If you haven’t heard about the Raspberry Pi microcomputer (which retails for around $35), I thought this would be of interest. People use them to create all sorts of cool homebrewed tech projects: robots, home automation, etc.:
PS: The Pi was created as an inexpensive computer for schools in the UK, so there’s a “digital equity” angle to the project. There’s a “what girls dig” (to paraphrase B. Nowviskie) angle too; see: http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/3594