Review on Kittenbot Card: A Compact and Microsoft Compatible Computer by Justin Bradford

I teach programming to children and young people. One of my students, a fifth grader, brought this to my attention and we had so much fun playing the online simulator that we both got boards. I'm so glad we made it! Menu in Chinese. You just need to download the downloader from Kittenbot website: cdn.kittenbot.cn It comes with a small battery and a plastic box. Most other listings of this product on Revain don't list the battery, but the price is about the same. The battery can be placed in the small rubber compartment on the back of the Meowbit. The whole thing is very polished for $40. You program them through the arcade.makecode.com website. This allows you to choose between block-level JavaScript, regular JavaScript, or Python. The user interface is similar to Scratch (both are based on Blockly, a block coding framework). The blocks are well organized and offer tremendous flexibility. There are also extension blocks that add deeper functionality. There is a system for creating pixel art, or you can choose from an excellent gallery. It seems to be aimed at students who have previously worked with Micro:Bit, another great microcontroller framework for students using the same platform and board profile. This means you can use Microbit breakout boards with Meowbit, adding a lot of flexibility and making it a potential (cheap) Arduino replacement in projects that also require a visual display and control buttons. The learning projects seem great and there are many. I've created some basic game shapes on it (Chase-It, Catcher, Flappy Bird) and found that I can create them in the usual way, which translates well into other languages. I also found that the device is responsive. The screen comes with a plastic cover. There is a small piece of tape in the corner that needs to be removed. This is normal, but I would probably recommend putting a plastic cover over the screen so you don't scratch or break the screen if you give it to a child. The rubber case seems strong enough to protect the board itself. I think Micro:Bit is the best platform to introduce physics and robotics to kids. However, these designs typically rely on simple programming structures (take input from a sensor, scale up, and send to an output). It's a great way to explore deeper programming concepts with a more console-based gameplay approach.