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$12 MIT Computer Based On NES, Not Apple II

Posted by timothy on from the different-can-different-beans dept.

ericatcw writes "The $12 computer that a bunch of designers and grad students are talking up at an MIT conference this month as a potential, cheaper alternative to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) for Third World students is actually a knockoff of the original Nintendo Entertainment System gaming console released in the mid-1980s, reports Computerworld, and confirmed in a comment by the project's spokesman, Derek Lomas. According to Lomas' account and pictures, the Victor-70 is an 8-bit NES clone that accepts its cartridges and is wholly contained in the keyboard. It is also likely to be an unlicensed clone made in China, according to Lomas, though he notes that may not matter patent-wise in the US, due to the length of time that has passed."

15 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. Don't blow. Use rubbing alcohol. by tepples · · Score: 5, Informative

    Blowing can actually damage edge connectors of NES Game Paks and other PCBs by depositing humidity, which attracts more dust and more corrosion. I've made an illustrated guide to cleaning cartridges.

    1. Re:Don't blow. Use rubbing alcohol. by SwordsmanLuke · · Score: 4, Informative

      rubbing alcohol (or, better yet, an electronics contact cleaner)

      Don't use rubbing alcohol! That will also eat away at the contacts. Use either an electronic contact cleaner or hydrogen peroxide.

      --
      Any plan which depends on a fundamental change in human behavior is doomed from the start.
    2. Re:Don't blow. Use rubbing alcohol. by EkriirkE · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes, it does. Especially if there is any sort of current to flow through any two bridged-by-non-evaporated-conductive-material contacts. The copper turns green, puffs up and turns black, severing the trace. At least w/ the alcohol you reduce oxidation and it dries much faster

      --
      from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
      to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
    3. Re:Don't blow. Use rubbing alcohol. by negRo_slim · · Score: 4, Informative

      They're copper, and they're quite prone to corrosion.

      Exactly the contacts on the cart, 9 out of 10 times, had nothing to do with an NES not reading them it's the internal 72 pin connector, that once replaced provides a user accustomed to fiddling around with carts a very welcomed and joyous experience. Depending on the site you can get the parts for under $10USD.

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
    4. Re:Don't blow. Use rubbing alcohol. by wumingzi · · Score: 4, Informative

      In the U.S., rubbing alcohol is typically 70% isopropanol in water.

      90% alcohol is available from behind the pharmacy counter. You simply need to convince the pharmacist that you're not likely to drink it once you walk out of the pharmacy.

  2. Seem R&D did not need MIT. It's on sale now! by viking80 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not sure why MIT needs to get involved in anything here. This $12.50 computer is currently produced, and sold on the street in India *now*. So R&D, manufacturing, distribution and marketing is done and working.

    Computer includes word processor, games, a gun for gaming, as well as BASIC.

    --
    don't cut it off www.mgmbill.org
  3. Re:8 bit???? by sznupi · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8517523543573905150
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SymbOS
    http://youtube.com/group/symbos

    Check those three links if you're in doubt about what can be accomplished on 8-bit system.

    --
    One that hath name thou can not otter
  4. nesdev.com by tepples · · Score: 3, Informative

    Does anyone have some links to programming tools for the Victor-70?

    If it's as similar to the Famicom as people make it out to be, this web site might be useful.

  5. Re:BIOS.... by Joe+Snipe · · Score: 4, Informative

    it's Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A.

    --
    Sometimes, life itself is sarcasm...
  6. Re:BIOS.... by Relic+of+the+Future · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. Your second B, A is superfluous.

    --
    Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
  7. Internet Enabled by KalvinB · · Score: 3, Informative

    The current version can't connect to the internet. The MIT students are trying to see if they can get networking on it without going past the $12 price point.

    The thing hasn't been updated in a long time so their goal is to see if there's better tech that can be put together for the same price.

    --
    Work Safe Porn
  8. Purpose of Involvement by Nymz · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not certain, but I think their plan is:

    1) Select the lowest cost computer you can find.
    2) Write educational software for it.
    3) market the hardware+software solution to schools and poor families in developing countries.
    4) Profit! but while making the world a better place too.

  9. Re:Sweet!! by camperdave · · Score: 4, Informative
    Apparently, it's doable.

    Contiki supports per-process optional preemptive multi-threading, inter-process communication using message passing through events, as well as an optional GUI subsystem with either direct graphic support for locally connected terminals or networked virtual display with VNC or over Telnet.

    A full installation of Contiki includes the following features:

    • Multitasking kernel
    • Optional per-application pre-emptive multithreading
    • Protothreads
    • TCP/IP networking
    • Windowing system and GUI
    • Networked remote display using Virtual Network Computing
    • A web browser (claimed to be the world's smallest)
    • Personal web server
    • Simple telnet client
    • Screensaver
    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  10. Re:BIOS.... by againjj · · Score: 3, Informative

    The Konami Code. Sometimes with a Start at the end, and sometimes with a Select before the Start.

  11. Re:Good news by iamhassi · · Score: 3, Informative

    Funny thing about this "computer" is I actually bought one of these 3 years ago at a local general merchandise store (like Family Dollar) in the US. Think I spent $20 and it it broke within a hour. Keyboard was cheap junk and nothing worked right. The "99,999 programs" is actually closer to 99 programs but 100 variations each with different colors.

    So this really isn't a "$12 MIT Computer" considering you can buy these at any cheap general store. I had no idea at the time that someday someone at MIT would stumble across it and plaster their name all over it and make /. headlines.

    Here's some more links to the "$12 MIT Computer":
    http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/nes/pirate/pirate-clones-A-M.html
    http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/nes/pirate/images/consoles/gamestar_fun_educator-box.jpg

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone