The mbed kit arrived! Here is my first impression (and some pics and vid):

The mbed is really, really different than any other development kit. Yes, you have the kit and the USB cable, but - where is the CD? Drivers? Development environment? Compiler? (Of course, BASIC Stamp doesn't need a compiler too.)

So I put the mbed into a breadboard and connect with PC by supplied cable. A few seconds of drama - and voila! mbed is connected as USB Mass Storage device (exactly like an USB Flash stick). Windows recognizes it like a new disc drive. There is a "shortcut HTML" file stored on it. You open this file, and you're redirected to mbed page.

On that page you have to register as an mbed owner (I suppose there is some kind of serial number posted over the net to validate you're a REAL owner), and finally you'll get the access to "mbed development area".

And again - I'm looking for "compiler to download". But the only thing I've found was COMPILER. Yes, ONLINE COMPILER! The whole IDE is online, working in your browser. It looks like this:

You can write the program, compile it - and you'll get the binary file to download. Just download it, put it into the "mbed disc drive" and press the RESET button on device. The mbed kit will start the last updated binary. Such simple it is!

And what you have to do if the internet is unaccessible? How to develop without a PC connected to web? Don't ask me, folks, just don't ask me! :)

But it's a really cool if you HAVE the PC and internet. I thinking if I should order the mbed baseboard... I'd like to, because mbed is really... bewitching!

Happy New Year!