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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Getting a PICOCalc what is the best PICO to use  W of no W?

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mclout999

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Joined: 05/07/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 512
Posted: 08:45pm 30 Jul 2026
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Hi, my brother just ordered a picocalc for me so I Only have to wait in eternity before it gets here. I would like to play around with the Wi-fi. And Bluetooth. But are there any drawbacks? When using the pico calc. I have both. Pico2s and Pico 2 Ws.   What are the benefits? And drawbacks of using a Pick a 2W In the PicoCalc?  Don't rush. The eons I'll have to wait before. The thing gets here. Allow for. Any amount of conversation. Damn, 60 days is what they say, so it probably means 120.
They call me Shai-Hulud (The maker)
 
lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 3841
Posted: 09:15pm 30 Jul 2026
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Kind of niche at present, it seems, but if you have the "W", you can get Claude Code (or Gemini) to talk to it over telnet while you watch or even intervene on serial. Or vice versa.

I avoided the "W' for a long time (early reports of instability), but now it's what I want to have.
PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on FOTS
 
matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 11701
Posted: 10:21am 31 Jul 2026
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Get a Pimoroni Plus 2 W, best of all options
 
toml_12953
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Joined: 13/02/2015
Location: United States
Posts: 696
Posted: 10:34am 31 Jul 2026
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  mclout999 said  Hi, my brother just ordered a picocalc for me so I Only have to wait in eternity before it gets here. I would like to play around with the Wi-fi. And Bluetooth. But are there any drawbacks? When using the pico calc. I have both. Pico2s and Pico 2 Ws.   What are the benefits? And drawbacks of using a Pick a 2W In the PicoCalc?  Don't rush. The eons I'll have to wait before. The thing gets here. Allow for. Any amount of conversation. Damn, 60 days is what they say, so it probably means 120.


Get a Pimoroni Pico 2W then you can try both the Web version and non-Web version of MMBasic. I prefer the non-Web version since, when you don't use WiFi, you can run at a higher clock speed. Also, you get access to turtle graphics and have more free memory than with the Web version. I have a battery-backed RTC so I don't need the time server access and I don't act as a server or use any of the Web functions so that's wasted on me. I do miss being able to use Telnet to run the PicoCalc wirelessly but really enjoy the higher clock speed.

Which should you choose? I'd get the Pimoroni Pico 2W. then you can load both versions of MMBasic (one at a time, of course) and decide which is better for you.
 
mclout999

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Joined: 05/07/2020
Location: United States
Posts: 512
Posted: 09:24pm 31 Jul 2026
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  toml_12953 said  
  mclout999 said  Hi, my brother just ordered a picocalc for me so I Only have to wait in eternity before it gets here. I would like to play around with the Wi-fi. And Bluetooth. But are there any drawbacks? When using the pico calc. I have both. Pico2s and Pico 2 Ws.   What are the benefits? And drawbacks of using a Pick a 2W In the PicoCalc?  Don't rush. The eons I'll have to wait before. The thing gets here. Allow for. Any amount of conversation. Damn, 60 days is what they say, so it probably means 120.


Get a Pimoroni Pico 2W then you can try both the Web version and non-Web version of MMBasic. I prefer the non-Web version since, when you don't use WiFi, you can run at a higher clock speed. Also, you get access to turtle graphics and have more free memory than with the Web version. I have a battery-backed RTC so I don't need the time server access and I don't act as a server or use any of the Web functions so that's wasted on me. I do miss being able to use Telnet to run the PicoCalc wirelessly but really enjoy the higher clock speed.

Which should you choose? I'd get the Pimoroni Pico 2W. then you can load both versions of MMBasic (one at a time, of course) and decide which is better for you.


Thanks, that's the information I've been looking for. A comparison and contrast. I think the non-web version is the best then. I have Plenty of Pico 2s.
They call me Shai-Hulud (The maker)
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 9001
Posted: 06:48am 01 Aug 2026
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Obviously you can't "play around with the Wi-fi. And Bluetooth" unless you get the W version - and it doesn't cost *that* much more....   ;)
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
scruss
Senior Member

Joined: 20/09/2021
Location: Canada
Posts: 116
Posted: 05:34pm 01 Aug 2026
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  matherp said  Get a Pimoroni Plus 2 W, best of all options

Pimoroni have a special on at the moment: 25% off.
shop.pimoroni.com: Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W

It's kind of pricey for buyers outside the UK. I can get two Pico 2Ws for the price of one Pimoroni board.

OP:

* shipping is slow, and ClockWorkPi's communication is nil until they finally ship. Mine took about three months.

* The only configuration that ClockWorkPi's own software distribution supports is the supplied Pico H. You have to flash third-party code to use anything else.
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 9001
Posted: 07:08pm 01 Aug 2026
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Thanks scruss - just ordered one now. :)

They also have an offer on the very useful little DVI breakout board so I ordered a couple of those too.
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
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