Kano Ships Its First 18K Learn-To-Code Computer Kits

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Learning to code is becoming a fad of sorts in some circles and a necessity in others. The easiest way to learn is from scratch and that task has become easier with the Kano Kickstarter project that has just completed its first shipment of crowdfunded pre-orders.
 
So throw a raspberry pi in with the cheapest all in one keyboard/mouse you can find, and bam learn to code and we profit!
 
These look really cool. My 9 yo Minecraft addicted son has recently become interested in coding and joined a club at school for learning Java. One of these will be under the tree for him this year. He'll think it's awesome.
 
I learned to code on an 8-bit CPU running at 1MHz and 16KB memory. Those spoiled kids. ;)

$160 for the kit is pretty steep though. That's in the price range of an Android tablet + BT keyboard, a much more capable and portable option.
 
General coders are a dime a dozen.

Useful coding takes years and years of dedication.

Most people who "learn how to code" never get passed intermediate stuff.

End rant.
 
MajorDomo said:
Learning to code is becoming a fad of sorts in some circles and a necessity in others. The easiest way to learn is from scratch and that task has become easier with the Kano Kickstarter project that has just completed its first shipment of crowdfunded pre-orders.
Click to expand...

That kit is great.
I really hope that this takes off, and while not a programmer by nature, even this makes me wish we had these back when I was in high school.

It would have been much handier than programming on a TI-83 Plus. :p
 
i can't believe the hate for this. Considering most parents don't have a shred of a clue about programming, to be able to get a kit to introduce their kid to something, I feel, will be integral in the future is indispensable. Even if it's slightly overpriced, or outdated possibly, the idea still is in introducing it to a child. Nice to see stuff like this. If there is something else out there like this, then it needs better marketing.
 
Staples said:
General coders are a dime a dozen.

Useful coding takes years and years of dedication.

Most people who "learn how to code" never get passed intermediate stuff.

End rant.
Click to expand...

What does this have to do with the product?
The whole point of this is to just open the door to newcomers, this wasn't designed to make people experts; though one could install Raspbian and go from there for full programming, at least on ARM11.

Your rant, while true, is misplaced.
 
Received one of the first ones. It's absolutely incredible. Even with lots of prodding with other tools and code, my 6 and 8 year olds have never been more interested in computers and code.

These people knocked it out of the park in terms of kids (and adult) friendly, great documentation/manuals, excellent device. As icing on the cake, they ran their Kickstarter plan like clockwork with updates and relevant information along the way.

If more people would create new things like this - and do it as professionally and upbeat as these folks - the world would be an amazing place.
 
I think this is stupid, they could have put the same resources into programming for devices you already own. Just make installers or programs for windows, mac osx, you know OSes people actually use. Tacking it onto a bunch of hardware that no one will have much of any use for just seems like a giant waste. The colored keyboard? I can go buy one if you really think that makes such a big difference.
 
rudy said:
I think this is stupid, they could have put the same resources into programming for devices you already own. Just make installers or programs for windows, mac osx, you know OSes people actually use. Tacking it onto a bunch of hardware that no one will have much of any use for just seems like a giant waste. The colored keyboard? I can go buy one if you really think that makes such a big difference.
Click to expand...

Because no one uses Linux, especially programmers. :rolleyes:
Also, hardware no one will have much use for?

Raspberry Pi's use the ARM architecture, and last time I remember, every single smartphone and tablet in the last 7 years use ARM processors.
So your point is...?
 
rudy said:
I think this is stupid, they could have put the same resources into programming for devices you already own. Just make installers or programs for windows, mac osx, you know OSes people actually use. Tacking it onto a bunch of hardware that no one will have much of any use for just seems like a giant waste. The colored keyboard? I can go buy one if you really think that makes such a big difference.
Click to expand...

The genius is in the marketing. It's not stupid because most people don't understand hardware enough to understand what they even have in their own homes. It's one of the big reasons why Apple does so well with it's products: they dictate to people how to use their products, erect fences and don't allow people outside those fences. If you are confined to a certain experience, how can it go wrong when you can define that experience. Do you have children? Have you ever worked with young children to see how things work and develop in their minds? This is a spark- something they can run with.

I agree with Dugn, this was incredibly managed and it's an outstanding program to get kids interested in programming. Once they have their interest piqued they can lead from there using an actual PC to do whatever they want.
 
With the advent of STEM focused education we will see a decline in the truly great coders. Writing good code from scratch takes just as much if not more of a background in fine arts such as writing, creative thinking, and problem solving as it does "hard skills" i.e. programming languages.
 
m heisty said:
With the advent of STEM focused education we will see a decline in the truly great coders. Writing good code from scratch takes just as much if not more of a background in fine arts such as writing, creative thinking, and problem solving as it does "hard skills" i.e. programming languages.
Click to expand...

How do you figure? I would argue exactly the opposite. If programs like this expose more children/people to programming then the law of averages would predicate that there would be a rise in good coders. The more minds involved can help to dictate a flow by providing solutions as well.
 
m heisty said:
With the advent of STEM focused education we will see a decline in the truly great coders. Writing good code from scratch takes just as much if not more of a background in fine arts such as writing, creative thinking, and problem solving as it does "hard skills" i.e. programming languages.
Click to expand...

