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Hackable Christmas Presents?

Posted by Cliff on from the only-66-shopping-days-left dept.

An Anonymous Coward asks what many of you may start thinking about in another month...if you already haven't: "While sitting thru various classes..I started wondering today what I'll drop hints to people with money for what to get me for Christmas..I want something to hack on and with..but preferably in the sub $300 dollar category. Remember the fun of hacking things like the C64 or Spectrum or whatever? A fun home machine to hack on.. preferably not a PC (though I know you can get them in that price range) but something a little different. A cheap ARM or Mips based machine or something. Suggestions from anyone?"

3 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Aaargh, heeeelp by joss · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, please, not yet. Don't mention the C-word for at least a month. I want to go to Japan to escape Xmas - they are pleasantly unclear on the concept there. Sometimes they make a token effort - one department store had a christmas display showing father christmas nailed to the cross.

    Anyway, you don't need to go out of your way to give a true hacker a hackable device. In fact, its oxymoronic. A hack is where you figure it out yourself and modify something in an unforseen way. Giving somebody a "hackable" toy is condescending.

    Slightly offtopic - I plan on making a homemade EEG (Electro-encephalogram, scan brainwaves) for an Xmas present to myself, I can handle the software side, but can anyone tell me what components I need to get some sensible signal into the serial port.

    --
    http://rareformnewmedia.com/
  2. It's free and totally hackable by CbZen · · Score: 3, Funny

    a sister ;)
    you can even reprogram her brain,
    and sometimes it's quite fast!
    also exists in "brother" version.
    (bZen
    --
    It isn't easy being the parent of a six-year-old. However, it's a pretty small price to pay for having somebody around the house who understands computers.

    --
    It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, and I'm feeling good! -- Muse
  3. dyi-battle bot by Dr.+Galazkiewicz · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why get a computer? Last week I bought an electric wheel chair, complete and working. I allready have a second hand R/C aircraft radio and some wheels.

    This isn't much different from hacking 300a's(drilling & welding) to run in SMP.

    Sure it will not run linux, but it will scare the crap out of the familty pet.