Official Arduino Starter Kit [K000007] - 12 DIY Projects with Electronic Components & English Projects Book - Original Kit from Italy

This kit is awesome. I highly recommend this to anyone that has an interest in electronics and/or programming. While I am a seasoned programmer, I had no electronics experience prior to purchasing this kit. Recently I've found myself yearning to build electronic projects and figured this would be a good place to start given it's a fairly comprehensive starter kit. First, I'll start with the packaging. The packaging on this kit is very sexy, much like an Apple product. The design and style are simple and beautiful, the various items included in the kit are all nicely packaged in their individual boxes, and everything fits together very nicely. The unboxing feels like an experience. I realize some people may not care about the packaging, but if you're considering giving this kit as a gift, it makes a difference and will have an impact. As far as all the components included in the kit, I'm not an expert but it feels like a great starter kit and has a lot of very useful components in it, as well as lots of goodies and extras. There's enough in this kit to tackle a lot of projects and it feels like a solid base to start from. Some people have mentioned that you can purchase all these components cheaper if you source them out individually. I highly doubt the hours one would waste tracking down everything individually would justify the savings. After all this kit is not terribly expensive for what you get. Not to mention, one of the best things in this kit is the book. It's got lots of great projects in it that teach you both electronics and programming in the process. It's well written and easy to understand, even for a novice to electronics such as myself. As a programmer I do have to speak to the programming side of the book which in my opinion could be a bit more detailed for those who do not have experience with programming. That said, it's better than average and I do feel you'll learn to code in the process of going thru these projects. Overall, it feels like a well thought out and thurough course, with each chapter building on the next. In sum, this kit is really fun. I have no hesitation recommending this product. I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it, have a lot of fun, and learn some things in the process. This kit would make a fantastic gift for anyone interested in programming and/or electronics, and would also be a great thing for parents/grandparents and their kids to do together.

This kit by Arduino is aimed at an audience that has little to no electronics or programing knowledge, so it is a nice, easy and practical way to get started. It does a good job of introducing both electronics and programing. The Arduino programming interface is pretty basic, but gets the job done. The programing interface contains the code for each project in this kit, which is a definite plus. It would have been nice if the programing software had come with the kit on a disk, but it is easily available for download. I would also recommend following the getting started instructions from the Arduino web site as it has some picture links to help with the non standard driver installation. For the programmers out there, a simple search will lead you to a Visual Studio add on that gives you the extra features of a full IDE with intellisense support. There is a beta version of a debugger that is also looking pretty good. As already noted by other reviewers, the print in the book is a bit small, and the mounting board seems a bit sketchy. Since the Arduino Uno doesn't come with any kind of base, something is much better than nothing unless you want to solder up a prototyping shield. I put four small rubber feet on the bottom of my Uno before snugging it to the supplied base. Be careful when tightening down the screws as there is nothing between the wood base and the soldered component ends on the bottom of the Uno. Even with the rubber feet I used to keep it off the wood, over tightening will flex the board. Overall, this is a fun and educational kit. It has you up and doing things in very little time while still teaching the basics. In my opinion, the activities are much better than just learning different ways to blink an LED like my other kit. For me, fun projects always make learning go faster. After finishing the projects in this kit, you should have a basic grasp of how things work and have a foundation for moving on in the world of electronics and micro controllers.

I just received this kit, so of course I'm writing this as someone who hasn't gone through the projects. I will update this review as soon as I get a more direct experience with the projects and test the performance of the different parts and components. The packaging is really nice; everything comes laid out very nicely, making the mere unboxing of the kit a nice experience. Hopefully the projects will be just as nice and all the components will work correctly. Price was very reasonable as well. Update: It's now more than a week since I received this package and I have now more hands-on experience than I had when I wrote the first part of the review. I've gone through the first three projects, and plan to go through a few more soon. I have to say than it's all been a great experience so far. I haven't encountered any defectuous components, and the book is clear enough to follow and go through the projects easily and to learn the basics of the Arduino language. The book is also very nice: while it doesn't teach electronics nor programming in a complete or thorough way, it does help in developing the interest in these areas and provides simple solutions and tips to develop electronics knowledge. It serves as an introduction, so if the user decides he/she wants to continue learning electronics or programming he/she can look for more advanced sources. The wooden base the kit includes was one of the best surprises: I was thinking about getting an acrylic case for my Arduino but after screwing it to the base and attaching the breadboard at its side I've decided it looks very nice like that and will keep it that way. To conclude, I would greatly recommend anyone with no experience but with an interest in the areas of programming and electronics to get this kit, since it represents a very enjoyable introduction to these areas. Also, it can be a great gift to a kid who wants to learn or become an engineer, so I also recommend it to any parent who believes his kid is developing an interest. Learning Arduino is fun and also has educational content, so there is no way to be wrong with this.

