I just want to respond to the previous review and point out that you can still flash the Intel Edison device with just the console block. If you can connect with the wifi you can flash it quite easy without the OTG USB stuff.

This is how I did it:

1) Install the drivers etc described in the getting started guide.

2) Connect via serial/putty to the device and login in.

3) Configure and connect the wifi (as described in the getting started guide).

4) Mount the update partition in a temp directory:

# mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n EDISON_F32 /dev/disk/by-partlabel/update

# mkdir /tmp/update

# mount /dev/disk/by-partlabel/update /tmp/update

5) Download the latest firmware and unzip in the temp directory (check https://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-23193 for latest firmware package link)

# cd /tmp/update

# wget http://downloadmirror.intel.com/24389/eng/edison-image-rel1-maint-rel1-ww42-14.zip

# unzip edison-image-rel1-maint-rel1-ww42-14.zip

# rm edison-image-rel1-maint-rel1-ww42-14.zip

6) Reboot and let it update

# reboot ota

7) It'll start the update process and reboot a few times...and it's done!

When you start with this kit, please follow the other commenter's instructions on updating the Edison firmware using the console block. The procedure works great and quickly gets you up to the latest firmware version - in particular, it fixes a really annoying bug that makes the console flakey in receiving input. When typing, just start typing commands until you start seeing characters, then delete and keep typing. The console times out and stops accepting input after just a few seconds of idle time but you can work through it to run the flash update procedure.

In addition, most of the current Edisons will have an old firmware where you need to run configure_edison without arguments to go through the wifi configuration script (the --setup option isn't supported on the older firmwares). Finally, the older firmware says you can check the edison availability on the network by hitting a URL but mine never started the web server - it was online but didn't respond to web requests. The web server does work on the newest firmware.

As for the starter pack itself, I think it provides a great value with a nice assortment of expansion blocks for a good price. Although the Intel mini breakout is cheaper and does include the OTG USB port, I think the additional functionality with the SparkFun blocks is well worth the extra money in order to really get started (GPIO is level shifted to 3.3v on the GPIO block which I think is really useful, plus a battery and charging circuit, and console is really the bare minimum to start building out complete projects).

im amazed by sparkfun product. the building block make the device so small and im able to use it to make anything!! from wearables to robotics. thanks sparkfun!!

Received the Starter Pack. Everything works fine. However, as a "Starter Kit", the console block makes the whole kit not very useful. Sparkfun's getting started guide, correctly has you updating the firmware, that fixes bugs and adds new features. However, you CAN'T do this with the console block. You need either the Edison Mini Breakout board or the Sparkfun block base. These have the USB OnTheGo (USB OTG) port that you need to update the firmware or to change to the Ubilinux OS.

The firmware that came with my Edison has the timeout bug that makes serial communication difficult. Additionally, edison_config doesn't enable me to connect to my wifi access so I can't use SSH.

This starter kit should include the Edison Mini Breakout board or Sparkfun block base (still pre-order only) and NOT the console block. You can't really "start" with a board that doesn't have a USB OTG port.

Great starter kit! The console block is a bit trickier to flash a new OS onto the Edison with (it comes pre-installed with a perfectly fine OS): the OTG port of the base block has the Edison show up as an external thumb drive so you can put your new distribution directly on there, the console block requires that you do all this from inside the system.

SparkFun has really dropped the ball on this whole Edison stuff...

1. they were not terribly forthcoming with ship dates for pre-orders
2. this kit doesn't come with a USB OTG connector...as required by almost ALL sparkfun tutorials. How can this be a starter kit without an OTG connector?
3. this kit really needs the Edison hardware kit. For $100+, you'd think they could toss in the $2.95 hardware to keep the connectors from inadvertently tearing off.
4. the base block (required for OTG) is, of course, on back order

A great way to get started. Most of the "getting started" tutorials focus on the base block or dev board and omit setup and OS Upgrade with the Console block so I've written up a guide on my own block. The pack is easy to get started with and the battery allows all sorts of possibilities for your first project.

I was able to set up the Edison and connect through wifi + ssh and everything was in my control after that. If it wasn't for the community help (in reviews and elsewhere) I would not have been able to upgrade the firmware or update to the latest image. Between the official tutorials from Sparkfun + Intel and what this Pack includes... it is not "starter" friendly. I am enjoying the product but be aware that you will have to do a lot of work arounds without the base block such as Linux packages / ssh file transferring / git in order to get files onto the Edison. You won't be able to directly download software onto the Edison through USB with just this pack.