I love this project.<p>I've been feeling lately that as computers have become more advanced and software has become more inscrutable, our relationship with our computers has changed, for the worse. This essay hit home for me: <a href="https://explaining.software/archive/transparent-like-frosted-glass/" rel="nofollow">https://explaining.software/archive/transparent-like-frosted...</a><p>These old-school computers viewed their users as creators, as developers. Modern computers (read: smartphones) _are_ the users, and the "used" are just ad-watching revenue cows. I passionately hate this arrangement.<p>When I have children, I want them to know what computing should feel like---empowering, creative and stimulating, not controlled, consumptive, compulsive and mindless. I want to give them a computer that builds up their spirit, rather than grinding it down.<p>I think this computer should have several qualities:<p>0. The computer should be about _creation_ and not consumption.<p>1. The computer should be _local_, not global. Intranet should be prioritized over Internet.<p>1.5 A corollary, the computer should be _personal_. It should encourage and reward in-person interaction, physical sharing of information and programs, and short-range connection between computers.<p>2. The computer should be _limited_. Because the medium is the message, we have to restrict the capabilities of our media to better promote the messages we value.<p>2.5. A corollary, the computer should be _text-oriented_. Graphics shouldn't be impossible, but text should be primary. The computer should cultivate a typographic mind, not a graphic mind (in Marshall McLuhan's terminology).<p>3. The computer should be _focused_. It should never distract you from what you want to work on.<p>4. The computer should be _reactive_, not proactive. It should never give you a notification. You should be in charge of retrieving all information yourself, like a library, not a call center.<p>5. The computer should be _physical_. It should be oriented around physical media.<p>6. The computer should be _modifiable_. It should encourage and reward inspection into its internals, and be easy to change.<p>7. The computer should be _simple_, understandable by a single person in its entirety with time and study.<p>The Mega65 is amazing and checks these boxes, but unfortunately it's a tad expensive for me. What other machines are out there like this?