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Raspberry Pi Model A Makes First Appearance
An anonymous reader writes "It's easy to forget that the Raspberry Pi currently shipping is the more expensive model of the board. It is actually called the Model B as it sports more features than the $25 Model A. The main differences [compared to the B model] include a lack of an Ethernet port and the associated networking chip, as well as the presence of only one USB port instead of two. There was originally going to be less memory on the Model A (128MB instead of 256MB), but the Raspberry Pi Foundation managed to make enough cost savings during a redesign to increase the amount to 256MB on the cheaper version. With all the focus being on the Model B, we haven't actually seen the (near) final Model A board yet. But that changes today, as Eben Upton has just shown off the $25 board."
another day, another raspberry pi slashvertisement.
keep up the good work, timothy!
"The main differences include a lack of an Ethernet port and the associated networking chip, as well as the presence of only being one USB port instead of two."
There are editors somewhere aren't there? That understand English?
So - no CSI/DSI - for which there are no drivers anyway.
No ethernet port.
I do wonder what that white blob in place of the ethernet/USB hub chip is.
Is it simply a bit of tape, to cover some wires linking the USB directly to the SoC, or something else.
As to why this is an interesting bit of hardware - it's not.
It's interesting because it's a relatively open platform, at a reasonable price point.
Devices I want a model A for.
Wifi weather-station controller.
Heating controller.
Door camera system.
Why would anyone buy such a crippled device?
How does that Broadcom SoC compare to the current Shenzen's SoC king the disruptive $7 Allwinner-A10 SoC?
Bonus: comes with open source GPU driver, unlike RasPi.
Cue the "it sucks", "why bother", "too expensive" whinges.
*looks up*
Oh, too late. Already started.
A Raspberry pie article! I haven't seen one in days, already had withdrawal symptoms.
That said, I'm still trying to order one. WTF? They were supposed to be readily available this week.
After a long time on the waiting list, element14 still gives me the "Real Soon Now!" message.
thegodmovie.com - watch it
Loving my Model B Pi, but can't help thinking that there's a niche wanting filled for systems that can actually function as a near normal desktop. Something with more grunt, more RAM etc. My phone is a quad core ARM CPU, why not a system a little larger than the Pi for the older audience who remember the Model B, Master & Archimedes the first time round. We have the cashflow and desire to use.
(just don't make an Electron version - even if it has Plus 1 and Plus 3 expansion modules like I had back in the day!)
D
For the love of glorb I hope the Model A has bigger polyfuses on the USB ports than 140mA. No USB WiFi adapter works with under 200+mA of power so let's hope that has been considered.
No, it's not easy - because Slashdot reminds us of every trivial thing about the Raspberry Pi on a daily basis.
Earlier this week I received an email from one of the distribution partners to tell me they were accepting orders, fortunately I noticed during the checkout process that shipping costs "couldn't be determined" at that point and would be tacked on later, mucking around with their shipping calculator it appeared that their cheapest rate is $18 or over 50% of the cost of the Pi.
So is this the same situation we're seeing here?
(just don't make an Electron version - even if it has Plus 1 and Plus 3 expansion modules like I had back in the day!)
Yes... given that the Acorn Electron- intended as a cut-down "home" version of the BBC Micro- was a flop (*) that led to Acorn being taken over, that would probably be A Bad Thing. Also, as far as I know, the Electron was pretty underpowered and needed those add-on modules for any "serious" expansion.
(*) Sort of- apparently what happened was that there *was* quite high demand for it, but they had problems with the custom ULA chip and couldn't get enough out in time for Christmas. By the time they had the problem sorted out in the New Year, those potential customers had bought rival machines instead and Acorn were left with warehouses full of unsold Electrons.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
Haha.The American language forked from 'English' in 1776. Any mutual intelligibility is purely coincidental! :)
If I had mod points, that comment's score would be going up.
The American language forked from 'English' in 1776.
Bloody oath it did - bonzer, Bruce!
let me sign up now and wait 6 fucking months if I am one of the lucky ones. Then instead of getting updates on orders I can read about how I should vote for the team being so damned awesome in yet another web e-peen contest! Or read about them doing the maker faire tour instead of getting us some fucking documentation so we dont blow the GPIO ports on the rare, impossible to get chunk of crap, which they are currently clueless about.
PI FOREVER
second thought, fuck that, you can get a better board for not that much more, and wont get ass raped on shipping
C'mon people, has All Your Base Are Belong to Us slipped from the Slashdot lexicon?
I think the project is a good one. I cut my teeth on an on sale TS-1000 from a catalog store Montgomery Wards that had it on closeout for $35.00. Call me stupid, but the hours I spend mashing the membrane keyboard learning every last bit of the z-80 and what it could do still serves me well!
If I cannot buy it, then I consider it vaporware.
Raspberry Pi is a bunch of hype.
What is the next spec of Raspberry Pi? Cortex-A15, HDMI 1.3/1.4, GL 4.x/ES 2.x 3D Graphics, on chip Linux/IC, expandable RAM IC 16/32 Gigabyte, replaceable/upgradable ICs, miniXT form factor etc?