Another one of my Kickstarter campaigns, this time the Maximite BBX BASIC Language Computer, recently completed and was successful. I knew this would be a tough one so I ran it for 60 days instead of the normal 30. The project is based on the open source Maximite Computer design by Geoff Graham. My main goal was to create a beginner's book on programming in the old fashion BASIC language that I learned programming with and see if there was enough interest in the idea. I needed 100 backers to basically break-even on the project and 100 is what I got.

The Maximite is a great platform for the book and no computer is needed if you have the Maximite. It is the computer. There are existing Maximite boards and kits available but I wanted a complete package with a plastic or wood case to protect the electronics from young hands but also allow access to the Arduino headers and Electrical ports for expansion. These I/O features allow me the chance to introduce embedded style programming as well.

Thankfully the project was successful and now I'm working with some of the suppliers to deliver the rewards and the biggest task is finishing the book/manual. In it I introduce programming at the entry level and then expand it out with a several key projects. If this goes over well then I can follow-up with more project style books. I'm looking at open sourcing a lot of the info so others can share in the fun.

Some may say this is a waste of time because there is Arduino and Raspberry PI that can do a lot more. But typically "Lot More" also means "Lot More" complicated. And since I'm all about the beginner, I feel starting with the BASIC language is still one of the best paths to success. There are also a lot of people trying to recreate this BASIC style programming on the Raspberry PI so why not have a dedicated option.

I also know there are a lot of "old timers" like me who still appreciate the old style BASIC programming and the Maximite BBX brings that back with a modern twist. I already have a separate website setup for the Maximite BBX which I plan to link in to this site's menu and then expand it for the future. Stay tuned for more info about the BBX in the future.

It's already the 4th and I'm just now getting a chance to blog. I've been working on gathering all the parts for my successful Demo-Shield kickstarter project while at the same time working on my next one. I'm excited about the new one so stay tuned, I'll be announcing here first in a future post.

Fulfilling all the rewards for a successful kickstarter is a lot of work. They don't exactly organize things well (though they think they do). I wish they would just switch to Paypal for payments, then creating shipping labels would be a few click process. Right now you have to get your money from Amazon Payments, then send out a survey to backers so they can fill out their address, then download each different .csv file for each reward level and cut and paste the address or retype it into a USPS.com shipping label form. For a technology company that's leading edge of crowdfunding, they are really behind the times. 

I was able to ...

My Demo-Shield kickstarter project hit my funding goal in less than 7 days. This is my 3rd successful kickstarter project and I've been asked by many people what is the secret to success on kickstarter. Before I get into that I first want to offer thanks to all the Demo-Shield supporters who visit my blog and have helped the project cross that important minimum funding goal. If a project doesn't meet that goal, I don't get funded and the supporters don't get their rewards.

The early success shows there is interest for the updated design Demo-Shield. This also shows that a unique design like this may not be a high volume product Sparkfun or Adafruit company would want to carry but it is something that a niche number of people find useful. 

It also shows that if you price your project correctly, you can be successful. I see too many people ask for way too much money.

I've backed several projects on kickstarter to support other

Just launched my latest Kickstarter project. Its for the next generation Demo-Shield. When we took over Howtronics.com we ended up with the design files for many of the CHIPINO shields. The Demo-Shield needed an update so I went to work. But would there be interest in it was the unknown.

So that is where Kickstarter is great. People vote with their wallet and get a early bird deal in the process. I designed the new version to eliminate the jumpers for disconnecting components. I've used the original Demo-Shield for years and never once had to remove one so I designed those out. I also brought it up to date with UNO style headers with the extra pins.

Check it out and determine if you'd like to see this product become more than a prototype. I use the original one often for teaching beginners programming so I hope it's a successful campaign.