---
title: What's the Ideal Give-Away Computer?
osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/conferences/seagl2023/program/proposals/936
beginning: '2023-11-04T11:00:00.000-07:00'
end: '2023-11-04T11:20:00.000-07:00'
resources:
  internet_archive_identifier: SeaGL2023-Whats_the_Ideal_Give-Away_Computer
presenters:
- name: Alex Byrne
  osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/users/1415
  gravatar_id: 3fb162df7a745e78839684fe8ad65b47
  biography: I get paid to be silly in front of other people and put them at ease
    using technology. I think that's extremely well suited to my skill set.
---

Humans use Internet-connected computers as a daily part of their work, school, and play experiences, but the computers they use for work and school are usually locked down by policies, and many of the computers offered for play are either app appliances or single-purpose game machines, leaving most people bereft of a low-stakes machine to tinker or experiment with that they have full control over. Mud-spattered teens and tweens, curious adults, and seniors seeking revenge for their descendants dumping a device on them and claiming "it's so intuitive you don't need my help or any training" all need tinkering devices.

If you're a funder with millions and a desire to spread computing resources all over, what is the ideal computer to give someone for the purpose of getting them to join the community of tinkerers, hackers, and programmers? (Spoiler: There isn't a single answer.) We'll talk about how to combine hardware, software, and people support to produce a computer and an environment that will give a learner the opportunity to succeed at making the leap from "there's an app for that" to "My computer can do that, and a few other things, too."
