Is The Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Worth The Price Tag?

If you have the money and the passion for building Lego robots, then the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is the best investment in a collectible toy that you can make today. At approximately $280 exclusive of shipping and handling fees, you will find that the price is well worth the features available with this latest do-it-yourself robot from the world-famous building block brand.

If you will remember, the Mindstorms kit was first released in 1998 although the first NXT robot in the series was made commercially available only in 2006. This second version of the NXT series - thus, the 2.0 designation - was released in August 2009, which means that Lego engineers and designers had plenty of time to make significant improvements. And it is these improvements that have made for new fans for the NXT 2.0 today.

Let's start with the NXT brick, which serves as the brain and the heart of the robot kit. You will find that it features the four sensor inputs and three motor outputs, all of which make the robot move, feel, see and speak. Many users have praised the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 for such an intelligent and intuitive design to its physical and logical structure.

However, you may find that the NXT brick is on the chunky side that requires 6 AA batteries to operate. Batteries are not included in the package such that if you forget to order one along with the robot kit, running to the nearest convenience store is a possibility. You will find that its easy connectivity to your computer via USB and Bluetooth more than makes up for such an oversight.

If you are on a first-time acquaintance basis with the NXT series and with little experience in building robots from scratch, you can become addicted to the activity. You have the benefit of building four Quick Start robots using the detailed instructions on the user guide, said robots of which are the following:

* Alpha Rex as the humanoid robot that can perform human actions like walk, dance and detect color

* Shooterbot is a good ball shooter on tracks

* Robogator that looks like an alligator with movements like lunging and snapping at humans

* Color Sorter can sort the colored balls into different locations

And just like all things Lego, the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 has a cult following of its own. You can find numerous websites as well as the official website itself where instructions for other types of robots using the NXT 2.0 can be had for free.

You can find DIY projects for building your own robots, which you can then also post to these sites for the benefit of other enthusiasts. Your choices are virtually endless especially when parts can be bought to add to the original Lego parts. You also get bragging rights that, in the Lego Mindstorms community, is a badge of honor.

The conclusion reached by most consumers of the Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is that it is an interactive, intelligent and intuitive robot kit that can be the start of an engineering career for your kids. Yes, the price for such a toy can boggle the pockets but when the benefits to your kids' mind and enjoyment are added, it all makes perfect sense.

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