An excellent way to start with electronic prototyping and learning to code. The starter kit comes with all you need to get going and has a nice book that walks you through everything, step by step. Fifteen projects are included with this book and each project builds off the last and introduces you to two or three new components and programming language. The book does a pretty good job of explaining what the code does but leaves out some of the finer details of each command so you're not feeling overwhelmed. I'd highly suggest doing a project then hopping on the Arduino website and check their language reference guide for the complete details of the command you just learned. The book is good quality (Well, I've found two minor typos but now I'm just nitpicking), the components are decent in that they aren't chinese factory floor sweepings, the shorter jumper wires are great at making your breadboard tidy so it's easy to see what goes where, the kit all around is great and I've been having a blast with it. I'd recommend getting two little cheap things just for a slight quality of life improvement with this set.. They aren't required but they will just make your life a little easier. Buy some extra jumper wires with solid tip pin connectors crimped on the end. The jumpers that come with the set are just bare wire on the ends and aren't stranded so they aren't very flexible. I was worried that I might create a short when I had a bunch of things plugged in to adjacent pins on the Arduino. Also the long jumpers that come with the set are a little on the short side. Secondly, pick up another 9v battery snap. The one that comes with the kit is fine, but the wires don't have connector pins on them and the leads are so thin that it's a nightmare to strip the wires for a little extra breathing room. Still, the kit is great and has all you need! This set is a little more expensive then the other arduino-clone starter kits but everything is great quality. Lots of love when into creating the board, the program, the book, and the projects. Buy a genuine Arduino for your first board to support the Arduino project. If you get the Arduino bug and want to buy more boards then the clone boards are a cheaper option but your first board really should be genuine. Just my two cents. I'm not your real dad. I can't tell you what to do.

I had been debating buying an Arduino kit for a while and I was back and forth about whether or not to spend the $99 on this kit or get one of the third-party kits for half the price. I ultimately decided to get this one because it's the "official" one from Arduino and I figured if there was any problems with it, I would have their tech support / customer service available. The first thing that I noticed with the kit is how well it was packaged and organized; even though it's a beginner's kit, everything had a lot of though put into it. I really liked the balsa wood platform that you attach the Uno and breadboard to, it not only provides a convenient base for everything, but also gives the electronics a little bit more protection in my opinion.All the little extras like the cardboard "panels" and wooden holders for the colored gels are nice as well, especially if you are going to be using this kit to instruct children. I've only worked through about half of the projects so far, but the book is very good at explaining concepts and expanding on previous projects. I have some previous programming experience with C and JavaScript, so picking up on the conventions and syntax used in the programming portion was pretty intuitive for me, but also is explained well enough for someone with little to know programming experience. They also include all the sketches (program code) in the Arduino IDE when you download it, so if you don't want to or aren't that interested in the programming side of things, you can just open the files that are in the book. As far as the physical portion goes, the book included both a pictorial diagram of the Arduino/breadboard and connections, as well as electrical schematics to help you understand how everything is wired and learn how to visualize circuits to help you build them in the future. Overall I think that I made the wise choice in getting this kit over a cheaper version just based on all the little extras and the great organization of the kit and I would recommend this to anyone looking to get started with Arduino and physical computing.

If you're looking to get started with Arduino, this is the kit for you! I did a lot of research on starter kits before deciding to purchase this one. It's one of the pricier kits out there, but it's totally worth it. When the box arrives, the components are organized and packed into clearly labeled boxes. Everything is pretty easy to locate and everything the website mentions is included. Be aware that this kit does not come it a 9v battery which is required in a few of the starter projects. I've already worked through most of the projects in the starter guide and everything worked accordingly. Some reviewers complain that the instructions in the starter guide are unclear and hard to read. The font is pretty small and gray colored, but anyone with decent vision should be able to read it with no problem. As to the clarity of the information itself, the guide is very clear about what goes where on the breadboard and also explains basic concepts of electricity such as Ohms Law. Don't expect to pass the AP Physics electricity and magnetism test based on this guide, but it is sufficient to get you started. I really like that they have the written code at the end of each section with commentary on the logic of each line of code. If you don't feel like typing the code out line by line, the Arduino software comes with code for all the starter projects under file > examples. Overall, this kit is a great way to introduce Arduino to kids 10+ and adults who want to start tinkering with Arduino. Get the official starter kit and you won't regret it!

