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Order Limit On Raspberry Pi Lifted

hypnosec writes "Raspberry Pi, the small $35 ARM-based computer system capable of running Linux that took the world of technology by storm just a few months back, has its order limit shackles removed as it has been revealed that manufacturers are now producing 4000 units per day. The Raspberry Pi Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the tiny computer, has said that RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell have started producing enough units to allow them to scrap the order limit on Raspberry Pi. In a blog post, the foundation made the announcement. Initially the limit of one unit per customer was placed in the light of limited stocks. Despite these limits, there was always a shortage and people had to wait for long time to get their hands on one of these credit card sized computers."

204 comments

  1. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you are making an embeded system such as a robot, house control system, etc. this will be cheaper than buying a full computer.

  2. Re:Could someone please explain to me by zero.kalvin · · Score: 1

    you gave one of the answers, size!

  3. Re:Could someone please explain to me by O('_')O_Bush · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Low power, 35$ is cheaper than hundreds, and with this many features, you can use it in many places that you can't use a full sized pc.... like to play music from a solar powered messenger bag.

    --
    while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
  4. Still waiting... by MMC+Monster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I ordered mine a while ago. Credit card was charged about 3 weeks ago. Still waiting on shipping information. :-(

    Not that I'm upset. It's obviously a toy computer for me. But it's Summer, and I want to play with my toy!

    (Planning on hooking up a couple external USB hard drives and using it as a low power NAS.)

    --
    Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
    1. Re:Still waiting... by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not only have I not ordered, but I haven't got an email saying that I can order. Maybe they should get through the back log before they start permitting people to try to order multiples...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who did you order this through?

    3. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I waited exactly 6 weeks, ordered via RS components.
      Know you need to separately power the hard-discs, as it has just enough power for a mouse and a keyboard.

    4. Re:Still waiting... by jcgam69 · · Score: 1

      Works great as a NAS but be aware that the best bandwidth you can get is 1 MB/s

    5. Re:Still waiting... by bigtomrodney · · Score: 3, Informative

      If you ordered from RS, check your spam folder. They send their emails from odd domains in their control...for example their website is rswww.$TLD. However your email might be from sales@$TLD.radionics.com and within the email say it's coming from rsonline.

      Basically although they're a fantastic company to deal with they really do not have their head around managing their domains and are harming themselves by unintentionally sending a few spam triggers.

      --
      I never get used to these constant resurrections
    6. Re:Still waiting... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the heads-up, but there's nothing applicable there.

      It sure would be nice if the R-Pi foundation could have found some competent resellers to do business with somewhere in the world.

      It would also be nice if shipping didn't cost more than I can get an Arduino bought and shipped for. That's not about competence, that's about greed on the part of the resellers they chose to work with.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there is only one usb host port. so the ethernet port connected to a usb-to-ethernet + 2port hub circuit. so with 2 hubs, i think you won't saturate the 100 mbps. i think you can use it for scripting, though.

      automated podcast retrieval, home automation, sensor storage, etc. lots of interesting ideas. however your average router with usb port could possibly outperform this board.

    8. Re:Still waiting... by spacepimp · · Score: 1

      When did you sign up? I did about three weeks ago. My email that allowed me to order came through today. I placed an order and sadly it said about 11 weeks to shipping. I can't imagine how backlogged it will be when they get larger orders coming through.

    9. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (Planning on hooking up a couple external USB hard drives and using it as a low power NAS.)

      these would be a better NAS

      http://www.colorapples.com/standalone-bittorrent-bt-client-upnp-usbnasftpsambaprinter-sharing-network-lan-server-p-165299.html
      http://www.dealextreme.com/p/standalone-bittorrent-bt-client-usb-nas-ftp-samba-printer-upnp-sharing-network-lan-server-26320

      and the second one can be firmware'd with http://code.google.com/p/snake-os/ for your tinkering itch

    10. Re:Still waiting... by GiMP · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The RaspberryPi actually seems to max at about 2MB/s per my tests at a 1500MTU, and over 4.4MB/s at 1492MTU.

      Many protocols such as SSH have high overhead, but a low-overhead protocol can expect these numbers.

    11. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? Specs on wikipedia show it's a 10/100 RJ45

    12. Re:Still waiting... by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      The RaspberryPi actually seems to max at about 2MB/s per my tests at a 1500MTU, and over 4.4MB/s at 1492MTU.

