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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Picocalc done properly?

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dddns
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Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: Germany
Posts: 415
Posted: 01:33pm 13 May 2025
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This is the minimum size I'd suggest.
They even bigger question is the display.
 
robert.rozee
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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 2415
Posted: 01:40pm 13 May 2025
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  Gadgetguy said   [...] the game*mite: is that something that one can buy ready to go and that accepts an external keyboard? Can you please point me in the right direction?


see:
https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?FID=16&TID=16242
and
https://github.com/thwill1000/mmbasic-gamemite


cheers,
rob   :-)
 
Gadgetguy
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Joined: 26/04/2025
Location: France
Posts: 75
Posted: 01:44pm 13 May 2025
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  robert.rozee said  
  Gadgetguy said   [...] the game*mite: is that something that one can buy ready to go and that accepts an external keyboard? Can you please point me in the right direction?


see:
https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?FID=16&TID=16242
and
https://github.com/thwill1000/mmbasic-gamemite


cheers,
rob   :-)


Thank you - it seems no direct programming is possible: that is for me one of the most useful aspects. I like it though, very cool!
 
dddns
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Joined: 20/09/2024
Location: Germany
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Posted: 01:45pm 13 May 2025
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My E61 I own since 2005. So nice and so ugly to handle.
 
dddns
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Posted: 01:52pm 13 May 2025
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  Gadgetguy said  The more I learn about MMBasic, the more I wish we could buy the "Picocalc done properly" proposed by matherp.

Looking at the waitlist on the Clockworkpi forum it is very likely that there would be a healthy demand for it.

Is there any way to explore how to turn the great concept into reality please?

20k Worldwide?
 
Gadgetguy
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Joined: 26/04/2025
Location: France
Posts: 75
Posted: 02:11pm 13 May 2025
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  dddns said  
  Gadgetguy said  The more I learn about MMBasic, the more I wish we could buy the "Picocalc done properly" proposed by matherp.

Looking at the waitlist on the Clockworkpi forum it is very likely that there would be a healthy demand for it.

Is there any way to explore how to turn the great concept into reality please?

20k Worldwide?


Units? Not sure. A couple thousand? Likely
 
dddns
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Posted: 02:19pm 13 May 2025
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if it would be ported to mobile and enabling people to write a "app" for their device, it would be the greatest successor
 
Nimue

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Joined: 06/08/2020
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 03:09pm 13 May 2025
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  dddns said  if it would be ported to mobile and enabling people to write a "app" for their device, it would be the greatest successor


Followed this with interest so far.

The challenge I have personally, is that I "want" something like this to feed my inner 1980's kid play Hobbit on ZX Spectrum.  Hence I would pay £50 for it.  BUT I know in my heart that it would be purchased with enthusiasm, played with for 15mins and never then really used.  Like the PicoGeek USB thing - love the idea, used it compulsively for a while, now its in my parts drawer waiting for a genuine use-case.

The VGA / HDMI versions are super useful and fun to use - but in 90% of my use cases I still revert back to the original Picomite via TeraTerm.

I suspect there would be a market for a HDMI version in the form factors of something like the Pi400 or AcronElectron.  Something with a real keyboard, all in one type affair -- and there have been a number of projects shared here like that.  And in fariness I keep my eyes out for a mechanical keyboard deep enough so I could retro fit something.

Again, would pay £50 for something like that -- but still not sure it would be my "goto" solution.  Nice, feel good and a pleasure to use, but would it end up on a shelf?

All that said, if someone could clone a Casio scientific calculator where I can change the buttons to my own functions (as my wife is visually impaired) that would be a real commercial gold mine as the like for the visual impairment market is £XXX per calculator and they are still not up to purpose.
Entropy is not what it used to be
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4010
Posted: 04:23pm 13 May 2025
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  Gadgetguy said  it seems no direct programming is possible

It's running MMBasic. Needs a keyboard to do such programming.  A bigger screen looks desirable (for me).

