[snek_case]

Why can't the widgets connect to a Raspberry Pi using USB ports? Using plain old USB ports as a connector is a downgrade in terms of aesthetics, but it's a massive upgrade in terms of reusability and versatility. All of a sudden, you can connect your sensors to laptops, PCs and Raspberry Pis alike. You can already get a webcam on eBay for $6. You could design any sensor and actuator to have a USB interface.

Don't get me wrong, like I said, USB devices would look less cute and tidy than the Pockit, and the Pockit is a great achievement, but USB devices truly are more simple and versatile.

[h0l0cube]

Low friction. Lowering the entry point at which someone can fashion a device to their needs means you have a much bigger market. Approachability is exactly why iPhone succeeded where stylus driven PDAs failed. Something like Pockit makes custom hardware more approachable to a wider audience. Maybe with Pockit, R-Pi might even have its iPhone-like killer app to take it from a niche/techinical crowd into regular consumers hands?

[vidarh]

The aesthetics is an important factor. I'd pay far more for something like Pockit than for a bunch of components hanging off a Pi with no coherent design.

[snek_case]

You can use a 3D printer to print a case that fits all the components and makes it look however you want. You're also not restricted to having your USB devices be right next to the Pi's board. It's just more flexible.

Another thing to consider is that the connection to the blocks on the Pockit might be fragile. If you push that button/joystick too hard or bump something, it could easily disconnect.

[vidarh]

I could. That requires me to have a 3D printer and be willing to invest the time in figuring out how to make a case. I don't, and I'm not.

Of course it's going to be more flexible, just like it's more flexible to design your own device from scratch. But I'd trade that flexibility away for more time to do things I actually want to be doing any time, and I'd be willing to pay quite a bit of money to get that kind of flexibility without having to spend as much time on it.

[snek_case]

I just don't think the tradeoff is worth it. The Pockit will have a relatively small community, and you may be forced to use their software packages to develop for it. It may not be very robust or very versatile. Those are all real downsides, in addition to the higher cost.

[vidarh]

All of those downsides apply even more if I do something custom for myself. It's worth it to me.