"When it comes to computers, the average person usually believes that 'newer is better'. After all, you can get more memory, a faster processor, and a larger hard disk, merely by waiting a few months. Old hardware is usually shunned as being of little value. In contrast, the elementary education sector has consistently found traditional educational methods to be superior to the newest, latest, and greatest methods. Some of the most knowledgeable and capable children are produced by the schools that use seemingly antiquated techniques. So what happens when the world of technology collides with the world of education? Why, the Commodore 64 makes a comeback!"
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Member since:2005-07-06
Well, if the child is five or six years old, a C64 just might work well. But it wouldn't work with - let's say - a 10 year old child. I can't see a child that age going nuts over the C64. And going nuts is quite essentiel.
I don't know - I think kids respond better to the bright easy recognisable graphics and real gameplay of the old time computers. My nieces and nephews used to love simple things like Deluxepaint, Galaga and Frogger on my Amiga.
All the new consoles seem to want to overwhelm with flash/bang. Making games complicated and so busy you don't even feel you are controlling the character anymore. In old games the link how they use the controller and what the character does is much more evident - I think kids like that.
Besides kids dig cartoon frogs getting squished more than stealing cars and beating up people.
Member since:2005-10-02
Member since:2005-10-01
I don't know - I think kids respond better to the bright easy recognisable graphics and real gameplay of the old time computers. My nieces and nephews used to love simple things like Deluxepaint, Galaga and Frogger on my Amiga.
I think It would depend on what the kid was used to seeing in games. If the kid was playing the ps2/gamecube sence the age of 6 by age 10 they would probably look at the c64 like how most people view the 8-track, something not worth messing with.
People seem to have forgoten just how bad most of the games and programs from the 80s were. I don't meen the grafix, most games had massive playablity problems most notibly movement problems like pushing right on the joystick and nothing happening insted of going right. For every pacman there was 50 that were unplayable
As far as teaching kids programming via the c64 is kinda pointless, not so much in a BASIC is bad way, but in c64 basic isn't portable way. In order to do interesting things with the c64 you had to access the hardware memory adresses directly. Something you don't do on modern PCs, So even if you mastered c64 programming you couldn't apply it outside the c64.
If you and/or your kids enjoy old-school games and use windows xp, you might want to check out http://www.gametap.com I tried it out a few months ago but canceld once the nostalgia fealing wore off. Its a subscription based emulator that plays games and education software from systems from the 80s+ includeing the c64, sadly no nintendo stuff 
Member since:
2005-10-02
Well, if the child is five or six years old, a C64 just might work well. But it wouldn't work with - let's say - a 10 year old child. I can't see a child that age going nuts over the C64. And going nuts is quite essentiel.