Purple ComputerPurple Computer

Give them a first computer

you can feel good about

Child smiling near Purple ComputerDesigned for 4–7 and fun for 2–8+

Transform your old laptop into a calm space for open-ended play.

No internet, no apps. They explore, create, and put it down on their own.

$80 after launch · Full refund anytimeShips May–July 2026

Built by Tavi Nathanson, a software engineer and dad of two who wanted a calm first computer for his 4-year-old.

Our story →

They explore, draw, and make music.

Building and creating, not watching and swiping.

Sometimes they get bored and walk away. No tantrum, no negotiation.

They're learning what's possible with a computer, the way we did as kids.

See what it looks like

Why give them a screen at all?

Computers are a big part of their future. Purple lets them start the way we did: open-ended play, making things, figuring it out.

Kid using a computer in the early 2000s

Tavi, circa 2000.

Building, not consuming

Words, colors, sounds, and numbers to play with.

Completely offline

The whole laptop is Purple. No internet or app store. Nothing to break or worry about.

A screen they walk away from

No tantrums, no parental controls needed.

Pay once, use on every laptop

Works on every laptop you own, now or later.

Their own computer. A real computer they use and put away on their own.

Colorful paint mixing with a brush

Colors mix like real paint.

Simple setup

  1. We mail you a Purple Key (USB drive) and setup instructions.
  2. Plug it into your old laptop and follow a few quick steps.
  3. Purple starts up, right from the Purple Key.
  4. Hand it over!

No tech skills needed.

Give your old laptop a second life

Your old laptop still works. To your kid, it's a hand-me-down from a legend.

And Purple is so simple that it runs great on any old laptop.

Our story

How Purple came to be

My 4-year-old and I liked to "computer code" together on my laptop: typing words to see emojis, mixing colors, making sounds. Eventually he wanted his own. He has his own rolling pin, his own snow shovel: why not a computer?

So I took an old laptop and made him one. Type "trex" x 3 and see 🦖🦖🦖. Press any key and hear a sound.

It felt different than "screen time": just exploring and creating. He'd use it for a while, then walk away on his own. The self-regulation dream. So we built it out more, and he and his sister have been my beta testers!

— Tavi, dad of two

Team

Tavi Nathanson

Software engineer and dad of two young kiddos. Can't wait for them to go to bed, but then scrolls through photos of them after bedtime. Recently realized pistachios are tasty.

Resident Dinosaur Expert

Age 4. Likes dinosaurs, space, and science experiments. Can count to 340. Regular user of his own Purple Computer, but he doesn't actually pick it up every day. That's the point!

Common questions

Still have a question? Text (609) 554-2750 or email tavi@purplecomputer.org

Pre-order Purple Computer

We mail you a Purple Key (USB drive). You plug it in. Done!

Purple Key

Turn your old laptop into a Purple Computer

A USB drive that transforms your laptop, plus goodies to make it feel like theirs.

$50$80after launch
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System builtFinal testingShips May–Jul

Full refund anytime, no questions asked.

Need a laptop with Purple preinstalled?

Purple preinstalled on a refurbished laptop. Starting at $200.