I’ve had the ClockworkPi PicoCalc for a little over a week now and have been using to write Advent of Code solutions on. For this I have been using just the baked in MMBasic.

It is a chunky boy. The photo shows it next to the ClockworkPI DevTerm and the M5Stack CardPuter. It is taller than the DevTerm and only a couple of millimetres thinner, not at all pocket sized. But even with that girth, it is quite comfortable to hold and use.

The screen is clear and easy to read, with a very nice 80s default colour scheme. The keyboard unfortunately is not that great. The keys have a well-defined click, but it does not always register said click. I’ve frequently had to go back end correct the missing letters.

The build was easy, much simpler that the DevTerm. I’m mostly happy with the overall build quality, sure it is plastic, but solid with the bank of IO ports and boot button easily accessible.

If you are after an 80s personal computer feel, PicoMite MMBasic is a good firmware. Personally, I’d like some more helper functions built in, but the editor works well enough, and the language is simple and straightforward. There is only one thing missing to make this a great 80s-like starter computer - the documentation on the language is lacking. The recommended PDF is aimed at people who know what they are doing and it could do with something closer to the Basic Programming Guide that came with a C64 or work with Pi Hut and create a ClockworkPi Pico Advent Calendar. With the right manual, I could see myself giving this to a kid interested in technology with a breadboard and a bunch of LEDs. 

Short review of the ClockworkPi PicoCalc