Mindstorm

[natelite]

hi - not sure where to put this so i thought how about general discussion?

for those of you who got the mindstorm set, is there a review? how do you use the set? any creative ideas you have done with the set? do you think this would be a classic at some point or will it degenerate into a have-been?

thanks.

[gylman]

I was a fan of the old Mindstorms, but I have to say that I have not had even a hint of an urge to get NXT. I was excited when I first heard about it, but when the reality of backward incompatibility hit me, I decided to put my time elsewhere for now. Also, I hate the new motors.

Maybe once it has been around a year or two, some 3rd party libraries worked out for it that are reliable, compatibility issues partially addressed.... and I have 400$ I am not using for buying MISB castle sets....

I am worried, however, that if this line is unpopular it will spell the end of Lego's efforts in this area, which would be sad.

[ImperialJohn]

I first heard about it, but when the reality of backward incompatibility hit me, I decided to put my time elsewhere for now. Also, I hate the new motors.

The words take out of my mouth.

Seing the new NXT was such a dissapointment.

I am waiting for some good deals on the old one *sweet*

[Section8]

I was excited when I first heard about it, but when the reality of backward incompatibility hit me, I decided to put my time elsewhere for now.

Lego Education sells a old to new system cable, which lets you use the old sensors on the new system. I think it does a good job of meeting halfway between old and new. You can't use the new sensors on the old system (and if you could, why bother making a new system), but at least people who have both aren't left with completely useless sensors.

[gylman]

It's not the sensors. The sensors are actually the only good reason to get the NXT - they are far more capable than the old ones.

There is conversion cable, which will do motor and sensor, http://www.legoeducation.com/store/detail....6&pl=10&ID=1263

But..

-education does not ship to Canada (I have to go through 3rd party)

-$250 CDN for a kit with a bunch of useless crap and 3 cables (well, actually the rechargable battery is not useless crap, I admit).

-on backorder.

And 3 cables doesn't exactly solve my problem. Even if it did, I don't know that the NXT can drive 3 motor at the same time (someone on Lugnet said it could, but talk is cheap, while buying all this stuff most certainly is not).

I imagine someone will make custom cables one day, and sell them on bricklink and eBay. I can wait.

The other problem, as someone else said, although it's purely cosmetic, is that "it just doesn't look like Lego anymore".

I don't think bargain prices on classic Mindstorms sets are going to go down, frankly. They may even go up.