The new issue of The MagPi (number 64) seeks to be an electronics starter guide with explanation of the normal components and some simple projects to get you going. They even recommend the CamJam EduKits as a great way to get hold of the components, which is lovely, thanks folks! Also in the issue is a long tutorial on creating text adventures and a feature on the new Google AIY Projects: Vision kit which you can also read here.
Oddly, the AIY kit is currently only pre-orderable from MicroCenter, which is very strange as I thought this was a UK-published magazine, but what do I know? Oh, wait, apparently there will be worldwide availability from Spring 2018. That’s all right then.
You can read the new MagPi for free here or order a print copy/pick it up in newsagents.
Great issue! The MagPi #64 really nails it as a starter guide—simple explanations, hands-on projects, and shoutouts like the CamJam EduKits help lower the barrier for beginners. The text adventure tutorial is a cool nod to retro computing, and the Google AIY Vision Kit feature adds a nice modern twist.
That said, it’s funny to see the AIY kit tied to a U.S. retailer like MicroCenter, considering the MagPi is UK-based. Hopefully, the promised global availability smooths that out—accessibility matters, especially for educational tech.
On a different note, it’s interesting comparing this kind of maker-focused, entry-level computing to enterprise environments. I work with ProLiant DL360P servers—specifically the 12 Core 2.7GHz Xeon configurations https://serverorbit.com/pc-and-servers/proliant-dl360p/12-core-2-7ghz-xeon—and it’s a whole other world. In server rooms, we’re dealing with virtualization, uptime SLAs, and hardware redundancy. But at the end of the day, it’s all still electronics and computing, just scaled way up. The contrast highlights how wide the spectrum of tech really is—from breadboard projects to enterprise-grade servers, each plays its part.