Personal computers have come a long way since the days of the Altair and the Apple I. While those computers were formative experiences for those of us who still remember when floppy disks were actually floppy, they’re nothing like the modern machines that people use today. So what happens when you sit today’s kids – who have been raised on a steady diet of Google, smartphones and ultralight laptops – in front of an Apple II?
The Fine Brothers, a pair of YouTube comedians, did just that, and the reactions were predictable. The kids, who are between 6 and 12 years old, were shocked by the computer’s size, its lack of Internet access, and its lack of a graphical user interface and a mouse.
“I don’t get it,” one of the kids says. “I also don’t get the 1970s.”
When asked if they’d be interested in owning one of the machines, there was a common thread among the kids: they all have devices that are much more powerful – and more accessible – than an old Apple, with its monochrome screen and twin floppy drives.
On the bright side, at least they didn’t have to pick it up and drop the whole computer in order to make it work.
For some outtakes and bonus footage from the Apple II experiment, check out the video below.
