Not easily impressed...

[Jonas]

After 1-wire could read multiple devices a friend of mine finally decided to try the pyboard. I had been talking about it for weeks, saying how great it is, the speed, SD-card, external interupts, timers, hardware quadrature, I2C, spi, adc, plenty of gpio's etc, etc.
He has many years of experience with C, C++ and Arduino, and he also knows Python. When he got his pyboard he quickly got together a nice project. But he is not impressed, saying he can't see what pyboard can do that arduino can't.
So, except for that it can be programmed in python, what would you say the advantages are for the pyboard compared to arduino, or any other microcontroller board for that matter?

[blmorris]

Let's see...
Interactive debugging via the REPL.
Python compiler on board, making for a completely self-contained development system.
Programs stored as plain-text python that can be read off the board and modified at a later time.

I don't know, but those are pretty big differentiators from Arduino for me.
-Bryan

[pythoncoder]

@Jonas I think you've answered your own question. As a piece of hardware, the Pyboard is but one excellently designed and engineered board amongst numerous others. Its differentiating feature is an implementation of Python specifically written for microcontrollers: if you don't care about Python then there's no particular reason to use this board. Despite having earned a living programming in C and C++ - albeit long ago - I'd rather program in Python any day. Mileage evidently varies.

[bmarkus]

Talking about Arduino, pyboard has a much higher specs hardware than Arduino boards. But the key differentiator is micropython as others already explained.

[photoacoustic]

Just to add "pyboard=python on chip". Very cool and powerful for rapid prototyping and more.
Best regards

[MarkHaysHarris777]

Greetings, I received my pyboard from adafruit this afternoon via courier (who tossed it up on the porch like the evening paper... ) its unceremonious arrival did not dampen my spirits, nor did it bring any harm to the board-- which has been powered up all afternoon|evening responding perfectly to my every python command; just as advertised.
Actually, I am very impressed. I am developing a generic calculator|computer platform for science data collection using the Intel Edison (currently prototyping with Sparkfun blocks). I plan to use the pyboard(s) as peripheral controllers (rather than Arduino controllers) because of the ease of python implementation and control. I was a little skeptical at first; but after several hours of playing with this little jewel I am very impressed. I do think its a 'tad' bit over-priced, but I'm reserving judgment on that for the moment. I have been an ardent fan of the Arduino boards for quite some time; however, python-on-a-chip is pretty spectacular really, might even be brilliant. I was a little disappointed that the headers are missing; used to them 'being' there as on the Arduino; however, it does hold the cost down, allows the user to add them or not, and allows for a *very* thin footprint (as well as small footprint) should the user wish to solder directly to the board with fine wiring. I plan to be very active on the forum and am interested in networking with other prototype developers, particularly those interested in cross-product projects... combining the pyboard with the edison, and|or arduino...

regards,

[dhylands]

I do think its a 'tad' bit over-priced, but I'm reserving judgment on that for the moment.

A significant portion of the cost is in the MCU itself. The cheapest board I've found with a STM32F405 on it is this one:
https://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/450

[pythoncoder]

@dhylands It may be cheaper but it's lower spec too.

@MarkHaysHarris777 I do think offering the board with headers as an option might bring sales to those afraid of the soldering iron. But do you offer male or female headers, or the ones with pins on the underside and sockets on the top? Given the board layout I'd go for (and use) sockets but others may disagree. But your point about the very low headroom of the standard board is valid and I wouldn't want to lose that option.

[pfalcon]

I do think its a 'tad' bit over-priced

I find it amusing that someone talks about Intel Edison and calls PyBoard "bit over-priced". Or did you mean that Intel Edison is over-priced? Because it's really funny that people take for granted that Intel hardware is expensive and exclude it from price comparisons. Otherwise, regarding PyBoard pricing I'd like to share few points:

1) At some point of bigger-vs-smaller CPU/MCU continuum, you don't get price reduction for going "smaller", i.e. having less features. For example, a small-ish Linux board may cost as much as "pumpy" microcontroller board. And the reason to go smaller is to have less power consumption and finer hardware control. That's exactly what PyBoard offers - while still providing high-level language so you can still do complex things in much smaller time.

2) I hope there're no naive people here and everyone understands that share of cost goes to the development and support of the MicroPython software. And that's actually the biggest value PyBoard offers - having a free, very lean interpreter (compiler too!) of very easy-to-learn, pleasant and powerful language. And software is the real complexity and real value of any computing system. And just consider that Intel for example doesn't invest into development of truly innovative software for Edison - there're loads of software already (most is a bloat, which translates to cost and energy required to run it). While PyBoard and MicroPython offers something truly innovative - ability to run real no-nonsense high-level language on as small as realistically possible hardware (which translates to running Python almost *everywhere*, as of course you can run it on bigger systems too). It's nice to hear people are amazed by PyBoard. You can be proud too if you bought it and supported this great idea.

[pfalcon]

@dhylands It may be cheaper but it's lower spec too.

@MarkHaysHarris777 I do think offering the board with headers as an option might bring sales to those afraid of the soldering iron. But do you offer male or female headers, or the ones with pins on the underside and sockets on the top?

+10. I'd suggest to go positive thinking and consider that PyBoard gives you a nice chance to get into habit of soldering small things yourself - the way you like them. Otherwise, wh fiddle with "development boards" at all, maybe shrink-wrapped robot toy with no wires sticking out would be better? I'm certainly grateful to Texas Instruments that their initial version of MSP430 LaunchPad board had no headers soldered. That was my second board after Arduino, and it prompted me to hint my wife that a soldering iron would be a nice Xmas present. I didn't hold a soldering iron in my hands for some 15 years, and soldered a header with much fun, putting an end to my child fears (well, because at that time not every schematic I soldered actually worked ) that soldering is "hard" and "can easily go wrong".

Then with 2nd version of Launchpad, TI went with pre-soldered headers. And know what? I of course "standardized" on female headers, like Arduino has. And new-version Launchpad went with male headers! I suddenly found that all my connector wires are of little use for it. And unlike soldering headers to a PCB, soldering a wire to a small connectors (which are really designed to be crimped) is very boring process. Moral: I could skip TI making decisions for me.