 With LEGO Mindstorms and your computer, you can build and program robots that do what you want. Airing on TV in 1998, this is the commercial that sparked my interest in robotics and programming. It's for the LEGO Mindstorms RCX Robotics Invention Kit, which a kid could use to build and program almost any kind of robot they could imagine. LEGO Mindstorms has been an enormous source of learning, fun and inspiration for millions of kids and adults. And if you don't believe me, just search for Mindstorms on YouTube to be blown away by some of the incredible things that people have built and programmed using these kits. And the LEGO Group has continued to update the Mindstorms platform over the years with RCX, NXT and finally EV3, the kit I'll be reviewing today. I know I'm three years late to the party, but this is still their flagship robotics kit and I wanted to see how it stacks up against new competitors like VEX IQ. That and Linus would only buy it if I made a video. So here we go. Corsair's ML fans feature magnetic levitation technology and custom engineered rotors to provide a high performance, low noise experience. Learn more at the link in the video description. Opening up the box we see a bunch of disposable bags full of LEGO pieces and no storage tray. The first generation of Mindstorms came with a storage tray, but ever since then only the educational versions have had them, which is a shame really. I consider it essential to have something like this for organization. How much would that have cost LEGO Group? Anyway, to complete your first mission, all you need to do is follow the characteristically excellent paper instruction booklet, which walks you through the first stage of building and running your first robot. You can drive it around with the included IR remote and it's preloaded with a demo that autonomously knocks tires around on the included testing mat. The paper instructions then prompt you to download the free EV3 programmer app, which is very easy to install and get started with. Other companies take note, kids and Terrans do not have the patience to wrestle with poorly designed software. And the EV3 software itself is actually fantastic. There's been a lot of development since Generations 1 and 2. Each of the 5 featured robots and the 12 additional robots come with instructions for building and programming. This involves the placing and modifying of programming blocks onto the programming canvas. You're introduced to motor control first, then loops, switches, variables, multitasking and functions, which are called MyBlocks. Following along with the step-by-step programming instructions is easy and the complexity of both the robot and the programming increases from one mission to the next. You are also given the option to load the finished programs for each mission. I'm glad that they did this, but it's a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's good if you want to double-check your own solution, but on the other hand, like answers at the bottom of a crossword, it makes cheating easy, potentially taking out a lot of the fun and learning. Again though, it's clear that a ton of research and development has gone into the EV3 software. When you modify variables, the icons change to match. When you add a sound or an on-screen image to your program, you get to hear or see a preview on your computer, which helps a lot if you need to debug a script. And each mission comes with a short video that shows you exactly what your robot will do if programmed successfully. This process can feel a little slow sometimes, but you're probably learning more than you think. The method of programming is quite simplistic. This is important to keep the barrier of entry low enough for kids, but it also results in a lower learning ceiling. Fortunately, there are several third-party options for programming the EV3 brick if you want more control and complexity. There are a few things I did not like about the EV3 software, worst of which was how it inexplicably crashed about five times during normal operation. They might want to look into that. So I'd give it a solid A-. Let's move on to the hardware. I was not impressed. In fact, I was pretty disappointed. The EV3 is, in many ways, a step backwards from the previous generation, NXT 2.0. First of all, the EV3 brain brick, which requires six AA batteries, takes at least 20 seconds to turn off and even longer to turn on. That's as long as my work computer. And Linus built that. Turns out the EV3 brain is literally booting a complete Linux OS. And this software bloat means that it needs more RAM and a better CPU than it otherwise would, which just drives up the price. Now there are many features on the EV3 brain that I do like, such as the SD card slot, the Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, and the RGB LED behind the buttons. But the EV3 actually comes with fewer sensors than the NXT 2.0. It's got a color sensor, just one touch sensor instead of two, and the ultrasonic sensor is replaced by the infrared sensor that pulls double duty as distance sensor and as receiver for the beacon. The infrared beacon, or remote control, has five buttons and a switch that can select one of four channels. The problem here is that there are only 11 possible ways to use these buttons, and the lack of joysticks means that there's no proportional control. And with the standard control scheme, if you want to control a third or fourth motor, you'll have to switch to another channel. But with only four total channels, you'd better hope that there are no other LEGO enthusiasts nearby with beacons of their own. Compared to radio control, infrared is awful anyway, with short range and frequent disconnections. The large EV3 motors, however, feature several welcome improvements, with attachment holes in positions that offer more build flexibility. They're even backwards compatible with NXT, which is pretty cool. The EV3 also comes with a new medium motor. It's weaker, so you won't use it to power a driveshaft, but its shape makes it better for attachments like arms and claws. I just wish that there were two of these included for the price. Let's talk about the rest of the pieces. Now, the most iconic LEGO piece is probably the two by four studded brick. This is classic LEGO, and it's easy and quick for kids to attach and detach while still ensuring a strong connection. So it may surprise you to learn that all the LEGO pieces in the EV3 kit are studless. They've been designed to be attached using pins and axles instead. It's great in theory because it allows for a predictable 8mm, 3-dimensional grid system. But here's the problem. When they removed the studs, they removed half the attachment points on a typical beam. So studless beams cannot be stacked on top of each other without extensive additional support. One solution would be a double or triple wide beam, but the LEGO group doesn't make any pieces like that. So they've effectively removed functionality that we used to have and never bothered to replace it. There's actually a lot of LEGO Technic pieces that really should exist, but don't. I even 3D modeled a bunch of them, and I sell them at cost on shapeways where people are still willing to pay unreasonable amounts of money to get them. Despite all of that, LEGO Mindstorms is still great, and it still plays an important role in getting kids interested in STEM fields. I just don't see the same enthusiasm as I do from the Technic and Power Functions teams, who continue to push the boundaries by releasing interesting and even insane sets like this one. But Mindstorms has just stagnated. And it's especially apparent when you look at the competition. VEX IQ came out several months before LEGO Mindstorms EV3, and the electronic hardware is objectively better in almost every single way, without compromising quality. Check out that video review over here. So here's the conclusion. People still ask me all the time if they should buy VEX IQ or Mindstorms. And I tell them, if you're more interested in robotics and programming, get VEX IQ. But if you're more interested in building and engineering, and you already have LEGO Technic pieces, Mindstorms, or Power Functions, is the better option. Ultimately though, the best robotics kit would be some miraculous fusion of VEX IQ inspired electronics and LEGO Technic pieces. I certainly hope that the LEGO group will step up their game for Mindstorms Generation 4. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks a lot for watching everyone. Give the video a like or a dislike, and get subscribed if you aren't already. Also you can buy some LTT merch or shop at Amazon using our affiliate link. And please, let us know in the comments below what your Mindstorms experience has been like. And have you tried the EV3? What did you think of it? And if you're looking for something else to watch, check out the aforementioned VEX IQ review for one of the best robotics kits on the market. Or check out my Mechanoid review for the absolute worst robotics kit on the market. And I'll see you next time.