

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

======
jff
This is like copy-pasting commands from the Gentoo wiki so you "learn Linux".
You don't learn shit, you just insert tab A into slot B, then play Minecraft.

Look at the list of things you can "build". You don't actually make any of
those things:

>Build...

>A computer, powered by Raspberry Pi

Meaning: "stick it in a pre-made case"

> Games like Pong, Snake

Either you're playing the installed games, or writing your own... like you
could do with any other computer out there. No kit required.

> Music and sounds

Translation: we have a speaker!

> HD video

Well, you're not going to be rendering any video on that little ARM processor,
but I guess you can play HD video just like every other Pi.

> A speaker

Comes with a 1/8" connector just like fucking headphones

> Towers of dynamite (...in Minecraft)

Give me a break.

> A wireless server

Closest you'll get to building anything, although what might you serve? Well,
you can serve anything with a package in Raspbian, no kit required.

>A custom case, with stickers, decals, or any printed design

You're not building this, it's built for you. Do they remember what this list
was titled? It was titled "Build..." not "Included in the package:"

> Most Debian Linux packages

When I think of "building" a package, I think of compilation. At this point,
though, their original concept of a list of things you can build has broken
down until it's just a feature list.

Every single thing on this list, except for that bullshit about stickers, is
just software that you run on a Pi. Pathetic.

~~~
awhitty
I agree with your assessment that this isn't really "building" a
computer/etc., but I think your tone is unwarranted here.

This looks like a high-quality RPi starter kit, for which there is still a
niche. Their "build" fluff is just for marketing to parents of aspiring
hardware hackers, and if it means more kids get to start hacking around on a
Raspberry Pi, I'm totally okay with it.

~~~
jff
I think it's a pretty nice RPi starter kit. Speaker, wifi, keyboard, great! I
just don't like the bullshit marketing they've put on it. The kids will
probably enjoy snapping together the parts, but then you're done. Now it's a
sealed-up Minecraft box.

A bigger focus on, say, a suite of kid-oriented programming tools would have
been better.

~~~
ArekDymalski
You're right - putting more emphasis on tools beyond Scratch and Codeacademy
would be cool. And regarding the marketing I personally appreciate it. It's
clearly prepared for nonhackerish people and does the job well - creates the
feeling of accessibility and encouragement. That's something the tech world
lacks generally (and often is proud of). Kano reminds me somehow what Apple
did with iphone - bringing simple, easy solution that ordinary people love.
And they were also criticized by pundits at the beginning.

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ig1
A lot of the comments here seem to fall into the line of "Why would anyone use
this Dropbox ? - you can just use rsync".

There's a huge gap between a Raspberry Pi which gathers dust in the corner and
having a product that parents can buy their kids for xmas which they can use
to teach themselves the basics of programming.

Yes, parents could source the components individually, install linux, setup up
scratch, download some tutorials for their kids, etc. But realistically only
very tech savy parents are going to be capable of doing that and even fewer of
them actually will.

~~~
ori_b
The comments are closer to "Installing dropbox is not the same as building a
cloud based storage solution."

This is a nice raspberry pi starter kit. If it was marketed that way, it would
be fine. But it's not. The marketing is simply wrong. This is as much a "build
your own computer" setup as plugging a keyboard, mouse, and monitor into a
Dell desktop is, and people are very rightly calling bullshit on that.

~~~
patrickaljord
Most non-tech people I know consider "building your own computer" to mean
being able to plug together your main board, hard drive, graphic card etc.
This is what this kit do.

> This is a nice raspberry pi starter kit. If it was marketed that way, it
> would be fine.

This is why techies suck at marketing, no people would get what this is about.
Are you aware that most people have no idea what raspberry pi is? To most
people, a "raspberry pi starter kit" would sound like a kit containing a
cookbook with a few tools to get you started and prepare a raspberry pie.

This marketing is for kids and their non-tech parents. Kids can't obviously
compile their kernel from scratch and build their own computer. But it
challenges their curiosity, show them how to assemble a computer in a basic
way, it makes them want to build stuff and gives them a fun introduction to
programming and the command line. Not that bad.

