As computers have gotten more complicated they have become more difficult to understand. Today we have different tools than children playing with Legos did. We have cheap computers and free software, and it is more important than ever to give people a way in; to be ready for the future. That is why Kano built a DIY computer building kit with the Pi. An office in London, with employees from over six different countries decided to take on a very important task. They took inspiration from actual children who want the amazing Raspberry Pi to be as simple and fun as Legos. They are trying to make the Pi user-friendly enough that anyone can benefit from it by building, creating and learning. It doesn't stop at children, adults need some place to start as well. The reason why Kano is so versatile and easy-to-approach is because learning does not require an age.

 

By now most people know that the Raspberry Pi has made a huge mark in the maker community, so much that humans cannot help but be ultimately fascinated by the hand-held thing. There is no reason not to be, the Pi has opened up limitless opportunities for all makers, educators, artists, computer enthusiasts and the like. But there is no way to actually get into the Pi and create what we want. It is just like staring a laptop in the face and wondering how it got there. Did you know “The Raspberry Pi for Dummies” guide is 400 pages long? A simple and fun way to start would be nice. And that is why Kano decided to incorporate three principles: “simple steps, story telling, physical computing and tying them all together as a play”, providing a learning experience for time to come. The play part is more than just building by the way, you can code games like Snake and Pong, dive into command line and investigate, hack games like Minecraft and more! Physically plugging in the pieces, building and getting that sense of creating your very own computer can be very rewarding. That is why Kano's Kickstarter campaign has reached over 5,000 backers and a dollar amount more than seven times its original pledge.

 

So after one year of the Kano colleagues building and simplifying, the bare-bones piece of Pi now look a bit different. The Pi itself still remains, but with a new colorful keyboard, build-able case, cables and easy-to-use Kano operating system are packed to get kids (or anyone) coding quickly. The manual is far from 400 pages, its only a few, and is so user friendly that within roughly an hour an actual computer can be built. The Kano Kit includes a guide book (available in English, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin), the Kano OS on an SD card, a speaker, keyboard, case and the cables. All of this for about 90 dollars. The world is far more than ready to be tech savvy, even starting at a very young age. It gives them the chance to understand and manipulate technology rather than just constantly using it. Looking back and saying “wow I just build that on my own?”, is what Kano is all about. Learning has begun, a new type of skill has begun and it “gives you the tools to create, and the mindset to think that this was once closed, but it's now open”.