Edina Middle Schooler Bitten by Technology Bug

Jimmy Reistad desperately wants a vacuum cleaner.

"I want a Dyson Ball really badly," Reistad said. "It looks amazing."

So why exactly does a middle schooler want a $500 vacuum? It would actually be the second in Jimmy's collection—he got one when he turned two.

For the record, Reistad isn't some sort of germophobe, nor does he particularly enjoy cleaning. He is simply fascinated by the technology at play.

Aside from an assortment of classic Apple products scattered throughout—including a Power Mac G4 Cube and Powerbook 100—Jimmy's bedroom looks every bit like that of your typical 12-year-old. There's a small record collection, a pair of saltwater aquariums in one corner and a map of the U.S. hanging above his desk.

But drop a malfunctioning laptop or fried iPhone in front of him and watch as Jimmy transforms into a competent, engaging technology guru.

"I've always had this interest in anything mechanical or technical," he said. "I don't really do manuals."

At the age of five, Jimmy set up his first computer. His parents watched.

"For some reason, he just sort of knew how to do everything," mother Mary Kay Reistad recalled. "Jimmy has always been like that."

As a fourth-grader, Jimmy dissected three faulty laptops and combined the working parts to create a working MacBook. He still uses it today.

Now a sixth-grader at , Jimmy owns and operates his own tech support company. Dubbed Sunnyside Services, Reistad lists about a dozen regular clients as well as a steady stream of referrals from family and friends.

Susan Johnson remembers the day Jimmy, without being asked, began providing her with support at Linhoff Photo & Digital Imaging. Johnson became Sunnyside's first client.

"He started looking over my shoulder and was giving me really great advice," Johnson said. "I wound up asking his father if he could come over to my house and help us covert over from PC to Mac, and he showed up with this little printed out color invoice for me. It was just the cutest thing."

Any time Johnson has a tech question, she inevitably turns to Jimmy. She describes him as an "impressive entrepreneur."

"I swear he's going to be the next CEO of Apple," Johnson said.

His father, Jim, accompanies Jimmy to every consultation. He often tucks a book under his arm for entertainment, but Johnson can'r recall him ever reading one during their many visits—he's too interested in watching his son at work.

"It's fun for me to see these people sit down with him," Jim said. "He's so engaging with someone who has a computer issue because because it's a really non-threatening exchange for them to talk with someone like Jimmy."

When he's not busy with school or going on house calls for Sunnyside Services, Jimmy enjoys skiing, golfing and playing computer games. He's also really into garage sales—they provide plenty of fodder for his technology fix.

Within seconds of being asked who his heroes are, Jimmy responds not with the Gateses or Wozniaks of the world, but instead mentions a computer expert on a more local level: Joseph Fickle.

Fickle, who works at the Southdale Center Genius Bar, first met Jimmy nearly four years ago when he came in with some technical questions.

"I was taken aback that first day," Fickle said. "He came in and started asking the sort of questions I'd never expect from someone his age. I sort of did a double-take."

Fickle said he always enjoys seeing Jimmy come into the store, as he is "constantly growing and excited about learning something new."

"He was very smart when I met him, but the rate at which he gathers additional knowledge is outstanding," Fickle said. "I can really see a bit of myself as a kid when I talk with him."

Jimmy said it would be a dream come true to make a living pursing what he has been passionate about since he was just a toddler.

"I'm going to see how my business goes, but I would like to work at the Apple Store when I'm old enough," he said. "From there, maybe I'd step up and move to California to work for (Apple) headquarters or corporate."

In the meantime, he is exploring the software side of things, including developing apps for the iPhone and iPad. Jimmy has taken it upon himself to approach a neighbor down the street who has some programming knowledge to learn as much as he can about yet another aspect of computers.

"It's just another language," he said. "I know English and Chinese. Now I'm trying to learn Objective-C."