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Kickstarter wants to supply DIY computer

by on25 November 2013



Kano kit builds $99 computer

Those who are interested in a DIY computer might be interested in this kickstarting project. The US$99 Kano kit supplies a Raspberry Pi computer board with the various bits to make it into a complete computer. It even uses graphic code blocks to run a simple but powerful language reminiscent of BASIC.

The idea is to teach people how hardware and software work. Building one does not look too tricky and even the video only takes 107 seconds to show you how to do it. What is more interesting is that the Kano provides a simple-to-use tool to learn the basics of programming a computer to solve problems. These would include breaking a problem down into a logical sequence of operations, converting that sequence into instructions in a computer language, and verifying the operation of the resulting program.

It is based on a Python and Linux base and shows a newbie to learn the intellectual principles of programming without having to bother with the complexities of coding for a particular machine, or within a complex syntax. A Kickstarter campaign to bring Kano to market has resulted in the project netting pledges for over six times its $100,000 goal in the first five days online. Pledges for the Kano computer will be accepted until December 19, with delivery expected in the (Northern Hemisphere) summer of 2014.

More in the video below.

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