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You're never too young to learn something new.
With computers becoming a new hit in Equestria, Twilight and Spike travel back to Canterlot so that she can learn all she can about these new devices and how they work. Meeting the colorful staff and students, Twilight slowly starts to learn that not all problems can be solved with a solution in the book.
Maybe she should try a video tutorial.
“She picked up on it quite quickly, actually. Although she spends most her time playing a video game… ‘Minecrab’ or something.”“And you’re OK with that?”
“Anything that teaches my sister how to dig up diamonds is fine with me.”
I'm glad to see this story finally get out the front door! As a CS (and biotech) student, you can bet that I'll be following this with great interest. Overall, this chapter looks like a good set up that lays the groundworks for the rest of the story and has a pretty enjoyable humor too. 
Though this story may be meant as an analog to our own modern university, I can't help but feel that the widespread use of consumer computers are way too technologically advanced for this setting, especially without Twilight hearing about them. It just feels... too much like a direct graft of our technology onto the Equestrian setting. Perhaps this is just me expecting the clunky mainframes that Twilight keeps in her basement, maybe placing them somewhere in the 1950-70's in terms of computational technology.
But that's a little thing I can definitely accept for the enjoyment of the story. Here, you don't have to manipulate assembly, hex codes, and punch cards to get things going and make things just a little more familiar to the rest of us. 
http://deftcrow.deviantart.com/art/FiM-Programming-Hello-World-99-Jugs-of-Cider-330736334
Dear Princess Celestia: Letter OneToday I learned how to sing Applejack's Drinking Song.
I learned Applejack's Drinking Song with Applejack.
Did you know that Applejack likes the number 99?
I did this while Applejack had more than 1.
I sang " 'Applejack' jugs of cider on the wall, 'Applejack' jugs of cider,"
Applejack got one less.
When Applejack had more than 1,
I sang "Take one down and pass it around, 'Applejack' jugs of cider on the wall."
In the end, I did this instead.
I sang "Take one down and pass it around, 1 jug of cider on the wall.
1 jug of cider on the wall, 1 jug of cider.
Take one down and pass it around, no more jugs of cider on the wall."
That's what I did.
In the end, I did this instead.
I sang "No more jugs of cider on the wall, no more jugs of cider.
Go to the store and buy some more, 99 jugs of cider on the wall."
That's what I did.
That's about Applejack's Drinking Song with Applejack!
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
P.S. Twilight's drunken state truly frightened me, so I couldn't disregard her order to send you this letter. Who would have thought her first reaction to hard cider would be this... explosive? I need your advice, your help, everything, on how to deal with her drunk... self. -Spike
=> "Today I Learned..." : Main() function. Takes no arguments. May be omitted for letters without lessons(functions).=>=> "an important lesson about friendship." : Generic opening statement.
=>=> "<comment>": Opening statement with comment on the entire letter(code). Everything written after "Today I Learned..." is considered a comment until the next period.
=> I sang / wrote / said "" : print("")
=>=> I sang "... '<var>'" : print("... '<var>'")
=> I learned <name> (with <var>).: Define function as <name>, taking <var> as arguments.
=> => That's about <function_name> (with <arg>)! : End function definition.
=> I learned <how to> <method>.: Perform single <method>. Method ends at next period.
=> got/had <num> more : +<num>
=> got/had <num> less : -<num>
=> When <var> had more than <value> : if <var> > <value>
=> I did this while <var> <comparison> <value> : for (<var> <comparison> <value>)
=>=> That's what I did. : General closing statement for all at"I did this while" and "When" (while / if) statements.
=> Did you know that <var> is/likes (the <type>) <value>? : Assign value with enforced type.
=> P.S. : Text comment, as in // .
=> By the way, <content>.: In-line comment with <content>. Comment ends at next period. (Similar to /* */ in C++.)
I don't give a squee if it's tagged Romance, read it for the IT story (which I hope to see more about) :D 
Though this story may be meant as an analog to our own modern university, I can't help but feel that the widespread use of consumer computers are way too technologically advanced for this setting, especially without Twilight hearing about them. It just feels... too much like a direct graft of our technology onto the Equestrian setting. Perhaps this is just me expecting the clunky mainframes that Twilight keeps in her basement, maybe placing them somewhere in the 1950-70's in terms of computational technology.
I expected something more "clunky machine with a terminal" too, but I figure that given the right magic spells, an unicorn could easily develop the circuitry and hi-res displays needed to power a computer that features a Windows-like graphical user interface, may be programmed in a high-level language without a considerable lack of performance and can run whatever the pony equivalent of Minecraft is. 
Plus, you gotta consider that at the time of this story, computers are already mainstream and targeted to consumers - the technology was in development for quite a long time already.
Hmm, this has a lot of promise. Just be sure you don't get too in the weeds with computer jargon.
Not trying to insult you, but I see it a lot. A writer will incorporate something they know a lot about or love into a MLP story, then it becomes more like a technical manual than a story.
"Rainbow extended her hoof towards the stallions below. “Look at them! They don’t exactly look like mounting material, do they?” "
And now all I can think of is how Rainbow would have reacted to my computer class... if anyone noticed her :P
Cool story, really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
You're jumping straight to a rather recent era of technological development and proliferation. WIMP, the Web, laptops... sorta surprised at no mention of algorithms or parallel/distributed systems, though. I suppose modern computer technology might be more relatable than a story about Twilight founding pony PARC, but it's still rather incongruous to see decades of advancement suddenly appear like that.
Really cool story. Not really a computer wiz, really, so some of the words just went in one ear and came out the other.
It would kind of be a little plain if the ponies really had laptops in Equestria. It would just take the fun out of the show, so I'm glad this is only a fan fiction, a good one.
Can't wait for the new chapter!
By any chance is this Eclipse's cutie mark?
Twilight missing the whole tech fad is kind of silly when it's clear you skipped the decades of development that it took to get here. I kind of wish you had done a more historical approach to equestria's computer development than having it appear so fast the supernerd missed it, though that would require an older perspective or lots of research.
I suppose with a name like Eclipse there'll be some Java soon. My question is, how do you handle magic interacting with computers? At least 1/3 of the population has an additional sense and manipulator for peripherals - don't tell me nobody's thought of a way to use them yet.
This fic just isn't for me. I kinda hoofwaved the swearing professor as I've lived through the same experience of getting used to my profs. doing the same thing, but hearing Rainbow mouth off about mounting was where I had to put on the breaks. (Though I suppose that's how the story earned its teen rating.) In some ways, it brings to mind memories of visual novels with romance/courtship themes.
Tangentially related:, the lack of pronouns to refer to Twilight in the earlier scene-setting portion is awkward when read aloud.
Ponies with computers like a cool theme, though, so I'm glad someone's writing such a thing. It might inspire more on the same theme. But I'll have to pass on the fic.
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