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Raspberry Pi For the Rest of Us

Posted by timothy on from the bootstraps-for-all! dept.

mikejuk writes "The Raspberry Pi might be a cheap and reasonably powerful but it has a tough learning curve due to the Linux OS it uses. Adafruit, better known for their hardware, are working on a WebIDE which you can use to program the Pi without having to set things up. You write the code in a browser and run it on the Pi using a web server hosted by the Pi. It sounds crazy but if it can make the Pi more approachable then perhaps it could turn out to be an educational powerhouse."

4 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Evil learning by fisted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh no, a steep learning curve on a device which is intended to encourage learning. Seriously.

    --
    CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
    1. Re:Evil learning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You don't know what you're talking about. If your nephew has any PC built in the last 5 years to use as a client to this thing then they can run a Linux VM on it and use any number of open source tools to achieve the same thing. You don't need a Pi if you're in the west and are going to be just teaching yourself to code. If you're an engineering student and are looking at doing something cool with the USB interface *maybe* just *maybe* thats ok but you can do that with your desktop/laptop already with VM. I assure you that installing a basic Ubuntu OS on a VM is *far* easier and cheaper than purchasing a Pi. Heck - run any modern Python IDE on windows - you get a fully integrated debugger and python console. Pisses all over your fsckin' web interface. Use the Pi for teaching electronics and systems in engineering classes, for hobbyists to connect home automation and robotics, for third world/developing nations that can't afford full PCs - but its not a glorified IDE just cause you can.

      I agree with the previous post - WTF is wrong with learning?

      Unicycles and juggling.. thats all you modern hipster developers want..

  2. Re:Be nice when they deliver it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    If your order is through RS, cancel it immediately and order through Farnell. Farnell actually has their act together.

  3. Re:Set things up? by Microlith · · Score: 5, Informative

    They aren't. The Debian install boots directly into LXDE. The "tough" learning curve is illusory and can easily be overcome in the environment the Pi is used in without suddenly needing two computers rather than one.