The BBC collaborates with 29 partners to send thousands of miniature computers to every grade 7 child in the UK. This is the BBC you're thinking of - the news organization - and this is not the first time they've done such a project. Micro:bit is aimed at educating the public and setting a creative fire under the feet of the UK's youth. To do this, the micro:bit pocket-sized computer is being distributed for free to students, complete with programmable innards, Bluetooth, built-in compass, and motion detection.
One big "WTF" here is web-based IDE programming tools. There's no specifics about loading programs in the article, but there is a USB port on the micro:bit which will presumably be used to transfer programs into the device - so why send the code out to the web to be programmed instead of including a compiler that runs locally? (For this kind of tiny computer, with a minuscule display, I'm sure something that runs even an a relatively underpowered tablet could be written.)
The BBC has revealed the final design of the Micro Bit, a pocket-sized computer set to be given to about one million UK-based children in October. The device - which features a programmable array of red LED lights - includes two buttons and a built-in motion sensor that were not included in a prototype shown off in March.
The BBC's director general Tony Hall said the device should help tackle the fact children were leaving school knowing how to use computers but not how to program them. "We all know there's a critical and growing digital skills gap in this country and that's why it's so important that we come together and do something about it," he said at a launch event in London.
The Micro Bit is being given away to every 11- and 12-year-old child in Year 7 or equivalent at school.
More on the BBC website.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday July 10 2015, @03:09PM
Well...not really. The assumption is that you already have most of these, and in most cases that's going to be true. Hell, the original Pi could connect to any TV made in the past few *decades* through composite video output for example. Of course, if you wanted an entire classroom computer lab full of Pis, then you would need to buy some stuff that might run you $100-$200 each. Which is pretty much the cheapest computer you'll ever find, though I've certainly seen tablets go for less.
But you also seem to assume that a tablet and a Pi are essentially the same device; which is VERY far from the truth. You really can't code on a tablet. If nothing else, you're going to need some accessories (like a keyboard) for the tablet too. And most tablets don't have any legitimate programming environments. You can do a bit of Java on an Android system, but it's painful. How are you gonna teach C on a tablet? What if you want to do some PHP? Maybe a tablet notebook, but you're definitely not getting one of *those* for under $200. And of course there's the GPIO. The Pi isn't just teaching about computers; it's designed to teach electronics fundamentals as well. A tablet doesn't give you any of that.
It's not the best device for every circumstance of course, but it's certainly one of the best devices for its intended uses.