How would this decrease the amount of good programmers?
This is just opening the door to those who might not know where to start, especially for younger individuals who have an interest.
 
rudy said:
I think this is stupid, they could have put the same resources into programming for devices you already own. Just make installers or programs for windows, mac osx, you know OSes people actually use. Tacking it onto a bunch of hardware that no one will have much of any use for just seems like a giant waste. The colored keyboard? I can go buy one if you really think that makes such a big difference.
Click to expand...

Respectfully have to disagree. I was constantly perusing Raspberry PI and other basic computer options to start my kids off. But the choices and options were mind-boggling. Not just in hardware, but also *nix variants and versions. Sure, I pulled it off. But I couldn't imagine how a less-technical person could even get into this without a high amount of effort and bunch of trial and error.

Kano raps it all up in a nice, easy to use package accessible to the masses. You get a computer to (kind of) assemble, simple straightforward manuals brilliantly designed in LEGO/manga style understandable by both child and adult alike, a *nix variant with a pretty shell that introduces computer logic in one of the most compelling and simple ways I've ever seen. Ravx25's got it right.

If you want to introduce a no/low-tech to moderate-tech person (child or adult) into the world of (Raspberry PI) computers and programming, these guys set a new bar for approachability and accessibility. This is the new exemplar for turning people on to computers and coding.

I'm totally blown away with what they've done.
 
As someone who wants to get into programming basics i would love to get my hands on one

but alas too pricey for me, any backer can get me the 99 $ one?:p
 
Staples said:
General coders are a dime a dozen.

Useful coding takes years and years of dedication.

Most people who "learn how to code" never get passed intermediate stuff.
Click to expand...

True. But, I feel that learning the basics of coding (even if it was BASIC then C), I may not be a good coder, but it helps me understand things better. From debugging other peoples code, to seeing the limitations in programs or whatever. I'm sure my code is ugly and half of it isn't necessary. But, when you create your own program - it's your creation. Your baby. It's a good feeling. :) On the job as a developer, though? It does take a lot more time and dedication, like you say.

pxc said:
I learned to code on an 8-bit CPU running at 1MHz and 16KB memory. Those spoiled kids. ;)
Click to expand...

Yea, I learned BASIC in those days. What I wouldn't give to go back and learn ASM or something when I was a kid. It'd be mostly worthless now. Everything got so complicated. I can still make very basic stuff, but no where near the complexity of some of these other programs. Basic Windows utilities, etc. are easy. Full blown applications take a bit more...
 
Kano’s big idea is to get kids excited about building stuff with software by first letting them play around with — and ultimately have ownership of — fun, colorful-looking hardware. Both hardware and software elements in the kit use a step-by-step approach to breaking down complexity — including a drag-and-drop Scratch-style programming interface, called Kano Blocks, which steps the user into the world of programming via the medium of classic games like Snake and Pong, and also kid craze du jour Minecraft. Users drag and drop graphical blocks to build code but can also switch to view the actual lines of code that these blocks are generating.
Click to expand...

Take advantage of a popular medium to get kids more involved and interested. Worked for me way back in the day. Not only could I play games, but I could create them, too. Programming can be extremely boring at times (fun when you hit RUN, though!). Make it fun, and they will get into it enough to where it's hard to just give up.
 
Staples said:
General coders are a dime a dozen.

Useful coding takes years and years of dedication.

Most people who "learn how to code" never get passed intermediate stuff.

End rant.
Click to expand...

So something designed to get people coding earlier is a bad thing? I'm missing your logic there.
 
ravx25 said:
How do you figure? I would argue exactly the opposite. If programs like this expose more children/people to programming then the law of averages would predicate that there would be a rise in good coders. The more minds involved can help to dictate a flow by providing solutions as well.
Click to expand...

There will be more coders yes, however the great coders often times do not come from STEM based backgrounds. If you and I both knew how to write JAVA could we both make a web applet that does something useful? Yes, however if you had a background with more fine arts than I did, your code would be far better than mine. The hallmark of good code is code an outsider can easily read and interpret. I do not know any code language other than very basic HTML. However I can read most code languages and tell you which one is better constructed based on how the code looks upon a visual inspection. Code written in a concise manner, with proper notation, is lacking unnecessary loops and paths, and is organized usually comes from people with a strong background in writing and language.

I can have 10 people work on a problem, or I can have 1 person work on that problem in a more efficient way. The law of averages doesn't always produce higher quality work. In fact it usually works in the negative.
 
Staples said:
General coders are a dime a dozen.

Useful coding takes years and years of dedication.

Most people who "learn how to code" never get passed intermediate stuff.

End rant.
Click to expand...

Weird. Almost like people who don't know how to do something usually aren't very good when they first start. What a radical concept. Thanks for sharing.
 
m heisty said:
There will be more coders yes, however the great coders often times do not come from STEM based backgrounds. If you and I both knew how to write JAVA could we both make a web applet that does something useful? Yes, however if you had a background with more fine arts than I did, your code would be far better than mine. The hallmark of good code is code an outsider can easily read and interpret. I do not know any code language other than very basic HTML. However I can read most code languages and tell you which one is better constructed based on how the code looks upon a visual inspection. Code written in a concise manner, with proper notation, is lacking unnecessary loops and paths, and is organized usually comes from people with a strong background in writing and language.