BOTTOM LINE: Anyone interested in computers/programming/electricity/robotics will get hours of enjoyment/education from this great little kit. I've been trying to find a new hobby lately and happened to stumble across the Arduino. I've always enjoyed programming and I vaguely recall taking a couple physics classes at the university, so I figured it was worth a shot. I opened the box and fell in love within minutes. The kit includes tons of little parts and connectors for a variety of projects. The included instruction/project book moves at a very good pace, balancing learning the basics with opening a new concept or two through each project, building upon previous lessons as you go. There enough parts to complete the varied projects included and then go create your own without investing in a ton of new parts. The included parts all came in pristine condition and seem to be of good quality. The programming language is well documented and explained throughout each example. The book doesn't attempt to be an encyclopedia of C++ syntax but will give you enough to get started. Only issue I've got with the instruction booklet is that the electrical concepts are not always well-explained for those of us who didn't keep our notes from Physics 101. A little outside research fills in the gaps quickly, however. Included breadboard has a few holes (mostly toward the top/bottom) that are pretty difficult to insert wire into and require a lot of force. Most are okay and replacement breadboards are cheap if it becomes too much of an issue. All in all, this is a great hands-on way to start down the road to any manner of lofty ambitions; personally, I'm looking forward to building my first basic robot here shortly.

While there are a lot of start kits out there and you can no doubt buy a much cheaper Arduino, this is still the best intro to a technology kit I have ever used. Now I went into this with a over 10 years using PIC microcontrollers and decided to jump on the Arduino bandwagon because there is just so much support for it compared to the PIC (which is still a great chip). This kit comes with an official Arduino board so it financially helps support this massive open source environment, basically good for all of us. Far more important, the kit includes a little bit of everything most hobbyists and even pro's to get a fast jump start in the Arduino, it covers input from joy sticks, buttons, sensors, outputs to things like LCD displays, speakers, LED's, Servo and Stepper motors. There is 5 years experience packed in to this kit and should give anyone from a novice first time person to a seasoned microcontroller pro a fast start into the Arduino and as I noted, really covered the basics in just about everything you'll need for most projects. While I have a reasonable electronics and programming background I must say that you could go without even the skills to set the clock on a VCR and still run with this just fine, the projects are fully supported with code already written, there is no need to understand a diode from a resister, and no need to solder, it even comes with a slice of breadboard big enough to handle every project in the book that comes with it.

Arduino Starter Kit is amazing microcontroller for beginners. All the electrical components are included in the packet for projects. I liked the projects and programming environment both. The starter kit gives a good hold to understand execution of electronic projects. Sooner or later intermediate and advanced kits may be available - I will definitely like to buy them. Update on 3rd October 2015: I have placed another order. The 170 page manual is printed on good quality paper - the reading experience was good. I prefer to have a pdf file - I am unable to obtain it online. Could I get a link to download ?

I like it very much

High quality packaging and products within. To definitely get your moneys worth on this one. With the book included it makes it nice and easy to follow and outlines the fundamental basics of how and why the product is used. For me the book is the reason for the high review. It is of a high quality. Very detailed and down to the basic level. First project in parallel circuit. Takes a litttle while for me as I have sausage fingers. So placing the wires can be fiddley. Only gripe was the box was a little torn. So I’ve had to repair with some tape. But hey that’s life and it’s only a box. I have seen reviews online about the starter book being wrong with technical data but I’ve yet to notice them. My education level is of HNC in mechanical engineering (UK) I work in a mechanical/electrical maintenance job. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn some electronics and code.

Estoy muy feliz con mi nuevo Arduino todo llego en excelentes condiciones, y en cuanto costo calidad se ve que se han esforzado por mejorar el kit y por darnos una gran experiencia por nuestro dinero, probablemente hay placas mas baratas y que ofrecen mas cosas, pero sin duda me quedo con esta, ya que hay mucha informacion y documentacion ademas de los libros de actividades que trae, y sobre todo apoyar a un proyecto tan maravilloso como es arduino.

This was used as part of a model tank kit and it was perfect as a track controller.