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On Monday 13 January 2003 18:20, you wrote: > Much as I don't want to start an argument, I don't think that having a > dual boot pc for kids of such a young age is necessarily a good idea. How do we learn languages, and is an operating system like a language? Children whose parents are of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, languages whatever and who it is desired grow up able to move in either, seem commonly to do well when one parent speaks one language to them, and one speaks the other. This extends to mum & dad vs granny and gramps etc. I say "commonly", but it is suggested this is the most desirable aproach, at least in some places. The underlying theory (and I know there are proper educationalists around so don't think I'm putting this forward as a complete account) is that when we can distinguish context in early life, and we are failry good at doing so, we can keep one set of rules straight in one context, and another in another. We also may be able to learn underlying _principles_ better when we are presented with two contexts in a suitable period of time, and clearly separated. Learning the underlying principles of computers and interfaces is better than learning by rote how to operate one interface. SO what is the context to switch between WRT operating environments? School/home is a clear one. But actually the clues in the OS are enough to do the job, however Windowmaker or GNOME would be better in this case than KDE, precisely because they are visibly different. Mummies computer vs our computer is probably sufficient. At what point "our session vs their session" on the same box becomes workable I don't know, but I'd bet it is really early. If there is a particualr task - a game maybe - that runs in one OS, and it is worthwhile, then they will adapt faster than older people do, I bet. Make it so. -- From one of the Linux desktops of Dr Adrian Midgley http://www.defoam.net/ -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the message body to unsubscribe.