MY DAUGHTER KRISTI TEXTED ME A MONTH AGO WITH A CRYPTIC QUESTION. She wrote, “Tyler wants a Raspberry Pi. Should I get him one?” Tyler is my 10-year-old grandson.

I didn’t immediately respond because I didn’t know what the heck she was talking about. I knew, by the spelling, it wasn’t food. I quickly Googled it, and what I found caused me to go find a seat and study it for a half hour.

This Pi is big in concept and small in size. It’s a $35 computer that fits in the palm of your hand. It has USB, LAN, HDMI, composite, stereo audio, and SD hard drive. You can attach keyboard, monitor, mouse, television, speakers. The device accepts Python programming and there are hundreds of existing Pi Projects described online.

The Pi is a programmable multiprocessor bursting with ports. It can do anything its owner can program it to do. It is a boon to robotics design and an incentive for more young people to take up programming. Python is a simple, straightforward, common-sense language that kids will adapt to easily. It’s named after Monty.

I was highly intrigued, but I didn’t text my daughter with a response yet. Instead I texted my son, Adam, the family geek. “What do you know about the Raspberry Pi?” I asked. Wow. I got a flurry of excited replies.

To collage them, he said, “It’s cool, awesome, versatile. You can program it to turn on your lights and appliances, or set up home security. You can make robots. How’d you hear about them? Are you getting one? When? Can I see it? Go to the following websites. The Pi is like the Arduino.”

That last remark made me say “What?”

“The Arduino, Pops. I’ve been telling you about the Arduino for a year now.”

“Oh. Well, Son, you never described it as an inexpensive programmable microprocessor that fits in the palm of your hand and is bursting with ports. You only told me what it did, not what it looked like. I never knew what you were talking about.

“Anyhow, Adam, I don’t want to learn Python and study how to program a Raspberry Pi. I’m too old. I want you to have one. I want you to learn how to program it and then show it to me, and help Tyler. Do you think Tyler would be able to use a Pi?”

“Absolutely. He’s trying to learn Java now. Python is easier.”

Thus, I had my response. I texted my daughter and said, “Yes, Adam and Tyler both need a Raspberry Pi. Then they can support each other.”

I ordered two Pi starter kits on Amazon for $79 each, one for the son and one for the grandson. They included the Pi and a bundle of accessories for getting started and creating projects. They arrived about two weeks ago, and I had them delivered. Both offspring are currently at home experimenting.

Here is my paternal curiosity. Which one of my boys will progress the furthest the fastest — Adam at 36 or Tyler at 10? I am quite curious to find out. I know that once this Pi potential is understood, there will be need for more peripherals. I’ll be the guy they both turn to for new parts. I expect to be the most generous with the fastest developer.

I haven’t seen Adam’s progress yet, and he had a week’s head start, but I did visit Tyler this weekend at his Sacramento home. He’d had his Pi for one week. It was sitting on the floor in the middle of their play room. One cord went up the wall to a 36-inch flat screen television, another led to a USB hub with mouse and keyboard attached. An SD Memory Card was acting as the hard drive. Tyler was writing his first program on the big screen.

The program asked “What is your name?” followed by a series of interview questions, some of which were if/then statements. I was impressed. He’s also enrolled in a coding class after school.

He said, “Papa, I could really use a smaller HDMI monitor. I would even take a used one.”

“Hm. Yes, Tyler, I can see that you do need a smaller monitor. I’ll see what I can do.”

I would be a fool not to support his enthusiasm. He’s a bright kid and he’s digesting this stuff at lightning speed. This could be a career. I’m doing my best to stay ahead of him, clearing a trail, putting down tracks while his train is coming.

He’s a funny kid. I keep trying to out-tech him by sending him links to discoveries in emerging technology, only to get back a terse and proud, “Really, Papa? You’re just learning about this? I’ve known about it for six months!”

He is tickled to death when he knows something I don’t. He grins and rubs his hands together. I’d be a fool not to support his every effort to be smarter than his Papa. Our tech tradeoffs keep Tyler in training. He is motivated to know things before I do so he can lord it over me.

If you’re curious about the Raspberry Pi and the Arduino, I suggest you first search for them using Google Images. A picture is worth 1,000 words. Once you see it, you’ll quickly be able to imagine its potential.

Google itself recently donated 15,000 Raspberry Pi modules to schools in the UK. Could it happen here?

Steve Gibbs teaches at Benicia High School and has written a column for The Herald since 1985.