      Many protocols such as SSH have high overhead, but a low-overhead protocol can expect these numbers.

      The problem is the "B" model's Ethernet port is really a USB-to-Ethernet adapter connected to the processor's USB host controller. Couple that with a relatively weak ARM11 processor (really that CPU is meant to drive the VideoCore 4 graphics processor - basically to feed the beast with data so customers using the board don't have to buy a separate SoC if they want to build say, a Roku or something - they have a lightweight ARM to do the necessary work in getting the data to the VC, while the VC is doing the graphics and video decode. That's the reason why it's got an ARM core on it - it saves customers a few bucks when building their device.

    13. Re:Still waiting... by mspohr · · Score: 1

      I signed up last week and received my order email today.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    14. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The connector is 10/100, but the chip that supplies ethernet is a USB->ethernet plus USB hub IC. So you have to share with the other two USB ports.

      You should get 50-75 Mbps, but any USB activity may seriously hamper that.

    15. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mine just arrived, so hang in there, i'm sure it will be on its ways soon!

    16. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for the heads-up, but there's nothing applicable there.

      It sure would be nice if the R-Pi foundation could have found some competent resellers to do business with somewhere in the world.

      It would also be nice if shipping didn't cost more than I can get an Arduino bought and shipped for. That's not about competence, that's about greed on the part of the resellers they chose to work with.

      RS and Farnell are generally competant - ask their millions of other customers. They have just been caught out by the demand.

      And re: postage costs - I wasn't aware that RS/Farnell did the delivery as well.....perhaps you should take up any complaints about delivery costs with the people who actually take the money and deliver - DHL, UPS etc, not the people who have to pay them to do so.

    17. Re:Still waiting... by jgrahn · · Score: 1

      The RaspberryPi actually seems to max at about 2MB/s per my tests at a 1500MTU, and over 4.4MB/s at 1492MTU.

      Sounds as if something is broken in your setup. The only reason for that huge difference is something which introduces IP fragmentation for pretty much every datagram.

      Many protocols such as SSH have high overhead, but a low-overhead protocol can expect these numbers.

      "Overhead" is maybe not the best term here. Compression and ciphering (i.e. CPU usage) easily becomes the bottleneck in bulk data transfer over ssh, but those are some of the features which make ssh attractive!

    18. Re:Still waiting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      RS and Farnell are generally competant - ask their millions of other customers. They have just been caught out by the demand.

      Can't speak to Farnell, but Radiospares is set up to cater to large customers like universities and local/state/federal government departments. They impose minimum order requirements and close accounts that don't keep up with minimum $/month requirements. They definitely are not set up for an influx of thousands of customers just wanting to order less than $50 worth of product.

    19. Re:Still waiting... by bigtomrodney · · Score: 1

      I'm an RS customer, I order lots from them but only sporadically and often in trivial quantities. I've never had any problems with them at all.

      One example would be me forgetting I needed a particular resistor for an amplifier I was building. It was a 1W carbon film 820Ohm. The minimum order was 10, coming to a total of about €0.60. Sure I had to pay maybe a fiver for delivery...but you can be damn sure a guy from RS drove 80km to my house in a van the next morning and put it through my letterbox.

      So yeah sure they may not be setup for home orders but before this Raspberry Pi bottleneck they've had no problem dealing with regular chaps like myself making orders that are small enough to only be a distraction.

      --
      I never get used to these constant resurrections
    20. Re:Still waiting... by Douglas+Goodall · · Score: 1

      The problem is, they don't use competent shippers like fedex and DHL. They ship with the post office with no tracking options. So it's a crap shoot when or if the piece will every arrive.I recommend holding off purchasing a case or the manual, or any associated "stuff" until you have your hands on the device, when or if.

    21. Re:Still waiting... by Douglas+Goodall · · Score: 1

      11 weeks before shipping and another month after that... equals 15 weeks...

  5. Re:Could someone please explain to me by PGC · · Score: 1

    Why would you use tiny one-board computer when full computers aren't that expensive and, for that matter, the price probably isn't issue. You can get much better devices that way.

    Your answer.

    --
    The Dutch will inherit the earth. If not, we'll settle for a bit of ocean. Beta delenda est!
  6. I wonder by marcello_dl · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder if they called the cap on raspberry orders... wait for it... the raspberry beret.

