$25/$35 Mini-PC Available Next Month - ARM based

[MrTeal]

I might get a couple anyway, but man I wish there was a SATA port.

 

[kami333]

If this was 2002, you could add another couple of zeros to the price tag.

^ Seriously

I paid $250ish for a Epia 800 (C3 800mhz) back in the spring of 2002, another $100 for a mini-itx case. Couple months later I spent close to $1000 for a PIII 1.2Ghz Tualitin on a SBC barebones (motherboard was the size of a full size PCI card).

 

[moku160]

This is awesome, so glad I found this on here. I want at least 4.

Screw WDTV, if i could throw XBMC live on this thing I would be in heaven.

 

[wirednuts]

0600h GMT on Wednesday 29 February 2012

launch time??!!!!!???

 

[mikeford]

0600h GMT on Wednesday 29 February 2012

launch time??!!!!!???

Lunch time is more like 1200h PST

Soon seems correct, exactly when less predictable.

 

[dougp]

I'll get one instantly, but odds are their site is going to be HAMMERED. I'd like to have two total, but we'll have to see when their second production run will go.

 

[wirednuts]

i think a few thousand will go to public right off the bat. they said at one point it was 10k units but i think half of those are allocated for developers and other programs.

i want one bad, but at the same time if i dont get a first batch one who cares. its going to take time to get some good software working on it, so as long as i can get one by summer ill be happy. i think i read they should have a new batch every month or so, and of course if some chinese knockoff company wants to make these and sell them they are completely allowed to. i bet by the end of year we see these everywhere.... well hopefully!

 

[TwiceOver]

Midnight Wednesday? Fat chance I'll be getting in on the first run... Ohh well.

 

[wirednuts]

yeah im not starting my first project until i actually have device in hand... but i have everything else i need. a little red metal toolbox, 4" high quality speakers, a high quality Tamp, and a HD radio receiver kit, and 7" touchscreen. oh yeah, and 10AH worth of lithium ion batteries this media box should run for about 2 days straight on a charge hahaha. will be perfect for camping.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

i dont even know what i would do with it but I'm going to try to pick one up woo

 

[HybridSquirrel]

i think the media center capabilities are going to be a lot less than what people are expecting...i'm sure it will be fine for standard def, but will lack somewhat in hi-def

still getting one

 

[TwiceOver]

i think the media center capabilities are going to be a lot less than what people are expecting...i'm sure it will be fine for standard def, but will lack somewhat in hi-def

still getting one

Check out the 1080p playback videos...

 

[wirednuts]

i think the media center capabilities are going to be a lot less than what people are expecting...i'm sure it will be fine for standard def, but will lack somewhat in hi-def

still getting one

i think it will perform a lot like a atom netbook does for video playback. works great on most video, even 1080p, until you get those high 12mb+ bitrate files.

i think the flash streaming playback will be a lot worse though... thats what will really kill this deal for htpc use, but we shall see

 

[HybridSquirrel]

Check out the 1080p playback videos...

i've seen them, but videos on the internet are easily fudged. you won't know for sure until you plug it in yourself and see....don't believe everything you see on the internet. They weren't making the pi to be an HTPC replacement...they made it for a cheap alternative for class room computers...


as wired said, I expect it as good (maybe slightly worse) than an Atom....which isn't that fantastic.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Would this thing be good for a car computer? My friend picked up a bunch of parts a while back but never ended up putting it together. This could be a good alternative?

 

[MustangSVT]

Although I would love to see this thing running, I have a feeling there is a "catch".

is this even possible at $25/35 price range?

 

[Destiny]

Would this thing be good for a car computer? My friend picked up a bunch of parts a while back but never ended up putting it together. This could be a good alternative?

I think it would... the Raspberry Pi is designed as a low cost low power PC for consumers in 3rd world countries so they have a PC to play with.

Although I would love to see this thing running, I have a feeling there is a "catch".

is this even possible at $25/35 price range?

That seems about right for the cost of the materials - the more costly thing is the software and SDK to get this thing up and running... which I think the founder of Raspberry Pi is doing for free with his time (he works for Broadcomm I think), Non-Profit Foundation and donations...

 

[wirednuts]

i've seen them, but videos on the internet are easily fudged. you won't know for sure until you plug it in yourself and see....don't believe everything you see on the internet. They weren't making the pi to be an HTPC replacement...they made it for a cheap alternative for class room computers...


as wired said, I expect it as good (maybe slightly worse) than an Atom....which isn't that fantastic.

honestly i dont see how it will be even half as fast as an atom... the clockspeed is cut in half anyway, and the only things raspberry might have is better video but even then it probably wont be better then the newer atom netbooks with decent video in them.

still... it wont be running win7 either. so we shall see what it can really do.... and im totally fine if it turns out to be a lame htpc device. it still will have a thousand uses elsewhere

 

[kami333]

Although I would love to see this thing running, I have a feeling there is a "catch".

is this even possible at $25/35 price range?

Add in a power supply + case and it's ~$50. A Pogoplug (dual core ARMv6 700mhz, 128MB, no video but with sata) retails for $50 and it is frequently on sale for $20-25 so I don't think it's that unbelievable.

 

[Spelvin]

With their concern for their site taking a huge hit yesterday, and having a limit of one device per person on this initial batch, I would not be surprised if they outsourced the initial sale to a company like Woot. It would be great publicity and a easy to setup sale. They used Ebay to sell of the beta units so outsourcing seems doable.

I can think of all types of fun little projects to use with this:
Media streamer
MAME setup
CarPC
...

Can't wait.

 

[etrin]

well they said wednesday.
So I am going to get one.
I want to know the price of the sd card with software.
and they are now saying fedora is the official software but its not even done.
ETC

Add in a power supply + case and it's ~$50.
yea a case would keep me from shorting it out.

hey it runs on 4 AA batteries
not sure how long LOL

ps they said that cases would be included in future runs.
wonder how long that will be?

 

[wirednuts]

they have been working on their storefront for months just so they dont have to outsource the sales part of this project. they want to save money in all areas and keep this project in house as far as their own stuff is going on.

eventually, some 3rd party company will probably make clones of these and sell them all over ebay and such. which raspberry pi has said they are fully supportive of and will not be seeking any royalties or anything like that. they just hope the clones work the same as the originals.

 

[Chiropteran]

I think it would be funny if they delayed the release for 2 more weeks.

Something like...

Raspberry Pi For sale on 3.14 1:59pm $26.53

 

[Mitch101]

they have been working on their storefront for months just so they dont have to outsource the sales part of this project. they want to save money in all areas and keep this project in house as far as their own stuff is going on.

eventually, some 3rd party company will probably make clones of these and sell them all over ebay and such. which raspberry pi has said they are fully supportive of and will not be seeking any royalties or anything like that. they just hope the clones work the same as the originals.

I like that mentality seems they arent after profits but community.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

honestly i dont see how it will be even half as fast as an atom... the clockspeed is cut in half anyway, and the only things raspberry might have is better video but even then it probably wont be better then the newer atom netbooks with decent video in them.

still... it wont be running win7 either. so we shall see what it can really do.... and im totally fine if it turns out to be a lame htpc device. it still will have a thousand uses elsewhere

i'm buying one because I think its fucking awesome....it just seems like a lot of people are hyping it up to be some cure-all HTPC replacement