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Domain: meccano.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to meccano.com.

Comments · 12

  1. Re:Yey! by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1 · on Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Makes Game For Third Annual Hour of Code (gamasutra.com)

    Can't we say this about any libraries though? But, I see your point. So many "coding" toys teach what programming isn't. Like this lump of gold.

    http://www.meccano.com/meccano...

    It's not even Touring complete. All of its "programming" is just sequencing. It's as much of a robot as Teddy Ruxbin. To actually program with this you have to replace the controller with an Arduino.

    Even worse, it's also not Turing complete :-) And Teddy Ruxpin is a mite offended - or he would at least be able to pretend he was if he were able to be properly programmed. But kids loved him - my sisters included. Of course, crappy cassette player embedded in him tended to eat tapes ...

  2. Re:Yey! by Script+Cat · · Score: 1 · on Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Makes Game For Third Annual Hour of Code (gamasutra.com)

    Can't we say this about any libraries though? But, I see your point. So many "coding" toys teach what programming isn't. Like this lump of gold.

    http://www.meccano.com/meccano...

    It's not even Touring complete. All of its "programming" is just sequencing. It's as much of a robot as Teddy Ruxbin.
    To actually program with this you have to replace the controller with an Arduino.

  3. Functional Literacy by fictionpuss · · Score: 1 · on OLPC To Be Distributed To US Students
    The example I gave was close to the metal because that particular machine had only a thin 16k veneer of BASIC for an OS, but the investigative/problem solving skills I took from those experiences are those which apply productively towards any career or task, not just for programming computers.

    Have you heard of the "Hole in the wall" experiment and what it has to say about functional literacy?

    What once took advanced degrees and was limited to the realm of engineers quickly becomes childsplay - that is simply a natural progression. The obverse to this is that a child in 2020 will most likely be able to do more with a computer than you can today with all your old-fashioned book-learnin'.

  4. What went wrong? by serbanp · · Score: 1 · on Lego Mindstorms: What Went Wrong?

    High, never flexible price and, of course, the resurrection of its arch-enemy from the death.

  5. Re:If yo can afford it... by radish · · Score: 1 · on Classic Toys For Christmas?

    Indeed it is still available: Meccano. As someone else pointed out, it was called Erector Sets (guffaw!) in the US.

  6. Meccano by fiannaFailMan · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Classic Toys For Christmas?

    I loved my big Meccano kit.

  7. Meccano by uberdave · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Lego Goes Back to the Basics: Building Blocks

    Here's hoping that Meccano follows suit.

  8. Lego was never really a true geek's toy by stoneystoney · · Score: 1 · on Lego to Stop Producing Mindstorms

    Lego is good enough for little kids but if you want to make robots, meccano is the stuff. I doubt if todays kids have the attention span, I'm not sure if we did when we were kids. Check out the projects on http://www.eleinmec.com particularly like the jukebox... loads more on http://www.meccanoweb.com/meccring

  9. Meccano by Pseudonym · · Score: 2 · on Move Over Lego, Enter Atollo

    Lego is all very well and good, but it doesn't beat Meccano. You've gotta love something you can build a working orrery or a working vending machine out of.

  10. Erector! by inicom · · Score: 1 · on Why Can't LEGO Click?

    Personally, I preferred erector sets and the ability to build real devices. It wasn't really until mindstorms that lego had similar abilities.

    Erector sets have had the same struggles to remain a presence in the household. They and their european counterpart Meccano are still somewhat alive though: www.meccano.com

    (before erector sets, I played with Lincoln Logs)

  11. Re:Legos? What about ... by Lonesmurf · · Score: 1 · on Engineers Use Legos, Too!

    Poor form replying to myself aside.. you just have to see this one:

    HERE

    Rami
    --

  12. Legos? What about ... by Lonesmurf · · Score: 2 · on Engineers Use Legos, Too!

    Ok, Ok. I see that Legos are the coolest thing since sliced bread (I prefer real bread that you actually have to cut.. but we won't go into that here). But wouldn't an engineer prefer something more, uhm, stable for constructing things with?

    I understand that legos have a large amount of variety nowadays.. but how many engineers will actually include a lightsaber or dragon's wings into a project.

    Remember Capsela (sp?), Construx? Neither of those would be good for engineers either. Too specialized.

    Now MECCANO toys are perfect for engineers (and over-imaginative youths.. hehe).

    Rami James
    Pixel Pusher
    Altec Lansing R&D, IL