    --
    ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
    1. Re:I wonder by nhstar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      *dramatic groan* (since I have no mod points) =)

      --
      --- no sig to see here... move along.
    2. Re:I wonder by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 4, Funny

      Now it can be the "the little computer formerly limited to one order."

    3. Re:I wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The kind you find in a second hand store?

  7. Re:Could someone please explain to me by nhstar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I was luck enough to get in on the first round of availabilty, and only had to wait 10 weeks to get it (only mostly sarcastic), and it's been a great unit. It's given me a platform to work on and learn far more about cross-compiling, working in a small(er) footprint, and generally programming in general.

    Currently, I'm working to make it the core of a computer concept for my car. Will it be as good as stuff "off the shelf?" ~Really~ unlikely. Will it be a whole lotta fun getting it going? You betcha! And so far, I've only shelled out about US$45 for the Raspberry Pi and some wiring to get started on this project.

    --
    --- no sig to see here... move along.
  8. Re:Could someone please explain to me by arikol · · Score: 5, Informative

    Small, very cheap (proper computers are at least ten times as expensive), and can be run from a small pack of AA batteries.

    If I need something that fits any of those criteria and doesn't require massive general computing power then the Pi is perfect.

    Robotics, small distributed experiments, mucking around with programming, seeing what can be done, fitting a computer (almost) into an Altoids tin, low power.... I would say that at $35 this is pretty awesome. Heck, as it has the capability to decode HD video and has a USB port, WiFi, and a SD slot then it works fine as a main video computer, just connected to an old LCD. Great for the kids' room.

    Oh yeah, and it's silent. Because of the low power it doesn't require fans.

    So, small, cheap, silent, energy efficient..

    Consider the issue explained

  9. Re:Could someone please explain to me by skuzzbag · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Because the price *is* an issue.

  10. Current Orders by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so does this mean that current orders will get filled more quickly? I've ordered mine, but I'm still waiting for the shipping/processing phase to commence.

    1. Re:Current Orders by Skapare · · Score: 2

      The order site still says 12 weeks delivery time. Obviously the manufacturing ramp up is not keeping up with orders. Maybe removing the order limit is still a bad idea. Maybe just raising it to a few (schools can order more) would be better.

      --
      now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
  11. 4000 units per day, 4 bazillion /. users ordering by jpvlsmv · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dangit, couldn't you have waited to post the slashdot article until I had ordered mine?

    --Joe

  12. Ordered one, still waiting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ordered one, still waiting for it, but I know it's going to be worth it. At this price, size, and with the power requirements it has, I plan on turning mine into a local "network" server (DHCP, DNS, Syslog, maybe VPN?)

    Not sure how much load it can handle, we'll find out!

  13. Not a toy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It is most certainly not a toy, I have two, one is my media server courtesy of raspbmc, the other will be the file server for my business. not only are they cheap, but their power requirements are tiny, being fanless they are silent useful for at HTPC.

    1. Re:Not a toy by arth1 · · Score: 3, Informative

      the other will be the file server for my business

      Am I the only person who shuddered when reading that?

    2. Re:Not a toy by repetty · · Score: 1

      the other will be the file server for my business

      Am I the only person who shuddered when reading that?

      Maybe.

    3. Re:Not a toy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope.

      Unless his business is just a single person operation.

    4. Re:Not a toy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Debian as a fileserver? The horror!
       
      Plus these can be overnighted cheaper (=faster) than any other system solution.

    5. Re:Not a toy by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Debian as a fileserver? The horror!

      It's the hardware that's the issue. No dedicated disk controller (it's part of the CPU), no RAID, no dedicated Ethernet controller (it's shared with USB), no ECC RAM...

      I have a NAS that uses a comparable ARM CPU. But it does have dedicated disk controllers and ethernet. And it's still not usable as a file server for business - it can be used for a (slow) secondary backup device, but not a file server, no. The Pi will be much slower and less reliable.

      Plus these can be overnighted cheaper (=faster) than any other system solution.

      What have you been smoking? The lead time is twelve weeks.

  14. Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by k(wi)r(kipedia) · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Remember how the OLPC "inspired" Asus to bring out the EeePC and thus started the NetBook revolution (subsequently nipped by the iPad)? The EeePC being the beefier machine, even if the specs were underwhelming to the power user, Asus managed to steal the thunder and the sales away from the OLPC. Will the Raspberry Pi inspire a similar revolution in ultra-small form factor motherboards? I know my next motherboard won't be larger than mini-ITX, but I would be willing to shell a few extra bucks to have a full-powered, if not full-featured, desktop computer no larger than a consumer router.

