Kano: "A computer anyone can maker"

[MarTinazzI]

I really like this project, I aways wanted to buy a Raspberry Pi and the whole... I really thinking in buy a Kano.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexklein/kano-a-computer-anyone-can-make

 

[commander-beef]

Waste of money. A keyboard + raw raspberry pi + some crappy cables + chinese quick mounded pi cover -> and they need a 100.000 $ to run this? anything they offer can be bought from ebay right away . Please..

 

[Klumpen]

Can everybody just post his own fantasy amount of needed money in there without any real calculations?

 

[Asiyura]

Indeed, at that price, I'd rather get something beefier than a raspi (cubietruck with allwinner A20 and a sata connector is a potential competitor ).
And the "game building" system reminds me furiously of Scratch… who is available free on linux.

EDIT : talked about stencyl, before the edit, but I can't tell if it runs on raspi :/
 

Can everybody just post his own fantasy amount of needed money in there without any real calculations?

$74.99 shipping included http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Raspberry-Pi-Model-B-512MB-w-Power-Supply-cherry-Case-8GB-C10-SD-TF-adapter-/261336473363?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd8de1f13

Only missing the cheap looking keyboard and the speaker.

I can't be assed to find every piece of the kit at it's cheapest price

 

[Binky]

Aragh!

Why do people insist on repackaging age-old concepts as something new?

For example, when the Pi was released, the press often described it as "ERMAHGERD A COMPUTER I CAN PROGRAM!!!"

Many services like dropbox are branded as "Amazing new technology that allows us you to access your files from anywhere" (ERMAHGERD REMOTE FILE STORAGE)

iDevices with app-stores --> ERMAHGERD A SOFTWARE REPOSITORY

etc

etc

etc

 

[skeezix]

I dont' want to kill any enthusiasm, but it does seem weak to me in a way; feel free _not_ to read the below, since I do not want to be a buzzkill

Seems cute on the surface, but yeah .. you can already buy a r-pi down the street from anywhere, pick up a case fro the same shop or order one online, pick up any old usb or wireless keyboard et cetera. I'm not sure what they're really adding value-wise.

If it was an 'all in one' computer (like a Pandora) or even with a plug into remote monitor (like an Commodore 64, Atari ST, etc), then fine.. at least they'd be adding a novel case into the mix; instead, their case is the same as anyone elses.

Its essentially a tutorial project (which is Great!), but I don't see why they need to sell hardware then, in a fancy box. Just go buy it yourself, maybe even for cheaper (though their price is not bad.) "The first computer you can make yourself".. hardly. Its same as every other raspberry pi kit around.. they have these down the road from me (mind, with generic parts, not custom parts; but isn't this projects rallying cry against premade componentry, and then they .. make some? I really wish they'd done a net case, then they'd have something.

On the other hand.. their value add is just putting it into a single box, with some colourful instructions, and maybe with luck they can get a community together. They're pretending its a new computer, but thats not what they're about; they're just packaging it up. But maybe they can turn that into something.

jeff

 

[MarTinazzI]

Yes, I know about all of this variables. But the fact is with 100 USD I can't buy a PI (100~150 USD just the hardware) and that stuff in my country, for real, I'm using this project as an excuse to just buy a PI. I don't care if is colorfull, Ok a project to introduction a kid in technological world is great, but for my personal use I don't care. I want to install a real Linux and use for several things.

MarTinazzI, rafael.​

 

[FBnil]

At a certain point, the selling of R-Pi stagnates. This will reel new people in. It is still a R-Pi, so you join a big group of enthousiast, with support and maybe get other ideas from there.

It reminds me of how Apple made their hardware in omg! white, and suddenly there was a selling frenzy. Inside, still the same hardware. You can do this too with a pandora, respray them, sell them more expensive. People will buy....

 

[vcoleiro1]

Guys, remember this is a learning kit aimed at the younger ones.   It's not bad value anyway, but remember it's not aimed at someone who is likly to research around and buy the components seperately based on a knowledge of the components, it's aimed at the opposite . 

 

[Asiyura]

I know Brazilians have some trouble with importing computer/consoles (heavy importation taxes IIRC).

Do you really think going through this kickstarter will allow you to avoid paying those taxes?

A rasppi cost about $52, when send from honk kong, they usually tick a "electronic samples" mark to describe the content and declare a really low package value.

Don't know if it works in Brazil, but most of the time, it does in Europe.

Guys, remember this is a learning kit aimed at the younger ones.   It's not bad value anyway, but remember it's not aimed at someone who is likly to research around and buy the components seperately based on a knowledge of the components, it's aimed at the opposite .

