Or you could be less rude to people. Absolutely needless behaviour, what a saddo.

​I think it's worth thinking about it beyond a career but more a skill set. The ability to code means you have developed your ability to decompose a problem and form a solution. there are numerous transferable skills. you could liken it to a mechanic working on a care but in a less physical manner.

Can we keep it friendly and on topic please :smiley:

Just waiting for my daughter to bring one of these home from school then I can nab it :-)

Hot :wink:

maxmix

OSX is for people who only need to write emails or use Photoshop, not for coding :smile:

could be an interesting project to plug it into one of my pis

also, if it helps to offset the cost of educating tomorrows developers then im all for that

It would be better to just pull that dusty BBC microcomputer out of the loft and give the kids that. I know which I'd prefer.

lol Assembly on the 6502 and 68000. Most people I know (and myself) have done it.

The pi's are great for kids to mess about on and they will learn a few things. I'm unsure about the microbit though. Seems like the BBC want to jump on the bangwagon. Hope it turns out better than their tech journalism.

I have everything from a pi zero to a pi3 - and I've done stuff with my 7 year old daughter on the pi.
But I can really see her having fun with the microbit and creating fun things that would require much more rigging of hardware on the pi.

Yes undoubtedly the pi zero is better value and more capable (indeed it's probably the best value computer in the world). But it's not an either or? They're cheap enough to get both!

Again your wrong, read wiki. It specifically says it.

You will get no argument from me on this, i don't necessarily agree or disagree but its your opinion. This however is flat out wrong:

Anyway, you cant even play grannys garden on this. lol

I still think it's better value, and has more functionality to it. I personally think sitting down, and being a keyboard warrior on my old spectrum (when i was 6), got me where i am today. I think you need to be able to write code, as well as using visual tools, for understanding as well. I can appreciate the simplicity of this. But for value reasons, and less functionality, I still stand by that the pi is a better for people to learn.

I've read it. I have 6 raspberrys, i have had one since they came came out, i use them for a wide range of day-to-day activities and i deploy code to one pretty much every day. I have also used a micro:bit, i have compiled micropython on one, i have scratched my head and wondered whether micropython AND the BLE stack can ever work within the 16k, what i'm saying here is i have a pretty good 'hands-on' experience with both.. They are not really comparable, one is a computer, one is a controller, one has dedicated hdmi/rca outputs one does not - one is a full blown computer one is.. at risk of repeating myself, a controller, more akin to an embedded device or an ardunio - both can be used well in education. Slide rules can be used in education, a slide rule is a computer (mechanical and analogue, but still a computer) I think you would agree that a slide rule and a raspberry pi are not comparable.

I did that at 9

Yes but you need to hook up a cassette

Why dont you just read wiki, and your see what i am on about.

with the greatest of repsect lee, i don't think you fully understand what the micro:bit is, or what its for. Further, if you think that the rpi community has 'hijacked' it, i'm not entirely sure you understand that either.

No. Just, no.

But the original pi, and its subsequent family, was originally designed for the exact same purpose. It's just the community have hijacked it.
The pi zero, plus keyboard mouse, sd card, and wifi. Would cost a total of £20 or less. It's a far greater experience in the aid of learning I personally feel. As your actually get to learn to code better, kids can use scratch which will empower them to do more. That is how future coders and developers step into the ever growing sector.

That sounds dangerous.

I think they're different things. Of course the pi zero can do lots of things the microbit can't - you can plug in TV, keyboard, wifi, etc - it's a proper computer.
But you can't do anything with it as it is.
Whereas the microbit has a display (albeit a basic led array - but you can scroll text), buttons, and multiple sensors.
So you can make it into a self-contained wearable interactive device.

Agreed - there aren't that many really useful things you can do with it (though I'm sure people will think of clever things) but as a basis for a kids programming project I think it's a lot of advantages over the pi.

If you want two this place might be cheaper:
https://www.techwillsaveus.com/shop/#microbit/

It's £15 for the kit (microbit plus cable and battery case) but offer free shipping over £30.
Haven't tried it but presumably two would get you free shipping (I'd already ordered one from pihut)

insert 5.25" floppy disk ....Shift + Break

I notice there is no HCI projects their, I guess that PIs uses don't extend to that branch of computing (-;

The Motorola 6845 was abollix of a thing to fire assembly at when I was 10, reckon kids are probably better off with this..

I'm not saying use phones, but something along the lines of 80s home computers (BBC etc) would be more than adequate for teaching computing fundamentals and are easier to understand hardware wise and more user friendly . My guess will be that more people will be put off using these cheap and cheerful pi and likes than will benefit as not everyone wants to learn to be a geek or go into computing

bit steep, I will stick with my 99P arduino's :smiley:

But isnt a pi zero a better option to go for?

At least SOMEONE knows!

I wish I had time to play with stuff like this. When you consider you could buy an arduino type board for a couple of quid I don't see this as a particularly exciting option though. Just a personal opinion :wink:

Tell 'em Steve-Dave!

my son, who's in his first year a 2ndry school (cambridgeshire) , has started using one at school. They don't get to bring them home though.
I am not sure how many children have to share each microbit. If they have too many sharing, I'll buy one of these so I can spend a bit of time at home helping him. He seems fairly positive about using it, which is good, he hasn't shown any interest in the R-Pi2 I bought - my daughter was more interested and has learned to program in Scratch.

They all end up in drawers... I beg to differ :wink:

http://madebynathan.com/2013/07/10/raspberry-pi-powered-microwave/
http://nikrooz.co.uk/raspberry-pi-car-puter/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq5nrHz9I94
http://www.davidhunt.ie/piphone-a-raspberry-pi-based-smartphone/

The list goes on.

