Understanding how a computer works is a somewhat different goal from that of infusing computational thinking. anything command line will seem boring to kids

Understanding how a computer works is a somewhat different goal from that of infusing computational thinking. anything command line will seem boring to kids nowadays Not quite. Remote control, for example, will always have its appeal - that you do something in one place that causes something to happen in another apparently physically disconnected location. So if what the command-line controls is "distant" enough, it'll be fun. I don't intend to say that command-line is the ideal interaction mode, but it doesn't need to be thrown out of the toolbox just yet.