We're just trying to help him to avoid spending more money than needed to get a rasppi…

 

[MarTinazzI]

At a certain point, the selling of R-Pi stagnates. This will reel new people in. It is still a R-Pi, so you join a big group of enthousiast, with support and maybe get other ideas from there.

It reminds me of how Apple made their hardware in omg! white, and suddenly there was a selling frenzy. Inside, still the same hardware. You can do this too with a pandora, respray them, sell them more expensive. People will buy....

Pandora respray more expensive? Oh god please no... Hehehe

Aragh!

Why do people insist on repackaging age-old concepts as something new?

For example, when the Pi was released, the press often described it as "ERMAHGERD A COMPUTER I CAN PROGRAM!!!"

Many services like dropbox are branded as "Amazing new technology that allows us you to access your files from anywhere" (ERMAHGERD REMOTE FILE STORAGE)

iDevices with app-stores --> ERMAHGERD A SOFTWARE REPOSITORY

etc

etc

etc

but revise, rethink, recreate or reinvent something that already exists is not a problem, look at facebook, is not nothing but a redesigned forum. You take an old concept and reinvent or even just change the view on it (which this proposed project) and create a different view, it is innovation.

MarTinazzI, rafael.​

 

[vcoleiro1]

Rasberry Pi Model B - $38

Case ;-  $8

mini kEyboard/touchpad combo :- $25

Speaker :- $5

Cables :- $5

Wifi Powerup - $5

Stickers , stencils etc :- $5

Kano illitrutrative guides :- $5

Smart Power Plug : $5

8GB SD : $7

Kit Packaging :- $4

TOTAL VALUE = $112 -> their asking price $99  , packaged in a nice kit ready for your young one to learn.  Seems more than  reasonable to me

 

[fusion_power]

It may be nothing completely new or innovative but it's already 500% over-funded after 3-4 days. "
So I guess there is an demand for such products that recombine known stuff in new, polished and shiny hoods. Let's call it "Apple Effect"? :lol:

 

[comradekingu]

I like how uniform their design language is. Even the cables have seen some love.

 

[LineOf7s]

There are few who even know what a Raspberry Pi is that are the target market for the Kano.

Sure, people can right now go buy whatever they want for maybe less than the components they get here.  But they DON'T and never will.  "It's all too hard", "Oh I don't know anything about that stuff", "I don't have time to work it all out".  So the Kano people come along and say "Here's everything you need, BAM, right here.  Enjoy", and for not much more than doing it yourself.  And why not?

How many of us got our love of computing and perhaps of algorythmic thinking from obtaining some sort of computing box that was BAM everything we need, right there?  All those early computers that had programming languages built-in, right there?  Where does that come from now?  "Oh, it's only a couple of steps away, and free," you may cry.  Nope, too far red car.  Too many steps, too much like hard work.  The hard work should be the joy of the task, not of aquiring the desire to discover it.  It wants to be Right Here under our noses, otherwise it's just easier to reach for another 20 mins of Call Of Duty.

If only a handful of people get one of these kits and get set upon a path to explore the wealth of options further along, then it's made of win.  More power to them.

 

[Askarus]

I plan to make something like that for the Pandora successor but with much more stuff included.

USB Monitor

1-2x 1000+ mAh Battery

Bigger Keyboard (0,5mm)

Mouse

Big hub

1-2x 2,5'' HDD slot

Rest is filled with multiple adapters and cables.

Maybe even Blu-Ray drive

Wanted to make it already for Pandora but my studies kept me to busy and Pandora is still little too slow for all the hard desktop stuff.

Let's see what time will bring.

 

[comradekingu]

I dont know you would save that much, given each individual item needs its own shipping.

 

[Asiyura]

I dont know you would save that much, given each individual item needs its own shipping.

Many of us already have spare parts that could be used for a second computer (keyboard, mouse, USB power adaptor, …).So, most of the time it makes more sense to get only what you really need to make it run, instead of getting a pack that would cost a lot more.

And many chinese sellers on ebay just have free shipping (granted it can take up to a month to deliver the packages).

 

[Askarus]

I wouldn't want such a Keyboard.

It doesn't look too comfortable for me.

 

[comradekingu]

Im guessing comfort wasnt the aim here. If you started with the price of a good keyboard there would be no money leftover for anything else in this project. For the compromises that have been made, i think this is a fair package.

Hope they can deliver, which seem likely given its just an assembly of already fabricated things for the most part. It lowers the bar on PC adaption, and by that i mean PC, not content/media-consumption device.