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Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

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Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#71

Post by xrd »

pavon wrote: post #66
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

The Spike system seems like an odd side-step to me. There are some minor improvements, but not really enough to justify breaking compatibility and making people repurchase everything from scratch. In contrast, Mindstorms replaced the old LEGO/Logo system (which I was fortunate to use in high school), and was a big step forward in a number of ways most noticeably that you didn't have to be tethered to the computer.

I love Legos and by extension the company that makes them, and I still believe what you are saying, that everyone will have to buy new stuff, is exactly the reason the LEGO company is making this choice. They don't make a penny (unless they are somehow involved in a secondary market which probably has much lower margins and higher costs) unless you buy something new, and migrating to a new ecosystem makes so much sense if that's the goal.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#72

Post by app4soft »

> That said, SPIKE Prime is effectively LEGO Education’s implementation of MINDSTORMS, so it’s tricky to envision how the two platforms could co-exist under a single banner.

And SPIKE web app[0,1] does not work in Firefox:

> Browser not supported

> Use Google Chrome to access the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App.

[0] https://education.lego.com/en-us/downloads/spike-app/softwar...

[1] https://spike.legoeducation.com/

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#73

Post by bnycum »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

My kid was selected into the robotics club this year, and they are using the Spike Prime kit. Seems like a decent set all things considered for younger kids. My child is in 5th grade and first year robotics. Probably wouldn't invest into it if your child is middle-school or older, but from what I've seen of it a very good kit.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#74

Post by andrepd »

bnycum wrote: post #73
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

My kid was selected into the robotics club this year, and they are using the Spike Prime kit. Seems like a decent set all things considered for younger kids. My child is in 5th grade and first year robotics. Probably wouldn't invest into it if your child is middle-school or older, but from what I've seen of it a very good kit.

Man I wish I had a robotics club growing up x)

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#76

Post by adastra22 »

pavon wrote: post #66
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

The Spike system seems like an odd side-step to me. There are some minor improvements, but not really enough to justify breaking compatibility and making people repurchase everything from scratch. In contrast, Mindstorms replaced the old LEGO/Logo system (which I was fortunate to use in high school), and was a big step forward in a number of ways most noticeably that you didn't have to be tethered to the computer.

> not really enough to justify breaking compatibility and making people repurchase everything from scratch

That’s LEGO’s game plan though X)

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#77

Post by zebnyc »

bnycum wrote: post #73
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

My kid was selected into the robotics club this year, and they are using the Spike Prime kit. Seems like a decent set all things considered for younger kids. My child is in 5th grade and first year robotics. Probably wouldn't invest into it if your child is middle-school or older, but from what I've seen of it a very good kit.

At what age is it appropriate? My kid is going to be 5 soon and loves playing with Legos. Thanks

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#78

Post by sleepybrett »

adastra22 wrote: post #76
pavon wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Spike system seems like an odd side-step to me. There are some minor improvements, but not really enough to justify breaking compatibility and making people repurchase everything from scratch. In contrast, Mindstorms replaced the old LEGO/Logo system (which I was fortunate to use in high school), and was a big step forward in a number of ways most noticeably that you didn't have to be tethered to the computer.

> not really enough to justify breaking compatibility and making people repurchase everything from scratch That’s LEGO’s game plan though X)

I don't know if thats true. Lego as a corporation has been fairly low on the fuckery index.

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#79

Post by sleepybrett »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #36

As others have noted, they still have an education focused robotics set, it’s just not called Mindstorms: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-education-spike-prim... As a now-successful robotics engineer, I was the target age when the first Lego mindstorms set came out. Due to the cost it had to be a combined birthday and Christmas present (still obviously very privileged). The simple scratch-like programming sys…

FYI if you want to get beefy on the compute side, they make a raspberry pi HAT for integration with the lego spike stuff: https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/build-hat/

Re: Lego Is Discontinuing Mindstorms

#80

Post by throwaway4837 »

Sad news. My dad got me Lego Mindstorms (the $200 original set) when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It was one of those toys that is so addicting, while also getting you exposed to science, engineering, and computers. I used it for a year and had my fun; I didn't think about it for years after, but it was probably why I ended up joining the Robotics Club in high school. Also probably why I picked up programming classes in college even though my major wasn't programming. I'm grateful to have been exposed to this wonderful, and limitless toy. I really hope the replacement product is as magical as this.
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