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    #16
    Should point out that the plan is to release stuff for the Pi along the lines of AMOS etc... to create a proper 'training' code environment as well. We're not going to be throwing kids at it with a copy of DevStudio and a C++ primer.

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      #17
      That's the right thing to do really. Kids want to see results and see them quick but they should also be writing actual code to get there, not just dragging and dropping.

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        #18
        The board is also small and portable so lends itself to embedded applications, control boards or robotics which I would have found more inspiring as a kid than writing a 100 lines of code to display a cube or something.

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          #19
          Strap this thing onto a Lego mindstorms kit. There must be fun to be had there.

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            #20
            Originally posted by Flabio View Post
            I think it's a shame that a machine developed to target kids to get them into coding has basically sold out to mostly coder types interested in owning it as a curio.
            Seemed like it sold to lots of eBay scalpers yesterday.

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              #21
              This will be a game changer should it become easily available in countries like India and China, the advantage of this over a srandard desktop is not only price but its similarity to embedded and mobile environments. We need kids who can code well, not VB hackers who couldn't get decent performance out of lower clocked hardware. I'd love a couple of these, anyone with a dremel could knock up a case in a few hours.

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                #22
                Can it run Crysis?

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                  #23
                  Yes, you just need to recompile the code for ARM11

                  ( might need some performance tweaks ).

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                    #24
                    Who needs Crysis when you have Quake 3?

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                      #25
                      Well, my 2 cents as an ICT and computing teacher is that it will serve no purpose in my school. I have access in my department alone to over 100 machines all with access to XNA, c++, Python with pygame libraries, Small Basic, Processing and loads of other fun stuff. Kids learn programming and the concept of computing theory is becoming a much bigger deal in schools. You learn about the body and so in in Biology, how chemicals work and bond in Chemistry so why not learn how the biggest and most important transformational technology of the past 50 years works. But we don't need Raspberry pi machines to do this.

                      The geek in me really wants one though!

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                        #26
                        Mine's expected to dispatch 30th April. That's ages away!

                        Whilst I agree with you banjaio, I think rpi does go some way to showing people what a computer actually is. It's not necessarily a beige box or a laptop. There's a set of programmable GPIO pins on the rpi too. Stick one of these on the back of a lego mindstorms car with the gpio hooked up and you have something a fair bit more interesting than "Hello world".

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                          #27
                          Originally posted by FSW View Post
                          It's not necessarily a beige box.
                          He's right ya know, I hear they come in black and silver these days too

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                            #28
                            Originally posted by bangaio View Post
                            I have access in my department alone to over 100 machines all with access to XNA, c++, Python with pygame libraries, Small Basic, Processing and loads of other fun stuff.
                            Could you expand on 'fun stuff'. What sort of practical uses are taught?



                            Originally posted by FSW View Post
                            There's a set of programmable GPIO pins on the rpi too. Stick one of these on the back of a lego mindstorms car with the gpio hooked up and you have something a fair bit more interesting than "Hello world".
                            Exactly my thoughts too. Embedded tech will only get bigger.
                            It is up to the early adopters to make some really cool stuff which kids can use as a catalyst for their own projects. It isn't necessarily about changing the current ICT curriculum but enhancing it with practical applications using a low cost unit that could for example help a charity or 3rd world country in some way.

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                              #29
                              Yep. Get kids thinking about what they could. What they could create. It's like electronics projects but coupled with programming. I want to see the return of Robot Wars but they rule is that the robots have to operate on their own, no RC.

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                                #30
                                Originally posted by smouty View Post
                                Could you expand on 'fun stuff'. What sort of practical uses are taught?
                                Sure; flash animation, robotics, basic game programming for 11 year olds with scratch, web page development at various levels, assembly language and machine architecture at A level (fun?) multimedia authoring, video editing, sound design and production.

                                What do you mean practical uses? I find it let's say surprising that you may be suggesting that learning to program in a wide range of languages at different ages does not have a practical use. Do you mean using computers to do run of the mill stuff? Yes, we do some of that as well but as little as possible. I have even had a student create a robotic monitoring system using an arduino board which is similar in cost and ethos to RPI but very different. My point is we pull apart machines, program, do work with all sorts of hardware devices and giving a kid a RPI will not get them into programming and computers, you really need to believe me on this working with 11-18 year olds every day. If they are into it then they already will be into it, a ?20 circuit board that needs extra stuff is not going to do anything for the masses.

                                I'm still getting one though!

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