"...if I had an iPad rather than a real computer as a kid, I’d never be a programmer today."<p>Whoa now. If I were a kid (and a tinkerer) and saw an iPad, I would immediately think, "how can I make something to run on this??" and go off and learn. People still have to write apps for this thing. Just because you cannot actively develop code on it does not mean that it will discourage young tinkerers from learning about programming (for iPad or any other platform).<p>Apple will continue to create "full computers" if for no other reason than for developers to create software for their "closed computers." That endgame would be sad, but we won't witness the death of desktop/laptop computers.<p>If someone is so concerned about teaching programming using the iPad, could one not write a BASIC app or some such? That's how I started learning to program: on a VTech computer when I was a kid... it was basically a 1x20 LCD output screen attached to a keyboard and 8 D-Cell batteries. It was mainly to teach typing and had a few trivia games, but it also had a BASIC mode... a very closed device with a BASIC app, sound familiar?<p>Also, let's not forget about young programmers learning how to do web-based sites/apps. They are not as powerful/fast as native apps, but at least it is a fast/easy/free way to start learning about programming/UI/etc and see it realized on the newest/hottest device. That would be exciting to me as a kid. Webapps are gateway drugs to native apps, trust me.<p>EDIT: found a picture of the old VTech computer - <a href="http://rasterweb.net/raster/computers/images/vtech.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://rasterweb.net/raster/computers/images/vtech.jpg</a>