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BBC Micro:Bit Learn-To-Code Device Up For Public Pre-Order In UK (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes from a TechCrunch report: A tiny programmable board designed as part of an educational initiative for UK kids to learn programming skills and originally distributed by the public service broadcaster, the BBC, to one million schoolchildren is now up for public pre-order. The micro:bit is available for public pre-order in the UK, via Element14's website, with delivery slated for July. Although at this point it's being sold in minimum quantities of 90 for resellers (such as Microsoft) to then sell on to individuals. So consumers will have a bit longer to wait to be able to buy a device just for themselves. Prices start at 12.99 Pound ($19) for a single BBC micro:bit; 14.99 Pound for a starter kit which includes a BBC micro:bit, mini USB, battery pack and four project ideas; and 140 Pound for a 'BBC micro:bit Club' pack, which includes 10 devices and "everything needed to get a coding club started". The intention with the micro:bit project -- part of the BBC's wider 'Make it Digital' initiative to inspire "a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology" -- was always to open up the distribution of the device after the initial giveaway.
You are comparing apples to oranges. The RPi-Zero does not come with a header, so you will need to do some soldering. A better comparison is with the standard RPi, which costs more. The BBC Micro:Bit has additional sensors, including a 3D accelerometer. The Arduino is a nice device for learning electronics and bit banging, but it does not run Linux, has no HDMI or other video port, and cannot be used as a standalone computer.
Anyway, once something is "cheap enough", a few dollars here and there should not be the deciding factor. The features and capabilities matter more.
Beyond some thresholds, it's not about price, it'd about consistency.
This is why the RPi is more popular than the cheaper and more powerful alternatives off eBay and AliExpress. They're consistent and there's a good community. You spend a bit more but you're sure it will work the same every time.
Same with this. I mean sure everyone could have their own cheapass clone with complex peripherals etc etc. But that's not what the BBC is trying to do. Much like the previous effort, it's an educational initiative. This means that it's better for the devies to be completely consistent all of the time, and completely under the control of the BBC.
Likewise the point is for education, so a "lame" LED matrix is a better bet than a colour TFT because it's much much easier to understand.
And if you need a device for yourself evaluate it based (a) on whether it does what you need, (b) whether guaranteed consistency and the lack of fucking around time is important and (c) if a and b how it stacks up to other known good vendors.
Simply opting for the cheapest/most powerful device is generally silly.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
The whole "everybody needs to learn to code" thing has got out of hand. Everybody DOES NOT need to learn to code, and in fact many if not most people have no interest or aptitude for programming . Some people need to learn to weld. Others need to learn to cook. Yet other need to learn to drive trains. Some people (but obviously not Slashdot "editors") need to learn to write and edit. And quite frankly, there are the vast majority that will never move beyond learning how to drop a fry basket. But everybody DOES NOT need to learn to "code".
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