Perhaps peoples imaginations are stuck in those drawers :smile:

you might find its educational. you might learn something using it :wink:

"As a standalone device it can be made to flash its LEDs in sequence and take readings from several built-in sensors"

Wow. £15 well spent :stuck_out_tongue:

:wink:

:smirk:

Can we keep it friendly and on topic please :smiley:

You missed off the winky smiley..to prove the light hearted nature of your mockery

you might like to point out the lack of support
you might also like to point out how great this deal is
also can you point out some other things ive missed

I'll be honest, I'm not seeing much support for you here...

you might like stopping being rude to people?
you also might like to really stop being rude to people?
Oh and you really really really might like to stop being rude to people :wink:

...looks like you missed off the 'Mr Sulky' Emoji

My daughter's school are using them but they only have three for the year group!

As a programmer i disagree with this post...also, sitting down anywhere all day poses a health risk, with the proper amount of breaks and a decent posture this can be easily avoided.

You came across as rude to them by me too

Thanks OP might get one for my son who's not the given age. Heat.

Just get a standing desk and eat bananas. Sorted.

1) You might like to take note I put a smiley to DonkeyKonk
2) You might also like to note that HarryFenner liked my comment themselves.

Both were aimed at being tongue-in-cheek friendly comments.

So, you might like to not read negative connotations into everything you read. If DonkeyKonk or HarryFenner read it as I was being rude, then it's up to them to say so, to me, and I'd happily and openly apologize to the them myself for not wording things better.

The only person that's coming across as rude, is you for making comments on something that didn't concern you and for throwing naming calling about! Another world-wind-keyboard-warrior hits the site again! Go have a flame war some where else, because I'm not joining in!

9 million Pis and increasing, plus entire businesses, magazines and masses of web space says different. They are not meant to be user friendly, they are learning devices and supposed to set a challenge, get people thinking and figuring stuff out themselves. Plug and play dumbed down devices like tablets and smartphones wouldn't serve that purpose at all.

NodeMCU is not really the same thing, but CodeBug is very similar to the BBC MicroBit, same LED array and switches, battery powered, just missing the bluetooth as standard and has been available for months.

It won't be the price or the specs exactly, but the weight of the support, backing and community behind it. BBC micro-bit has BBC, MS, Element14, and other big names behind it along with the give-away aspect, but they don't seem to have the same savvy cleverness as the Raspberry Pi people who pushed their stuff into a dominant position.

Like previous initiatives (pi etc) because they're so user unfriendly. They'll all end up in a drawers and never see the light of day until eventually binned!

​I think it's worth thinking about it beyond a career but more a skill set. The ability to code means you have developed your ability to decompose a problem and form a solution. there are numerous transferable skills. you could liken it to a mechanic working on a care but in a less physical manner.

Programming is a really dreadful career, it's sad the government are telling practically every child to learn how to do it.

Anyone see this on the BBC news "Sitting down all day at work poses a health risk" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32082387

"Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and poor mental health have all been linked to sedentary behaviour."

Those microbits should have a sticker with the above health warning attached

where do I hook up the C64 tape deck?

In fact at $4 each, you could buy half a dozen. But yes, a much better way to get kids to write programs.

Plus, given that a nodemcu will take 4 - 6 weeks to arrive from China, it will probably get to you before this PREORDER device does.

Or you could be less rude to people. Absolutely needless behaviour, what a saddo.

Can you play Chuckie Egg on this?

Here's an idea - stop flogging them and get them to the blinking schools - my daughter finishes Year 7 in seven weeks time, no sign yet!

Bought one on ebay at the weekend (hopefully arriving this week) for 27 pounds including postage

This looks like a good price but delivery will be late June or July (once in stock)

I spoke to my daughters IT teacher at her last parents evening, he knew about them but they weren't going to introduce them. They're sticking with Mindstorms for their curriculum.

Our Y7 brought his home a few weeks back, seems pretty limited to me, he made a scrolling banner and an avoid the blocks game, cool, but not sure how much more it can do so I'll check out the links on this page :smiley:

Espbasic is even easier for begginers, bit buggy though.

Not sure if these are good value , think their are based on the old M0 processor ,you can pick up the cypress m0 boards for less than £4, not to sure if these will be a hit or not.

Get a nodemcu and program using arduino ide

Yes, schools are required to register for them at: https://bbcmicrobitschoolregistrationform.co.uk/english.html but when I asked the teachers at my kid's school they didn't know about it, and aren't going to bother. I suspect a lot of kids will miss out because teachers are apathetic about it and they just haven't got time to fit it in with the syllabus.

Seems to have been a noble idea that has been executed badly.

It's ok and don't rely on getting one from your y7 kids. They have only just really got them (these things have been delayed almost a year) and many schools are not giving them as they see no point, since there is no time left in the year to teach with them.

They seem fine and nice to have a quick play with, they've been on eBay for some time now.

I see. I just bothered to find the main site for the Micro:bit itself.

Thanks. My comment was about the (lack of) info on the PiHut site about Open Source support, not about the possibility of Open Source s/w for the supporting the Micro:bit itself. It's good to see that the 'Coding Editors' are supported in a range of browsers, on a range of platforms.

Interesting, had never heard of it before.

It's browser based and can connect via Bluetooth or USB so it should be compatible with every platform.

When I first saw the price I thought, that seems expensive compared to a Pi Zero, but when you allow for the sensors, etc., then not too bad. May get one to add to my collection of bits!

I'm a bit disappointed that there's no mention of OS X or Linux support. I know there are Open Source tools to communicate with the Micro:bit (although they're probably not that relevant to the main, schools, appeal of the device). But thanks to the OP for posting, anyway!

Just waiting for my daughter to bring one of these home from school then I can nab it :-)