~~~
wrongc0ntinent
This is completely dishonest, from the "What can I do with it?" section:

"Build... A computer, powered by Raspberry Pi"

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wes-exp
Is it just me or is anyone else getting tired of the constant onslaught of
feel-good "code for the children" stuff?

After discovering at least three different non-profits dedicated to teaching
children to code, I am starting to think it is not children that need help,
but adults.

~~~
Segmentation
My only problem is that it feels a little too indoctrinating, but then I'm
jaded by my personal experience with a developer who is ushering his kids into
programming without giving them any career choice. But then I was forced into
piano at a young age (in my dad's hope of following him as a musician), so I
can't complain too much.

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djhworld
It's a cute idea but the contents of the box isn't really that much different
from what you'd find inside the box of an iPad or....Microsoft Surface or any
other piece of consumer electronics.

All this seems to be doing is taking most of the burden of having to source a
keyboard, mouse and monitor if you want to use the Pi as a dedicated machine.

I'm not knocking that, it's just calling it "building a computer" seems wrong.

EDIT: I was probably being a bit harsh, it does seem like it's aimed at
children. It looks like the booklets that come with it explain aspects of the
Pi in a language children can warm to.

~~~
fat0wl
Nah don't be so hard on yourself. This was posted weeks ago and everyone
determined it sucks but HN is half just a garbage dump for free advertising of
any piece of crummy tech that claims to be part of the maker zeitgeist, so
IT'S BACK!!!

~~~
ChuckMcM
Ok, definitely out harshed the GP. :-)

I'm surprised the AdaFruit folks haven't yet created a Pi bundle like this,
there closest [1] is more HW oriented. The kickstarter is pitched more toward
the software development than the 'maker' development (aka controlled LEDs and
stuff).

[1]
[http://www.adafruit.com/products/1014](http://www.adafruit.com/products/1014)

~~~
fat0wl
it's nice to just harsh it out now & then! ;)

gotta be polite to the open-source guys but why keep up the facade for these
opportunists?

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HNJohnC
Has someone redefined the word "make"? Because plugging stuff together isn't
'making' anything, in fact it's undermining kids by setting the bar for
'making' so incredibly low.

~~~
sliverstorm
make (n):

1) An empty marketing catchphrase that allows a product to join the "maker"
bandwagon

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acc00
How is that "Build your own computer"?

This is how to build one's own computer:
[http://nand2tetris.org/](http://nand2tetris.org/)

No kit required.

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LambdaBoy
What exactly are kids learning with this?

How to connect cables? How to put together a box? Are you preparing them for a
life in manufacturing?

~~~
Bsharp
This is a product for children and people who find computers intimidating.
It's meant as a fun introduction to computers and programming.

Your comment is like complaining that a LEGO helicopter isn't a real
helicopter, and that kids who build them are simply learning how to follow
instructions.

~~~
djhworld
I guess it's just in the name.

If someone said to me "build your own computer kit, for kids!" it would invoke
a vision of some sort of breadboard/pre printed circuit board, with modules or
blocks that you would slot into places the instructions said and told the
child what each bit did, even if it was in fluffy language that a child could
at least warm to.

So the CPU would go in one slot, the memory in the other etc.

I know this is EXACTLY how people build gaming PC's right now, but I'm
thinking a lot more basic, cheaper and "kid friendly"

I'm not an electrical engineer though so I'm not really sure of the
limitations of how this could/probably would not work.

~~~
Bsharp
I agree that that would be more honest, if it's possible - maybe this company
could add something like that to their product line. I just think that,
although it isn't technically correct, non-tech parents would probably
consider this "building a computer", and if their goal is to open their
children's minds to computers this will probably do a great job.