John
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
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Posted: 04:25pm 13 May 2025
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  Gadgetguy said  
  dddns said  
  Gadgetguy said  The more I learn about MMBasic, the more I wish we could buy the "Picocalc done properly" proposed by matherp.

Looking at the waitlist on the Clockworkpi forum it is very likely that there would be a healthy demand for it.

Is there any way to explore how to turn the great concept into reality please?

20k Worldwide?


Units? Not sure. A couple thousand? Likely

I suspect no-one here wants to make or sell even 200 let alone 2000.

John
 
Gadgetguy
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Joined: 26/04/2025
Location: France
Posts: 75
Posted: 04:41pm 13 May 2025
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Yes, i see that. Its unfortunate that our chinese friends make all the sales with a unit that is clearly less performant vs the one proposed by Peter
 
PeteCotton

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Joined: 13/08/2020
Location: Canada
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Posted: 06:30am 14 May 2025
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  Nimue said  
  dddns said  I suspect there would be a market for a HDMI version in the form factors of something like the Pi400 or AcronElectron.  Something with a real keyboard, all in one type affair


Yeah - I think I agree with this. My problem with the calc format - is that I can't see anyone writing any sort of substantial program with those tiny keys. That's not to say it wouldn't sell a bucket load - just that I'm not sure what market it is filling.

One of the many ideas I've been toying with (and failing to make time for) is a proper desktop "calculator", like the HP 85. I think that would be brilliant. These guys were used a lot for interfacing to instrumentation - so maybe a sort of HP85/PLC hybrid that people can use for full blown I/O.



Let's face it - with the price of chips, you could have slot in "expansion cards" that each contain a PICO/ESP32 talking on a bus. If you want more digital I/O plug in a digital card. More analogue, then put in an analogue I/O card. A second monitor, plug in a CMM2 board that acts just like a graphics card. Storage - there's an expansion card for that.

Another thought (and this has zero practical use - just the challenge of doing it), would be a timeshared mainframe/mini. With multiple RS232 terminals hanging off a card.

Footnote added 2025-05-15 00:25 by PeteCotton
Footnote: Sorry - I screwed up the quotes tag on this one   My comment is the outer tag (not Nimue)
 
dddns
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Joined: 20/09/2024
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Posted: 06:52am 14 May 2025
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Oh Pete, you made my day. It's a beauty! :*

Again and again impressive to see, how advanced we were already in the 80's.

The question how good a device is to handle is the main criteria beside functionality if it stays and is accepted. In the 80's they already paid enormous attention to this aspect resulting e.g. in all the Ti calculators with brilliant keybaords and then Casio simplifying it but keeping or enhancing the usability. This is with me since 1985 and bound me so many hours at that time as it was soo! nice to handle:


I really have to change the batteries and see if it still comes up :) ..but I think so :))


Frankly speaking I'd say, this is still _up_to_date_ !!!
Edited 2025-05-14 17:00 by dddns
 
dddns
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Posted: 07:10am 14 May 2025
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Like there is this beautiful possibility with PCBs and they way you can have a very professional looking part in front of you in just some days is a nice aspect these days.

I think there is a similar chinese market for empty devices just as fabric.
So e.g. such a Casio design I _think_ is possible to let it be manufactured in a series of 1000 for like 50 "bucks"??

Can anybody clarify how reality looks like, has that someone done and looked into this?





Of cause it has a full screen editor :D
Edited 2025-05-14 18:10 by dddns
 
dddns
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Posted: 08:29am 14 May 2025
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I have never seen  it but seems to be another example of done properly

And this is artwork and can't be reached these days

This has the size of a 2,5" hdd + some cm

And because its artwork it was never really sold en mass

Have you seen Odroid's handheld? it has no chance!

PSP - no chance

Switch - much better because better SW espacially for kids

and to be precise: the Switch and its success together with Nintendo itself is not reasoned because its portable. That's only a side effect and to cover both markets. Same with Sony and PSP
Edited 2025-05-14 19:07 by dddns
 
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