Lego lost money for the last 2 quarters. Mindstorm was the outstanding exception, with a total unit sales of about a million. (This comapres with 2.5 million Robosapiens.)

The company has taken a hard look at its business model, and now their license agreement included in all kits contains an express right to hack. The new Mindstorm kit due out this summer even contains hacker developed modules, a first for the company. The new system is virtually open-sourced, so user development is highly encouraged. A USB connection is provided to facilitate user code.

If you haven't considered Mindstorm in the past, this new attitude and development could change your thinking. Look for the latest Mindstorm kit in August.