30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Robots that spark your imagination - In action video, Dec 20 2008
By Laurens Valk "MINDSTORMS NXT Author" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders: Ten Inventions to Spark Your Imagination (Paperback)
If you're interested in LEGO Mindstorms NXT, you should take a look at the robots in this video review. LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders has the building and programming instructions for these robots, and many more.
There are no parts needed other than those in the NXT kit, making this book the ideal expansion to your Mindstorms NXT set.
::IMPORTANT NOTE::
This book is written for the original LEGO Mindstorms NXT (#8527) set, and requires the LEGO parts from just this one kit.
As a result, it is NOT COMPATIBLE with the LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547) version which has a different selection of LEGO parts, and came out in 2009.
When we (the authors) wrote this book in 2007-2008, we were not even aware of a possible new version of the MINDSTORMS NXT system, the NXT 2.0 in this case. We couldn't anticipate on this new kit, so the robots in this book were simply designed for the NXT (#8527). Unfortunately, the difference isn't well advertised, and NXT 2.0 set owners buy this book. It turns out that this leads to negative reviews which do not review our book, but rate the unexpected difference between the LEGO kits.
Before you buy any LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT book, carefully check which kit version you have, by following the links in this review above. If you still have the paper box that the set came in, you can tell the difference between the kits as well. The older NXT box is mostly orange (and says 8527), and the new NXT 2.0 (8547) is mostly blue. Note that if you do have the MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0, you are still able to buy an appropriate book for the kit. Just search on Amazon and check whether the book title contains "NXT 2.0". If it does, get such a book with your NXT 2.0 kit.
If you have the MINDSTORMS NXT (8527) kit, get this book!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you have to choose one book to go with your NXT, get this book, Dec 5 2008
By Stan Walker - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders: Ten Inventions to Spark Your Imagination (Paperback)
I pre-ordered this as this book had a bike in it.
The book arrived on Thursday - way later than I expected. But it was worth the wait. And yes - it was the autonomous bike that my 11 year old boy built first - and suprisingly (given its complexity) without any adult help. It is such a cool bike that my son does not want to take it apart to build the Bobcat, self parking car and the dragster (which is the model you see on the front cover).
Any way - back to the book:
- Quality of models: very good seletion from easy to moderately hard
- Build Instructions: Extremely good - though it is black and white
- Programming instructions: OK - Might need some help with younger kids - but OK. It would be nice if the publisher had the programs downloadable - it is a bit of a drag following the steps for a 11 year old.
Overall, I love the models even from an adult point of view - a good combinations of machines and vehicles. The right balance of fun and learning through discovery. Only downside is it does not have any animals.
I never given a 5 star for a book before - but this one has earned it! Highly reccomended.
Stan
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but NOT for NXT 2.0, Sep 25 2009
By Keith McMillen "Rookie FLL Coach" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders: Ten Inventions to Spark Your Imagination (Paperback)
This does look like an interesting book with several great projects. I was intrigued enough to order it along with the NXT 2.0 set, based on the Amazon recommendation. This book uses parts that are not in the NXT 2.0 (especially gears). You can not build some of these projects with just the parts in the NXT 2.0 set. As a novice to these kits I didn't know enough about them to even consider the differences. Now I need to find the pieces that I need to actually build these projects, because they are too compelling to ignore. I like the book, just beware of the differences between the older NXT set and the newer NXT 2.0 set.