Kano Pixel Kit - Learn to Code with Light $39.99 + Delivery @ Harvey Norman

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Harvey Norman

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  MrHyde on 04/05/2020 - 18:38

  Looks interesting. Anyone have one and can provide some review/feedback

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    edrift on 04/05/2020 - 18:53

    +7

    Was going to buy it till I read this review (one of many horrible reviews):

    Pointless, utterly flawed and unsupported. A total rip off, avoid at all costs.
    An absolutely awful waste of money. The software accompanying the device (on a FAST PC) regularly slows to such a crawl that it must be quit and restarted, making programming an awful drag. The programming language is Scratch and only Scratch. They mention Javascript repeatedly, and indeed, you can see some autogenerated Javascript as output from the Scratch blocks you put together, but this is just decoration. You cannot edit this code. It is not a stepping stone from Scratch to JS. You won't be learning any JS this way. There is no help section on their website for this product at all. Go take a look. Not a sausage. If you search for 'pixel', you will find 4 absolutely pointless articles in their entire document base. Worst of all, you can't store the programs you write on the device. Once you unplug, that's it. It can only store *animations. Pictures. So forget making a cute device that flashes when you get a tweet, or creating your own alarm clock: unless you leave it connected to a computer at all times, this will not be happening. Which makes the fact it has Wifi completely pointless. Essentially, they made a better version, which they gave to the people who bought it via Kickstarter, and that's what all the reviews you'll find are talking about. Then, for the real device for mass manufacture, they cut costs by cutting the spec, removing the ability to store and run programs while detached from the computer. I contacted their tech support once me and my son discovered this (to some heartbreak - none of our imagined projects will now work) and it was confirmed by email that this is the case. Please, please, PLEASE save your money from this paperweight. The LEDs are very beautiful. Get yourself an Arduino and a Neo Pixel shield and do something useful with your time and money. How they can market this in good conscience, I cannot fathom. Hugely disappointing.*

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      [Deactivated] on 11/05/2020 - 19:44

      Pulled the trigger too soon and did not have a chance to read your comments here. It turned out to be an even bigger piece of junk:
      1. The battery socket was simply attached to the board using some dodgy glue, which came off automatically on the 3rd day after arrival, awesome!!
      2. The round dial on the side was attached to the board using the same dodgy glue, with all the fixing feet floating un-soldered, which technically rendered the dial to be supported by the 4 thin poles soldered to the board, ingenious!!

      Based on the aforementioned two points, the board was designed to fail and thus there would be no point to even try their software. I would have returned the board but given the current situation it would be too much hustle.

      The only thing I liked was the acrylic case, which seemed to be sturdy and of good quality, but I was not buying the case…

  • 

    gambino on 04/05/2020 - 18:54

    The reviews are mixed, but the negs seemed to be for the macOS app (look at the amazon link above). I thought I would take the risk for the price.

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  SonOfATightASS on 04/05/2020 - 19:12

  Since when was there an A in STEM?

  • 

    gambino on 04/05/2020 - 19:20

    +2

    STEAM

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      SonOfATightASS on 05/05/2020 - 21:35

      Cheers, you learn something new everyday, I'm glad I asked.

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  [Deactivated] on 04/05/2020 - 19:19

  Well ebay offers 4 cents cheaper and free delivery if you have plus

  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Kano-Pixel-Kit-Learn-to-code-wit…

  • 

    gambino on 04/05/2020 - 19:19

    Already linked in the description

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  FabMan on 04/05/2020 - 19:21

  +1

  Apparently while this product is poop due to no local storage and their app is crap, someone has created a new firmware 'Pixel32' that allows you to use a browser based program and you can write in Python. This eliminates one of its flaws.

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  Ameowzon on 04/05/2020 - 23:37

  Looking for something to get my 4.5 year old started with programming. Any suggestions besides this?

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    FabMan on 05/05/2020 - 00:52

    Lots of games online teaching logic and very simple programming. Though them being able to do simple reading, writing and mathematics are probably essential for them to understand it.