I can think of a number of advantages the NerdKit has with regards to certain niches (think linux vs. Mac, or linux from scratch vs. Ubuntu if you prefer), but here's one: marketed in a certain way, a NerdKit is something a non-techie parent could buy and give to a kid as a gift. Gifting an Arduino properly would involve lots of educated shopping and research, and probably hand-holding after that.
I already have a Ph.D. in EE and even I don't have the time to choose the proper Arduino and read the basic docs and figure out what to do with the thing. [1]
And, though I love browsing Digikey or wandering the aisles at You-Do-It Electronics -- because I already know how -- such activity also takes a bunch of time, plus you end up either buying lots of extra stuff or risking that you will forget to buy something, or buy the wrong thing, and need to make one or more repeat trips. This risk is especially huge if you're new to electronics and don't already have several drawers full of miscellaneous capacitors and hookup wire and op amps and LEDs.
So I can definitely see the value here.
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[1] One of these days I will just pick some arbitrary project out of Make magazine and follow the little steps. Or perhaps I will buy a NerdKit!
Comments
I can think of a number of advantages the NerdKit has with regards to certain niches (think linux vs. Mac, or linux from scratch vs. Ubuntu if you prefer), but here's one: marketed in a certain way, a NerdKit is something a non-techie parent could buy and give to a kid as a gift. Gifting an Arduino properly would involve lots of educated shopping and research, and probably hand-holding after that.
I already have a Ph.D. in EE and even I don't have the time to choose the proper Arduino and read the basic docs and figure out what to do with the thing. [1]
And, though I love browsing Digikey or wandering the aisles at You-Do-It Electronics -- because I already know how -- such activity also takes a bunch of time, plus you end up either buying lots of extra stuff or risking that you will forget to buy something, or buy the wrong thing, and need to make one or more repeat trips. This risk is especially huge if you're new to electronics and don't already have several drawers full of miscellaneous capacitors and hookup wire and op amps and LEDs.
So I can definitely see the value here.
--
[1] One of these days I will just pick some arbitrary project out of Make magazine and follow the little steps. Or perhaps I will buy a NerdKit!