[linux-audio-user] Re: Squeak (was Software suitable for children)

[David Baron]

Just installed it. A very creative but frustrating package. As with too many 
of these things, one must be able to read and that in English (or a few 
European languages?). Fine print abounds in what at first looks like a very 
sparse UI.

The program abounds with objects and widgets. Some very creative and 
versatile, others frustratingly crude. Graphic objects like squares cannot be 
resized (nothing stops one from reprogramming them and then dutifully 
uploading the scalable versions for others to enjoy--smalltalk was once the 
rage.)

Smalltalk 80 is, well, 26 years old. Before Unicode so is incompatable with 
mutlingual keyboard choices. No Hebrew for my daughter, not in UI and cannot 
type it in to text objects either. Truetype fonts (newer than smalltalk80) 
are beatutiful but they are also Unicode based nowadays.

I think most kids would enjoy trying various widgets but run out of patience 
doing anything more with them. Most adults would as well.

A model (allbeit not an audio app) for a program sutiable for children but 
versatile enough to be of interest to their parents as well: Tuxpaint. This 
one is superb and is also in use in many schools. (Also needs more languages 
in the UI!)