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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Kids react to a vintage computer
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Geoffg Guru  Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3165 |
Sometimes you do not realise how clunky a treasured piece of technology is until it is pointed out by someone who is new to it. In this hilarious video kids who were brought up on the smartphone are asked to operate an Apple II from the 70's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk They even have trouble turning it on, "very tedious" says one. "Where are the apps?" asks another. And their reaction to a floppy disk?... well you will just have to watch it. What made this even more poignant is that the Maximite emulates these same computers from the 70's. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
We are spoilt today, but who knows what we will have in another 40 years. Will there be a day when our computers have a direct interface to our brains? There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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kiiid Guru Joined: 11/05/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 671 |
Laugh or cry? This is the question... http://rittle.org -------------- |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Geoff, That was very entertaining.. Now I ask the question... Why are we trying to `emulate' these if kids dont like them? 
Of course us older kids do... that's why. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9066 |
There is an excellent series called ELECTRIC DREAMS on YouTube, where a family is stiprred of all their modern appliances, and have their house converted to 70's 80's and 90's era's and have to see how they cope. Madness is right we are spoilt for choice these days. ELECTRIC DREAMS - Part 1 ELECTRIC DREAMS - Part 2 ELECTRIC DREAMS - Part 3 Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
I see the same response with older people. :) The uMite gets the same treatment, until i connect a solid state relay to switch on a fan and a servo to direct the airflow. :) Then the interest starts. When i then change the direction with a keystroke (IR will be next) then i hear minds blowing. When i show the code, the realization sets in that they could make that too. I did something similar on my old trs-80 model 1 a long long time ago with just a few 74xx chips also in basic. Difference is that now it can be done for a few dollars and with much less electronics. Kids love servos, unfortunately not easy to control movements. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Hi Tz, I know what you mean, I have told a lot of my friends and they ALL say "What can you do with it?" and as I try to give a million ideas of what it CAN do they usually roll their eyes. Then I ask them "What can you do with a pencil and paper" then they usually start to understand a bit.. Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 3661 |
Isn't it great how far we've come in so short a time! Imagine taking someone from 200 years ago and telling them we go places using cars. "Where's the horse? Where are the reins?" There again, giving someone Windows results in "Why is it so inconsistent? Why does it keep freezing and crashing? What's all that anti-virus stuff? Why is it needed?" John |
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vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Some time ago I talked with a Romanian engineer (researcher) about Maximite. He was pleasantly surprised (because he is a senior, like us) but he is a hardware guy and a very practical one. So, he didn't understood the motivation behind Maximite apart of using it as a hobby... then he realized: "The seniors played with those before... so this must be it, the smell of youth." Joking a little, Maximite means nothing for children, unless it come with a FT800 interface and tokens like iOS application icons  as a starting screen. Then you can immerse them into BASIC. Or it isn't a joke ...Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
I watched the movie. Now I know how children will react to Maximite! Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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psergiu Regular Member  Joined: 09/02/2013 Location: United StatesPosts: 83 |
Watch the end of the movie, when they ask the kids if thy want such a computer. One of them says "yes". That's a potential Maximite user :) |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Back in the '80, there we had z80 based personal computers "amic", "PRAE", "HC85", "Cobra", and other romanian computers available in Clubs but very few children were there (only the smartest I will say). The majority had other activities (looking at those as freaks). The situation started to change before '94 (at least, in Romania) with IBM-PC with CGA cards and a lot of games. More and more children wanted a PC for games. The numbers increased as graphical capabilities and operability evolved. This is the truth and I don't think the situation will change. Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CorinneMeister/posts/NgCJDcLsy2 n Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2870 |
Vasi, Love it. Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1310 |
what he said 
Don... https://www.32v8.com/1 |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1211 |
Well I had a chat with the young guys at work today and told them about the maximite and uMite and got some interest from a couple of them. So looks like a couple to few more guys will soon be hooked...... |
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