------
th0ma5
Reading though the comments, I wish there was an easier way to fabricate
electronics. Even etching a basic board is an error prone process involving
nasty chemicals, and surface mount soldering can be like threading a needle
without hands. I don't know a solution to this, maybe more home pick & place
robotic arms and using reflow ovens, and some kind of way to print on the
paste, who knows. It is a shame that this has all escaped an easier DIY level
of skills. I want to be able to do this sort of thing, but it very quickly
approaches the point where the time and cost involved to do it outweighs
looking around to have someone build something for me instead.

~~~
highphive
It's not building a computer, but there was a post on here a few days ago
about a group creating 'sticker circuitry', which essentially consisted of a
set of stickers that you could put together to make simple circuits. Seems
like a cool idea that gets down to the fundamentals while taking out the hard-
to-approach, error-prone aspect.

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fekberg
Without watching the video and just looking over the images, it took a while
to notice the difference between getting this and just getting a Raspberry Pi
with a keyboard. So the package includes more stuff that makes it interesting
for kids and techies to play around with the hardware and the components that
come with it; pretty cool, if I had kids I'd definitely want to get something
like that.

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morsch
The keyboard looks cute, almost tempted to go in for that. Just almost though
-- it seems awfully small for grown up hands, and touchpads greatly vary in
quality. Also, waiting for more than half a year.

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malandrew
You guys should add an option to gift kanos to schools at a discount. Like
"Buy 5 Kano's for the school of your choice." and "Buy 10 Kano's for the
school of your choice."

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mikecane
The name made me remember Space: 1999
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kano)

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johnchristopher
I am curious about the software stack. Google didn't return anything relevant
about KanoOS.

Can anyone cast a light on this ?

(and I like that keyboard)

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slezyr
$19 "Swag"

$100 for raspberry pi and... a BOX!!

~~~
jhickner
From what I can tell it adds to the $35 pi:

\- a case w/integrated speaker

\- a keyboard/trackpad combo

\- a wifi dongle

\- nice manual

That's not too bad for the added $65. The mini keyboard looks nicer than the
~$20 FAVI ones[1] I usually use.

At first I thought they'd figured out a way to add a screen. That would be
great. But it looks like you need to supply your own.

I work with students in Uganda and it's hard to beat what you get from a $200
netbook. Much faster processor than a pi, plus the screen is integrated. You
can't do GPIO stuff like you can with a pi though, so there are trade-offs.
Twice the price of this, too.

Looks like a great project to me!

[1]: [http://www.amazon.com/FE01-BL-Wireless-Keyboard-Mouse-
Touchp...](http://www.amazon.com/FE01-BL-Wireless-Keyboard-Mouse-
Touchpad/dp/B003UE52ME)

~~~
tomca32
I work for an NGO that has IT programs in Rwanda. I would love to see some
package similar to this that would somehow integrate a screen with Pi. I just
love Pi as a concept and I really want to include it in our programs.

As it stands now, we're in the same boat as you. Second hand laptops /
netbooks are a far cheaper and simpler solution for us than getting PIs and
figuring out what to do with screens, keyboards, etc...

~~~
DanBC
You (and parent commenter, and others) should get together and have a website
for "This is the stuff we need, and why we need it".

You'd have a suggestion of a package of RPi, keyboard, screen, etc. You'd give
suggestions for what would be good, and what to avoid. You give a total cost,
and the amount you can provide to that. You then ask people to donate.

You maybe put the faces of children on your request.

LIKE WATSI BUT FOR TECH.

~~~
voltagex_
Sounds like we could lean on the OLPC guys for that a little bit, at least in
the research stages.

Kickstarter+Watsi+OLPC+Kiva = ?

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hipaulshi
english accents kids are the best! [http://youtu.be/5Tx-
JQRxkNw](http://youtu.be/5Tx-JQRxkNw)