I can have 10 people work on a problem, or I can have 1 person work on that problem in a more efficient way. The law of averages doesn't always produce higher quality work. In fact it usually works in the negative.
Click to expand...

The beauty of this program, though, is that it won't be just STEM people. For instance, my youngest son loves Legos and builds some of the most ingenious things, at 6. I'm am not at all a creative person, but I can tell right away my youngest son is indeed very creative. Considering the fact that younger minds generally learn easier and faster, to have someone creative learn coding could be great. Now my oldest son tends to be more book smart - less creative. He could very well prove me wrong ( I don't limit my kids ideas), but I would think he would be more structured in learning to code. All in all, the more folks that get exposed, the more chances there will be of better ideas popping out. How can there not be? Human ingenuity springs form the most unlikely places and to throw more at it can only serve to provide more outstanding individuals. Yes, there will be a lot more general coders, the straight forward ones, but the ones we gain above that can help define a better experience overall.
 
dugn said:
Respectfully have to disagree. I was constantly perusing Raspberry PI and other basic computer options to start my kids off. But the choices and options were mind-boggling. Not just in hardware, but also *nix variants and versions. Sure, I pulled it off. But I couldn't imagine how a less-technical person could even get into this without a high amount of effort and bunch of trial and error.

Kano raps it all up in a nice, easy to use package accessible to the masses. You get a computer to (kind of) assemble, simple straightforward manuals brilliantly designed in LEGO/manga style understandable by both child and adult alike, a *nix variant with a pretty shell that introduces computer logic in one of the most compelling and simple ways I've ever seen. Ravx25's got it right.

If you want to introduce a no/low-tech to moderate-tech person (child or adult) into the world of (Raspberry PI) computers and programming, these guys set a new bar for approachability and accessibility. This is the new exemplar for turning people on to computers and coding.

I'm totally blown away with what they've done.
Click to expand...

Its called an installer, as already stated they could have put these same resources into a program that made all that easy for you and sold it as software only. They could have made it perfectly accessible to the masses in software only.
 
raz-0 said:
So something designed to get people coding earlier is a bad thing? I'm missing your logic there.
Click to expand...

It isn't a bad thing but I am sick of hearing that everyone needs to learn to code. Makes me think of how US high schools require 2+ years of foreign language when numbers show that something like 1-2% of people are interested in learning it and go on to speak the language fluently. Furthermore, English is the primary language on Earth and the importance of learning a second language is hardly important anymore.

I can just imagine years of coding as a requirement in schools.
 
rudy said:
Its called an installer, as already stated they could have put these same resources into a program that made all that easy for you and sold it as software only. They could have made it perfectly accessible to the masses in software only.
Click to expand...

Yes, they could have, so why has no one done it so far? What complication are there? Why haven't you done if it is so easy? Frankly, from a business stand point this is a good solution because it has a bow tie on top. It's a simple, elegant and accessible solution that can be marketed not only towards parents, but towards schools as well. The hardware, however simple to manipulate gives kids a tactile feeling to something.

Staples said:
It isn't a bad thing but I am sick of hearing that everyone needs to learn to code. Makes me think of how US high schools require 2+ years of foreign language when numbers show that something like 1-2% of people are interested in learning it and go on to speak the language fluently. Furthermore, English is the primary language on Earth and the importance of learning a second language is hardly important anymore.

I can just imagine years of coding as a requirement in schools.
Click to expand...

I think computer science as a whole needs to be taught in school, but I agree, coding, as rule of thumb, doesn't lend itself to all children. I think it is important though, at least from an early software stance, for kids to know how their PC is working though and to possibly manipulate it to their preferred desire.
 
ravx25 said:
Yes, they could have, so why has no one done it so far? What complication are there? Why haven't you done if it is so easy? Frankly, from a business stand point this is a good solution because it has a bow tie on top. It's a simple, elegant and accessible solution that can be marketed not only towards parents, but towards schools as well. The hardware, however simple to manipulate gives kids a tactile feeling to something.
Click to expand...

Because most companies making IDEs don't care about 5 year old kids that won't pay for it. Is this right? No, but the solution is to create a push to fix it not charge people $160 for 30 bucks in useless hardware to a kid. They could have and probably did use an existing IDE to make this, instead of wrapping into wasted hardware they should have focused on making it readily available. Oh and no one codes for android on a raspberry pi, the irony of your comment and only furthering my point, coding for android is done on PCs of all things. This is just another one of those bad misguided concepts like OLPC. You create a non standard device that no one will ever use in the real world and think it will somehow revolutionize the industry. Chances are the parents who would drop $160 on this were going to push programming for their kids anyway. In fact this entire project could have just as easily been delivered as a virtual machine using something like VMware, you buy a CD or download it and the entire exactly as is product is in a VM you let your kid play around in.
 
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