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DreamPlug ARM Box Brings Power To Plug Computing
Blacklaw writes "UK GlobalScale distribution partner New IT has announced its latest ARM-based plug-top computer, the DreamPlug — and it's a major improvement over its predecessors, packing some serious hardware into a tiny case. The DreamPlug packs some serious power in its tiny case. The Marvell Sheeva ARM-based processor at its heart runs at 1.2GHz — a significant boost over the 800MHz version found in the SheevaPlug — and while 512MB of DDR2 memory might not sound very generous, if you need more then your project probably isn't suited to the plug computing model. Unlike the SheevaPlug, the DreamPlug goes all-out to impress, packing integral Bluetooth, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, a 3Gb/s eSATA port, two USB 2.0 ports, a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports, and even analogue and SP/DIF digital audio ouputs. ARM developers will be pleased to hear that the JTAG-over-USB feature of the SheevaPlug has been replaced with full hardware JTAG and UART connectivity — although the breakout board is an optional extra."
DreamPlug — and it's a major improvement over its predecessors, packing some serious hardware into a tiny case. The DreamPlug packs some serious power in its tiny case.
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I spent a fun five minutes looking through linpack results a few days ago and was amused to find that today's ARM superchips are comparable to the pentium 2. Sure, it's only one benchmark, but it's enough to be amusing.
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
The SheevaPlug has always been 1.2 GHz and had 512 DDR2 RAM.
Port wise, this seams like like GuruPlug version of the SheevaPlug. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GuruPlug
What would be much bigger deal is a better power unit. One less prone to melting. That is the biggest issue with the SheevaPlug family, other then that major failing, they are already pretty good.
Sure, 5 watts for a low-power miniserver is cool, but it's almost as expensive as a low-priced netbook which would have almost the same specs plus a screen.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
I've got a Sheeva Plug, and as long as this doesn't have the same power supply issues that the Sheeva Plug is notorious for (mine is currently blown and collecting dust), this is probably well worth looking into. Too bad it costs twice as much ($200) than what I paid for my Sheeva Plug a year and a half ago.
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
Alright, enough bickering. All I really want to know is, does it pack some serious power into a tiny case?
Twinstiq, game news
The US version is supposed to ship this month. The developer kit is $149, and $179 with a JTAG interface (recommended for development.)
The production version will probably be cheaper.
Hopefully they've fixed the overheating problem they had with their previous GuruPlug.
That's apparently the US version, if you click the link to buy one, they give you the option of the UK version or the EU version. But oddly enough use the picture of the one for the US. It does look like there's a way of changing the prongs.
I've got a PogoPlug, which is apparently based on the SheevaPlug platform, and it was a real bargain. I picked it up in the sale for £50, and I've installed Plugbox Linux (an Arch-based distro - I'd prefer Debian but I can't get that working on it) and it works really well. I've set up Postfix and Dovecot on it and I use it as a mail server, and I also have Apache, MySQL and PHP on there for testing purposes. Fantastic device.
Yes. But will it run Windows?
Your question was probably a joke.
Microsoft announced that they are developing Windows for the ARM chip, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011. So I think the answer is no, not yet.
I hope they've resolved the heat issues. I had a SheevaPlug that I used as a space heater for about 8 months until it finally burned itself out. Other than that, it was a great little box.
I bought the Sheevaplug and the Guruplug for some engineering applications, and was sorely disappointed. The Sheevaplug was a decent box, just needed more native IO. The Guruplug was a piece of crap. I had more issues with that box than any embedded box I've ever worked on, including some I've designed (which is saying something when you factor in initial debug time). The Guruplug had major heat issues, even when run from an external 5V supply. I removed the heat spreader (a thin piece of steel) and replaced it with a thicker copper spreader, and that made a big difference, but the unit was never completely stable and could not handle running two GigE interfaces at the same time. And they also had the niggling little problem of selling something different from what they advertised - the sale product did not have an I2C port (I think they finally changed the block diagram to reflect the truth).
By sticking with the same form factor I fear that the Globalscale product will continue to be plagued with heat issues. And based on the history of Globalscale's products, if you need a stable platform that does what the specs say they'll do - look elsewhere.
I'll probably get one to evaluate it, but this time I'm waiting. Someone else can be the early adopter.
Just my $0.55 (US inflation, 1774-2008, for $0.02)
I know people like to hate on Diaspora around here, but this would be an ideal platform for it. Run your diaspora seed for you and a few friends on a wall-wart server. You could even pre-install diaspora, and sell them online for the non-tech-minded. Just unwrap, plug in, and setup through a web browser.
This isn't a new idea, but I think it's a good one (that is, if Diaspora ever takes off...)
I had a fling with Chrome, but it made me feel like I was being bukake'd by internet advertisement companies, so I switched back to Firefox. Firefox may be a bit curvier than she used to, but at least she doesn't dress me up in a garter belt and stockings and put me on display for the old boy's club of the internet data mining community.
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