Not useful
I was hoping to learn more about NXT-G. I didn't. There is nothing in this book that is not in the online help files that come with the software. There are a number of errors. The X/Y coordinate system on page 188 in wrong, half of the time in the discussion of the logic block he calls it the compare block. It expected much more from this book. In the discussion of the logic block he shows how to evaluate 2 things. That is very simple and covered in the on-line notes. He doesn't explain how to compare 3 things or 4 things. This is actually tricky to figure out. I did but an example in the book would have saved me a lot of time. As you know my now, telling the bot to turn 90 degrees will not turn the bot 90 degrees. He notes that--in the appendix--but doesn't tell you how to get accurate results. That would have been useful. It would have been useful if the author had shown how add to the number in a variable block. This is useful if you want your bot to keep a running tally of something, like keeping score. There are many more examples I could site but this will do. I did, however, discover some very useful tips in The Lego Mindsotrms NXT Idea Book. That book too has its flaws but is worth the money unlike this book.
Great resource for NXT-G programming
This book covers a lot of ground on NXT-G programming and is a must have resource for anyone serious about programming in NXT-G as the on line help included with the NXT set is not adequate.
As a professional programmer and a robotics hobbyist, I would recommend that anyone wanting to bring out the full potential of their NXT creations move to a text based language like Robot-C instead. While NXT-G is good for simple programs, it is just to difficult to create anything of any complexity as the graphical elements and all those connecting lines distract you from what you are trying to accomplish.
I am giving this book 5 stars because it does well at what it is, a reference / guide to the NXT-G programming language. It is NXT-G itself that I would only give 2 stars.
Great Book!
We bought this book for our nine year old son who had recently received the Mindstorms NXT for Christmas. He could not put the book down - read it from cover to cover and thinks it is a great book. Highly recommend.
Lego Mindstorms NXT_G Programming Guide
When it comes to wanting to do Lego Mindstorm NXT-G, this is the first book you should get. The book shows the reader what different blocks are and how they work. The book also reads in terms that middle school students can understand and follow. Programming is the most difficult item that you have to do with a roboit. This book shows is a great resource for people that are in to lego roboits.
The Best, Most Complete Guide to NXT-G
There's no other book out there that covers the NXT-G programming language. Jim Kelly covers the subject thoroughly, in a clear, friendly and encouraging style.
The book not only covers NXT-G, it's also a primer on what programming is and how it works. With this book, teachers, students and beginners will have everything they need to understand how NXT-G works and how to use it. Advanced users will learn a thing or two as well, particularly with respect to some of the lesser known blocks within the NXT-G program.
(6 reviews)
