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"She loves to ... with her computer all day."

I found to tinker with and to fiddle with" but they seem to have a rather negative meaning.

I want to express that the person occupies herself with something that she has a passion for but in an informal or unprofessional way. If there is no other word, could I use tinker and/or fiddle without a native speaker having a negative impression?

Update: Playing in the sense of physically playing with the internals of a machine etc.

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  • "play" possibly remain your best option; there are other words that are probably overly formal - experiment, engage, interact, explore, practise, immerse (herself in).
    – Cargill
    Dec 6, 2015 at 1:57
  • @Nothingatall In that case, tinker would actually fit the context best. If you add your comment as an answer, I'll accept it.
    – Suzana
    Dec 6, 2015 at 12:03
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    @Suzana_K- I think Nothing at all meant that "tinkering with her computer* implies opening the box, checking the wiring, making sure the RAM chips are seated correctly in the motherboard, checking the screws supporting the graphics card, and so forth; in other words, physically tinkering. "Play" would be the correct word for what I think you mean.
    – Mark Hubbard
    Dec 6, 2015 at 21:54
  • No, I really understood the meaning well and "physically tinkering" was exactly what I wanted to express. Sorry if my question was unclear.
    – Suzana
    Dec 7, 2015 at 17:02

2 Answers 2

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If you said tinker, it would mean she was opening the box, checking the things to see how they work, perhaps repairing them. It's not a particularly negative word.

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You might try an action word such as fly, dream, sail, explore, escape, enchant, tickle, dazzle, or adventure.

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