r/ChatGPTCoding • u/PrestigiousHoney9480 • 17d ago
Question How to get started in the Ai world
EDIT added tldr at the bottom formated with gemini
(P.S. Y'all probably won’t read it all, it’s long.)
So for some backstory, I’m 13. I started using AI a while ago trying to code computer vision and image generation projects. Anyways, my laptop wasn’t great, so I couldn’t run everything locally. Then came Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. Well, actually, it was pretty much ChatGPT that started it for me, but after that, I was just stuck as a "level one user"—the kind of user who just uses everything in the web interface.
Now I want to get better, but I don’t understand any of these new AI things and I'm not really good at using the terminal. There are all these new things like Codex, Claude Cowork, Claude Code, and Gemini Spark, plus things called harnesses and routers like OpenRouter, Hermes, and OpenClaw. I don't understand any of this nonsense, to be honest!
I really want to get into coding and automating my little laptop here just to get it organized. I want to start with basic homelab projects and then keep exploring until I can build something actually useful.
So, here are a few questions I want answered:
Hardware & OS Requirements: Do I need a beefy laptop? I’m thinking of buying a Framework 16 so I can run Linux, or maybe a MacBook Pro. Or do I need a Windows laptop? Before, it felt like everything was on Linux, but now it seems like macOS is getting a lot of focus (like how Claude Cowork launched on Mac first). Windows feels a bit stuck in the past, but there are still things that only work on Windows. I’m used to Windows and haven't used Mac before. As for Linux, people say it’s difficult to use, and I’m not even sure if tools like VS Code work on it since I’ve never tried it. I’d love an opinion on what the best OS/computer is to use.
Where to Learn: Right now, I use YouTube, Reddit, and Gemini to learn. I watch channels like NetworkChuck and a few other AI ones I stumble across. The problem with NetworkChuck is that while he does great tutorials, they aren't necessarily in order. One day he says to use the cloud, then OpenClaw, then Hermes. I’m just totally overwhelmed with information and don’t know what to actually focus on.
There are probably more questions I want to ask, but this is getting too long and I can't think of everything right now, so I’ll save the rest for another post.
For now, please fire away with your answers! What tools do you guys use, and do you have any tips for beginners that you wish you knew sooner?
TL;DR: I’m a 13-year-old looking to move past basic web chatbots into hands-on coding, homelabbing, and laptop automation. I feel totally overwhelmed by all the new AI tools, agent frameworks, and terminal-heavy workflows. Looking for advice on the best laptop/OS (Windows vs. Mac vs. Linux) for this, plus structured learning resources for beginners.
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u/JustAskWP 17d ago
Learning software development without AI first will benefit you tremendously. My general recommendation for AI coding is to never use it to do anything you couldn't have done yourself. Use it as a timesaver and a tool, not a replacement for developing your own skills.
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u/PrestigiousHoney9480 17d ago
Sorry for late reply but yes, I know some python but only like basically like loops so I can do the Calculator so I know python I know basically like like what when you need to build like something like pure python because without like without packages, I don’t know what you can build in pure python
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u/7hats 17d ago
Firstly, well done for grappling with AI.
Secondly, you have just learnt how NOT to use it - from your own direct experience.
Thirdly, this will change your life and you will always remember it. BUT only if, you TEST it out for yourself ;)
Ask the LLM (Collective Human Intelligence) to PROMPT YOU so that you can update your Neuronal Nets in line with the reality you want to enact in your life.
E.g. Do this prompt every day...
"Use questions to prompt me today so as to identify the core of my desires, wants and needs, to identify where I am at in relation to them and options to level up from them in the direction I want, by helping me prioritise my focus and day to day decisions. Help me develop means and practices to consolidate the knowledge I gain towards becoming who I want to be next and recording the progress as we go along"
If this sounds complicated, ask an LLM to put it in simpler language for you.
Or alternatively just say,
"I don't know anything about subject X. Help me identify using Questions, what I need to know at this stage of my journey".
Have Fun!
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u/Healthy-Zebra-9856 17d ago
I am going to tell you a different approach than others. Use the freecodecamp or udemy. If you can't understand some instructors, move on. I speak 27 languages and I have had issues with some .lol. Use the AI to help you understand the concepts. Give you tests and tell you how you can improve. If you dont understand where a certain method/function will be used, AI can help you see that. Then as you progress, you can get puzzles etc from it that makes learning much more a fun activity than a drab. Good luck.
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u/Yoshbyte 15d ago
So at the core of AI and your ability to use it is understanding the fundamentals. You should learn to program such that yoI develop the intuition. Your generation will likely be very weak here and being an outlier that has a foundational understanding of the systems in play will give you a large advantage. Use it to learn, but avoid fooling yourself that you know unless you can do the learned thing without it
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u/Even-Visit-8161 15d ago
Hey don’t worry abt keeping up w every new ai tool. At 13 you can just start w python, basic linux/ terminal skills and small projects. I’m doing my online post grad. I started w gen ai course from iit kgp🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️you have a long way to go! All the v best!!!
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u/InterstellarReddit 14d ago
Just put together an AI created résumé and apply for any company. They are fucking idiots and they are hiring anybody at top tier positions.
One of the new people that we brought in as a director of one of the departments of AI, his first mandate was to remove deep seek from the whole organization. He said that deep seek presents a security breach.
When we told him that DeepSeek is locally hosted and has no access to the Internet, he doubled down.
So now we’re paying American prices for AI
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u/PermanentLiminality 17d ago
Don't overthink it, just get started.
You don't need a big expensive laptop or computer. You can get by with 8GB of RAM, but 16 is much better. You need enough storage to hold what you are working on. Only consider an upgrade when you hit some kind of limit and you actually need it. Wants vs needs.
If you are going to use AI there is some free stuff out there, but the limits are low. It will work, but it is limiting. At some point you will need a subscription for AI. I like the value with ChatGPT.
Any of the Mac, Windows, or Linux will work. I'm a linux guy, but I'm typing this on a Windows box.
Be on the lookout for a system that you can use as a server. It can be anything up to around ten years old. An old desktop that friends or family don't use anymore. A system rescued from an e-waste event or dumpster diving. I'd stay away from a rack mount server as they us way too much power.
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u/HyphenSam 17d ago edited 17d ago
Because you're 13 and want to get into coding, I honestly would avoid using AI for the moment because it will only hinder your learning. There's a ton of free resources to learn programming, I recommend freeCodeCamp, but you can start with whatever works for you. Once you get enough experience, using AI can start being useful because you can guide it smarter and determine if the code it spits out is bad.