3 ms·

If there is enough of this era software running around, it might make sense to make an esp32 laptop with a 7” screen, running a DOS emulator. Bonus if we could

by K0balt 2y ago

If there is enough of this era software running around, it might make sense to make an esp32 laptop with a 7” screen, running a DOS emulator. Bonus if we could do it on a riscV variant. Set it up with a few hundred educational titles, Qbasic, WordPerfect or Ms Works, and an assortment of other programs including old DOS games (and a parental controls) with a launcher menu. Give it a basic postscript printer driver and a microSD slot for future expansion, a gopher client and a mud client, maybe access to a couple other legacy protocols but no standard web access so it won’t work as a media consumption device or social media outside of things like (AI?) moderated MUDs or chatrooms. You’d want a python or JavaScript interpreter and a simple file manager. Also perhaps an interface to Wikipedia and a telnet type interface to a chatbot API for local or commercial models. It runs a little against my grain, but perhaps to enable the network Stuff It would need a PPPOE connection to a gateway so that users could be registered and controlled to remove bad actors : tied to chip ID for a “secured area” that parents could opt in to ? iDK, online safety is a tough problem for children. Maybe there is a better solution than total AI surveillance and access controls, but how would you keep bad actors out? Or maybe just not offer any online functionality at all, except maybe a Bluetooth proximity based link to other machines to enable LAN parties? Something like that would make a pretty great kids computer that could give them access to a complete k-6 education and much deeper computer skills than the current host of consumption oriented devices.

philips 2y ago
I love this idea. There are some weird things showing up on Aliexpress but are limited in various ways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bODiZ5bP84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bODiZ5bP84 It does seem like emulation is the way.
- K0balt 2y ago
  Something like that would BOM at about $30usd as an assembled board with a 128gb SD card. A 3d printed case maybe another $30 with key caps. If it became popular it could wholesale for $29 in injection molded batch production. I could see it at $69 retail. At that price it could compete favorably with other “laptop” toys, but with vastly more depth. I guess the real question is whether you could find enough of the software for free, or even maybe to a parental managed App Store with legacy stuff selling for <5 so that rights holders would get something? Is dos 6 or windows3.11 open source yet? Qbasic? I could see a toy company doing something like this profitably, especially with an App Store model, but it would be niche to parents who are actively taking responsibility about what goes into their kids education, so that would limit the market quite a bit. I still think it’s a big market though, I mean, educational toys are definitely a segment. If it was well built it could last a kid for quite a few years. Might have to make it water resistant though, so conformal coating and add $20 to the build. Still less than $100 retail I think. I would buy it at that. But I’m probably not a good sample.
anthk 2y ago
I'd put a Forth interpreter under an esp32 laptop with some disk additions: https://github.com/howerj/ffs https://github.com/howerj/ffs I learn with DOS an such under Elementary. So, kids today can do the same. No, no Subleq, but: - 32MB disk - 256-1MB RAM - 64x16 screen - Forth block interface and prompt - Printing? Basic PostScript can be set fast from Forth. No internet, just Forth. The basic of loops, and even basic 'algebra' with the 'fruit balancing puzzle'. Games? Sokoban under Forth, with a few blocks wasted with code and levels. It would fit under 110KB. 'Adventure' (Collosal Cave) fits under 150KB. Tetris, the same. Gopher? Ok, doable, even a basic Gopher client too; I'm doing one with JimTCL, and in Forth with a proper stack I'd set one menu based such as: 1 item 2 bar bla bla 3 baz Enter the number, you enter the link. Easy, no issues. If you can code a Gopher client, a MUD one it's almost at ease.

by K0balt 2y ago

philips 2y ago

I love this idea. There are some weird things showing up on Aliexpress but are limited in various ways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bODiZ5bP84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bODiZ5bP84 It does seem like emulation is the way.

K0balt 2y ago
Something like that would BOM at about $30usd as an assembled board with a 128gb SD card. A 3d printed case maybe another $30 with key caps. If it became popular it could wholesale for $29 in injection molded batch production. I could see it at $69 retail. At that price it could compete favorably with other “laptop” toys, but with vastly more depth. I guess the real question is whether you could find enough of the software for free, or even maybe to a parental managed App Store with legacy stuff selling for <5 so that rights holders would get something? Is dos 6 or windows3.11 open source yet? Qbasic? I could see a toy company doing something like this profitably, especially with an App Store model, but it would be niche to parents who are actively taking responsibility about what goes into their kids education, so that would limit the market quite a bit. I still think it’s a big market though, I mean, educational toys are definitely a segment. If it was well built it could last a kid for quite a few years. Might have to make it water resistant though, so conformal coating and add $20 to the build. Still less than $100 retail I think. I would buy it at that. But I’m probably not a good sample.

anthk 2y ago

I'd put a Forth interpreter under an esp32 laptop with some disk additions: https://github.com/howerj/ffs https://github.com/howerj/ffs I learn with DOS an such under Elementary. So, kids today can do the same. No, no Subleq, but: - 32MB disk - 256-1MB RAM - 64x16 screen - Forth block interface and prompt - Printing? Basic PostScript can be set fast from Forth. No internet, just Forth. The basic of loops, and even basic 'algebra' with the 'fruit balancing puzzle'. Games? Sokoban under Forth, with a few blocks wasted with code and levels. It would fit under 110KB. 'Adventure' (Collosal Cave) fits under 150KB. Tetris, the same. Gopher? Ok, doable, even a basic Gopher client too; I'm doing one with JimTCL, and in Forth with a proper stack I'd set one menu based such as: 1 item 2 bar bla bla 3 baz Enter the number, you enter the link. Easy, no issues. If you can code a Gopher client, a MUD one it's almost at ease.