards against flooding his own kids with media/technology that just encourage passivity. This is the kind of software and the type of developer we should be applauding and encouraging. It's free. It's fun. It encourages thought. Where's the problem? Oh, I forgot. He works for Microsoft. He must be evil.
Posted by: Adam at Nov 29, 2007 10:57:49 AM
Why not just make the parent's real computer/cell phone look like the toy?
*ducks*
Posted by: Person at Nov 29, 2007 11:07:09 AM
While I wish Mr. Jorgensen every success, this is not a new category of product. A hugely popular program for the 2-8 year old crowd emerged in the 90s called "Kid Pix." My kids *loved* it (now they photoshop for fun). It's still published, if a little hard to find.
A simple text editor, like notepad, with a HUGE FONT (at least 64, >100 is better), is an invariable hit for anyone old enough to reach a keyboard and image the screen. (That includes certain cats).
Posted by: tylerh at Nov 29, 2007 12:46:59 PM
I am not sure that this is anything new. When I was a kid, I would have preferred a motorized toy car to the tricycle I was forced to settle for...
I think that any parents out there will find that their children will be happy with a set of unit blocks if that parent will agree to play. If the parent spends all their time on a computer the child will want to emulate that activity.
Posted by: RobbL at Nov 29, 2007 1:05:41 PM
UH, Adam....who's saying that there's a problem? Stop the witch hunt, man...nobody's complaining here about anything.
Posted by: shawn at Nov 29, 2007 1:20:24 PM
I currently use Peanut Butter PC on our computer. I run a home business and I had always feared by kids (3 & 5) deleting something or responding to an IM. Peanut Butter PC locks everything down and gives them what they need... a safe and secure environment on a "Real" computer. It's a life saver...
http://www.PeanutButterSoftware.com
Posted by: Liz at Nov 29, 2007 2:37:46 PM
I was a little older (about age 7), but I still remember the day in the mid-1980's when my dad booted up King's Quest for the first time. I was hooked for the better part of that afternoon, and the next 5 years. I credit Sierra On-Line hugely for helping me learn how to spell, type, and problem-solve. Their games from that era (King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest) were unbelievably well done.
Posted by: Ben at Nov 29, 2007 4:08:53 PM
Having an 18 month old who would love this toy, I immediately typed PixelWhimsy into google, clicked the first link with google claimed cached as "I am also the author of PixelWhimsy , a cool software toy that defies description. Perhaps you would like to: Contact Me; Download software; Cook something; ..."
and got trooperporn.com
So, perhaps that tells me even more about authenticity, so to speak.
Posted by: mouse at Nov 29, 2007 5:00:36 PM
"Invented" is a little strong for something that was available fifteen years ago. We were using KeyWhack on the Mac with our kids and a similar program on a PC. KeyWhack was written by Paul Duffy in 1992.
http://www.het.brown.edu/people/mende/totware.html
I agree with the primary point, that kids can tell the real thing. They never flush the toy cell phone down the toilet.
Posted by: Walter Underwood at Nov 29, 2007 6:25:45 PM
i think i unintentionally wrote this program in gw-basic when i was six. afterwards, i played captain comic. anyone else? commander keen? id software ftw.
Posted by: anon, III at Nov 29, 2007 7:20:53 PM
Thanks for all the discussion. I am paying close attention so I can make PixelWhimsy a great product. Please feel free to email me directly and make suggestions.
Like Adam said, PixelWhimsy is not a Microsoft product. It’s been a labor of love for me since I wrote the original DOS version in 1995 (Flabbergasted). I’ve been writing software like this for my own children because I wanted something smarter than the commercial stuff and more interesting and functional than the freeware/shareware titles around.
Regarding Kid Pix, PixelWhimsy is not a picture-making program, though you can draw pictures with it. The best way I can describe it, short of giving a demonstration, is to say that it is a laboratory for experimenting with pixels. It’s has elements of discovery, learning, physics, creativity, forming combinations, and more. It is easy enough for a toddler to use, but there are adults who love to play with it (including myself). It’s really fun and totally different than anything you’ve played with before. It’s also free, so please download it and see for yourself!
Mouse, regarding that terrible lin: I learned today that porn spammers look for spikes of Google activity and then take advantage of it to publish their garbage. They stole text from my personal web site and put it on their porn site. I was quite upset about it. The site has since been reported as spam and that link no longer comes up in a google search for PixelWhimsy.
Posted by: Eric at Nov 29, 2007 9:45:50 PM
"Why not just make the parent's real computer/cell phone look like the toy?"
That's what Apple does.
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Nothing happens when I try to run the installer under Win98SE. Is XP required?
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