|
|
|
|
| Welcome, Guest | Home | Search | Login | Register | |
| Author | System 7 and kids (Read 27573 times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bolkonskij
Administrator 1024 MB  Posts: 2023 
|
on: September 28, 2021, 08:33
My kids (6yrs, 4yrs and 2yrs) grow up with a System 7 Mac, namely Norm (our PowerMac 8600/200). It really is the ideal machine for them. There's no work-related stuff on there they could accidently delete and it won't allow to connect to internet pages with harmful content for their age. But it does teach them a lot about the basic concepts of a computer, how to handle a mouse, a keyboard and more. Besides, System 7 is really simple and friendly in appearance, so my kids are naturally drawn to it. Besides IT IS easy to approach and getting used to. (and doesn't confuse you with notifications about this or that) I wonder if any of you have kids of their own (or nephews/nieces, ...) that you let play with your System 7 Macs? As you may have noticed, since waking System 7 Today from hibernation we've added a kids category to the game section with our favorite recommended titles. There's really a lot of great educational content and/or kids games out there to be had. What are your kids playing or using on your System 7 Mac? |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Edit: September 28, 2021, 08:35 by Bolkonskij
|
Bolkonskij
|
Administrator 1024 MB Posts: 2023
Reply #1 on: September 28, 2021, 08:37
|
And on a sidenote: Anyone else been experiencing stuff like this with a toddler ? I'm almost certain  Works of my two year old daughter Karolina: http://images.macintosh.garden/2021/09/28/renamed-alias.jpg Helping daddy to get his work done. Or maybe not. :-)
|
mac-cellar
|
128 MB  Posts: 176 Gotta love System 7
Reply #2 on: September 28, 2021, 17:06
|
A few years ago, I stumbled upon a stack of kid-friendly CD titles at our local thrift store - things like Reader Rabbit, Schoolhouse Rock, etc. One afternoon during the pandemic, I setup one of these on my Powerbook and let my 5 year old have a go. She really enjoyed it even though some of the material was foreign to her. A week or so later, she asked if we could do it again! I don’t have the PowerBook readily available to her or I think she would have been on there even more. I might setup some of these titles on the PowerCenter and show her how to get started.
|
Bolkonskij
|
Administrator 1024 MB Posts: 2023
Reply #3 on: September 29, 2021, 14:52
|
That's just the experience we've made in our family. I think these older Macs make perfect kids computers, especially since you have a wealth of great software at your hands these days thanks to the Mac Garden! And there's very little trashy titles, lots of them are of high quality. Unrelated, but my oldest daughter entered first grade three weeks ago. Today she wanted to show me her math homework, where kids have to count the appearances of certain items in a line of symbols. Look what she showed me full of excitement :-) http://images.macintosh.garden/2021/09/29/homework.jpg Looking forward to meeting her teacher ;-)
Last Edit: September 29, 2021, 14:53 by Bolkonskij
|
ovalking
|
128 MB Posts: 199
Reply #4 on: September 29, 2021, 21:22
|
Yep, System 7 represents a great learning environment. When my nieces & nephews were younger they often had a play with the likes of Kid Pix, Funny Fruit Faces and Amazing Animation. Later we migrated to network Bolo games... Although they never became Mac enthusiasts, they at least appreciate that other OSs do exist. The clear layout and icons, and single button mouse promote easy learning. In fact you don't need any applications to learn some basic concepts such as graphical representation (icons), sorting (view lists by) and organisation (folder hierarchy).
|
Knezzen
|
Administrator 512 MB Posts: 608 Village idiot
Reply #5 on: October 09, 2021, 20:13
|
Great collection of titles! Really need to add them to my 5500. My kids play on it quite a lot actually, but mostly Swedish titles.
|
Bolkonskij
|
Administrator 1024 MB Posts: 2023
Reply #6 on: October 17, 2021, 14:31
|
I just went for a minute. Really. Came back and saw Karolina, my 2-yr old, doing something to my Mac. Now folders are missing, one partition is gone... my 2 year old wreaked havoc on my 8600! *panic-mode* any good suggestions on how to avoid this? Software solutions to lock the system?
|
wove
|
1024 MB Posts: 1363
Reply #7 on: October 17, 2021, 15:22
|
That certainly high lights one of the big weaknesses of older systems. They are single user and the user can do anything they wish to the system. I am not sure if screen savers like AfterDark could be configured to require a password, when you dismiss them might be the easiest way. A switch could perhaps be rigged up so you could just turn off the adb port thereby killing input. Turning the monitor off when leaving might make the 8600 a less attractive to little fingers.
|
mac-cellar
|
128 MB Posts: 176 Gotta love System 7
Reply #8 on: October 18, 2021, 17:12
|
There were a few Kent-Marsh software titles that implemented security features for System 7. I think a lock-screen-password was one of the features offered, but I can't remember the name of the program. I bought one or two of these old titles a while back - I'll check through what I have and post another reply, unless someone beats me to this.
|
lilliputian
|
64 MB Posts: 68 A Good Apple!
Reply #9 on: October 19, 2021, 00:38
|
The NightWatch?
|
mrdav
|
8 MB Posts: 15 System 7 Newcomer!
Reply #10 on: October 19, 2021, 13:21
|
Here is something that might help: http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/trashdisable It won't stop kids rearranging the location of files but will stop them deleting stuff. There is also an old article called "Childproof your Mac" downloadable on the page with some additional strategies.
|
Bolkonskij
|
Administrator 1024 MB Posts: 2023
Reply #11 on: October 19, 2021, 19:05
|
Thanks for the suggestions, folks! Ideally it'd be a locked screen with password protection but I'd also take something that deactivates the keyboard / mouse unless a key combo is pressed. I don't feel like unplugging ADB devices while the Mac is on, so a software solution would definitely be the top of my list. Hard to believe there isn't any.
|
mac-cellar
|
128 MB Posts: 176 Gotta love System 7
Reply #12 on: October 20, 2021, 17:43
|
Very well could be Night Watch lilliputian. I have a copy of that around here somewhere but for now I could only find Mac Safe II, which can put files and folders behind password protection. Folderbolt Pro is another option - it even does encryption albeit with very outdated standards.
|
Bolkonskij
|
Administrator 1024 MB Posts: 2023
Reply #13 on: October 27, 2021, 18:41
|
Ok, I think I now know what I'm after - a shareware title named "Keys Off" allows to lock the screen via a hotkey. Unlocking requires password entry. This should keep any toddler from doing any damage. I just need Norm's (my 8600) PSU back, sent it in for a recap.
Last Edit: October 27, 2021, 18:43 by Bolkonskij
|
ovalking
|
128 MB Posts: 199
Reply #14 on: October 28, 2021, 21:09
|
After Dark screen saver does include password protection. But I don't recommend it unless you like to go round in 'enter password/freeze/reboot' cyles! MacDim is a freeware alternative screen saver inc. password protection. Only tried it briefly myself.
|
|
Pages: [1] 2
|
| |||||||||||||||
|
© 2021 System7Today.com. |
