F6K'S DOS JOURNAL,
FIRST REALITY TEST:
KID PIX (1991)

September 3, 2026

I've been trying to optimize my DOS system for more or less two 
weeks now, while at the same time going though FTP archives 
looking for the right applications for my son, before testing 
them myself.  But I have to face it: I can't wait the system to 
be fully functional, with adapted menus, etc.  And in any case, 
he is the final judge as to whether he likes or not the chosen 
programs, whether he enjoys them, or not, and if he asks to play 
again with them.  Plus I need to know if my efforts are worth the 
effort or not.  Who knows?  Maybe he will not be that interested 
by interacting with computers.  So the sooner I take action and 
really put him, in charge, in front of it, the better.

I should have seen it coming though, but finding age-appropriate 
educational programs and games is harder than it looks.  There is 
plenty of material online - that is not the issue - but:

1) the edutainment program really needs to be age-appropriate, 
otherwise he quickly loses interest or, more often, gets 
(rage-)frustrated if it's too difficult or if it doesn't make 
sense for a 4 year old child;

2) I need to find an unrestricted version of the program, 
avoiding as far as possible sharewares unless the DISCLAIMER at 
the gate isn't too hard to pass (hitting the SPACE bar is ok; 
having to move around menus is not), assuming that the shareware 
version is fully functional (even if limited in scope) and can be 
use indefinitely (meaning I have to rule out sharewares that only 
allow a set number of uses);

3) it has to actually work on my USB DOS system not just in 
DOSBox Emulator or QEMU (though that point is open to debate 
between me and myself).

In other words, it takes quite a bit of time, to say the least, 
to do the research and the tests to sift through the options 
available out there and find what might actually work.  In 
addition, it goes without saying that there's an unspoken point 
4: obviously even if those previous conditions are met, Sosito 
has to actually like the program and be interested in using it...

So, what worked and what did not?  Over time, I'm going to fill 
this DOS Journal with various programs I find interesting, but as 
of today, and for this text file, let's just concentrate on my 
very first day at the hunt: I wanted to have some drawing 
software.

Well, quite easy, I told myself; as it happens, there is one in 
the system Anna propose (http://agk.sdf.org/ware/): GrafX2 
(1996).  But no joy, I have an error:

  E.O.S Eclipse Operating System  Version 3.05
  Copyright (c) Eclipse 1996-97
      - System VCPI Version 1.00
      - Available memory: D18873Kb
      - Error exception 14: Page fault

The user manual indicates that at least 3 Mb of RAM is required, 
8 Mb being optimal.  It detects that I have 18873Kb if I'm not 
mistaken, so I guess the problem doesn't lie there.  And I have 
not yet managed to glean anything from this cryptic error 
message.  Since GrafX2 looks great on the paper, I keep it in my 
working direction hoping to find a solution (by the way, a note 
to myself: I have to remind myself to try it with QEMU and 
DOSBox).

Ok, first try failed; but "wha' abou' ay reploicemen'", I told 
meself?  "GrafX2 shureli ayn't tha onli viayble solution ou' 
there".

It was the evening, Sosito was already asleep since two or three 
hours, so after spending some time going in circles, and taken by 
the Three Princes of Serendip, I foud myself headlessly browsing 
the HTTP world.  Finally I ended up to an old website that I used 
to frequent so many years ago for DOS games, searching for new 
ones I could play before heading the bed: abandonware-france.org.  
And I said out loud: "Oy, they moygh' have some'hing for tha 
li'le one!"  And that's how I found Kid Pix (1991) by Craig 
Hickman.

At first glance, it clearly looks like simpler than GrafX2 but I 
guess it's good, since I want programs easily usable by my son.  
And, "oh moy", it is good.

There's the usual functions: a 16-color palette, icons for pens, 
brush, etc., in a hand-left column.  There's a very simple menu 
on top but it can be hidden completely for the youngest (which I 
do).  There's no scrolling, no zooming, the drawing stays within 
the limit of the screen.  There's an undo function too (very 
important!) with its own funny icon (a confused face), and even a 
way understandable icon to erase everything in a blast which 
delighted my son.  And that's just the point: everything is 
simple enough and the icons have meanings for my son.  For 
instance, there is the truck icon which is use to "move things 
around".

Oh, and everything is done using a single mouse button, which is 
in fact (while I think about it now) quite mandatory for a child 
that age.  Apparently there are too funny sounds when you click 
on the icons and for some events, but we didn't tried the program 
with the sound blaster emulation on.

The entry on abandonware-france.org is rich in explanations of 
why this program is such a good one.  In 1989, Craig Hickman, 
like myself, wanted to introduce his 3 years old son Ben to 
MacPaint but the boy was frustrated by messages he couldn't read 
and icons he couldn't understand.  Consequently Craig Hickman 
decided to write his own software aimed at children.  He even 
went to his son's preschool class so other children could try it 
(and, I guess, give him some feedbacks about what did or did not 
worked for them).

That is exactly the kind of software I want: something conceived 
and developed specifically for kindergarteners by their loving 
parents (yes, Craig Hickman had quite the success and a lot of 
money two years later, but clearly it wasn't his motivation at 
first).

In short, and to conclude about Kid Pix with just three words:
A Must Have.

More about Kid Pix: gopher://gopherpedia.com/0/Kid%20Pix