    1. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It already has...

      e.g.
      odroid-x (more powerful than RPi, more features, but 4x cost).
      Cotton Candy (kinda different target market, and more expensive).
      Via APC
      etc etc

      Not yet seen one in the same prive bracket (I think the next cheapest similar device I've seen was around $70-80).

    2. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      you mean like a mac mini?
      /ducks

    3. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by petes_PoV · · Score: 1

      VIA have already promoted the APC [ http://www.apc.io/ ] which was open for preorder and is now closed / sold-out. Although most of these devices, being simply bare boards, are completely unsuitable for domestic use and even more unsuitable for classroom use they might just make developers take the ARM / Linux platform seriously. I would hope that will be the takeaway from this whole initiative: that there's more to computing than PCs - oh, yeah, and apples too.

      --
      politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
    4. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      One of the big pushes by vendors have been the HTPC segment. By the time you actually get a working rPi, with case and power supply, you've already matched prices with many of the Allwinner A10 based solutions. Not to mention, NO ONE gets an rPi for $35. Turns out $35 actually translates into $55 + $10 power + $15 case, for a total of roughly $85. You can get a superior solution for up to $20 less than that, delivered. On top of that, the A10 solutions frequently have real SATA, builtin in WIFI, a faster CPU (up to a hair more than twice as fast), more RAM (sometimes 4x as much), is very hackable (like the rPi), and sports GPIOs (including TWI, SPI, I2C). In addition to that, many are coming with multimedia remotes (bluetooth, ir, and even 802.11[bgn]). Plus, they come with Android 2.x and/or 4.x and usually hackable with various Linux distributions. Not that I'm an Android fan in this space, but it does open the door for far more possibilities. Plus, these usually have hardware floating point support. Not to mention, many of the devices sport the Mali 400 GPU, which it itself one upped the rPi.

      In short, it looks like rPI did create a wave of newer devices and equipment and the current generation of what's available is already a better buy than an rPi for most people.

      The sad thing is, it looks like rPi so poorly handled the release of a new class of device, they've already lost the market to emerging competition.

    5. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      VIA APC has the same problem as R-Pi, but even moreso. VIA wants a fucking mint to ship it. Why is it that Dealextreme can send me a tablet from China for free but VIA needs thirty bucks? Is it just because of the stupidly gigantic shipping box?

      MiniX looks like the hotness right now for the price point, but it would be nice to have more RAM.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    6. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Xest · · Score: 1

      I don't really need a smaller motherboard, I'm only going to buy a medium size tower case anyway.

      What else will I use as a combined leg rest and heater in the winter under the desk otherwise?

    7. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by marcosdumay · · Score: 1

      Do you know where one can buy an A10 board? There are plenty of devices using it, but is there a board (it's ok to include case) available?

    8. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by 16384 · · Score: 3, Informative
    9. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Nadaka · · Score: 1

      I thought it was USB powered? I have, literally, a half dozen usb power supplies laying about.

    10. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by k(wi)r(kipedia) · · Score: 1
      I checked the link you provided. Nice nano motherboard, along with a puzzling photo of the younger Jobs and Gates together and the following blurb!

      A Bicycle For Your Mind

      Like Jobs and Gates, we believe the PC is one of the most remarkable tools humans have ever created. Great tools improve with time. They don't go away

      Puzzling because the system is built to run a customized version's of Google's Linux-based Android OS. Maybe they should have included a photo of Torvalds or the Google dynamic duo?

      Besides, isn't Apple more like a Rolls Royce for the mind, and Microsoft, more like a train, crowded and perhaps dangerous at times, but gets you to work?

    11. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have no relationship with any of these. I'm specifically pointing this one out because many others in this form factor supposedly are lacking ESD protection on the HDVI port. As such, this one specifcally addresses that complaint.

      You can also buy a variety of devices from dealextreme. Such as mele a1000 and the mele a2000. Here's a hint, they have EXACTLY the same hardware on the inside. They just have a different case and the internal flash has been partitioned differently (2GB vs 4GB). The DX buys are not the cheapest to be found either. You can also buy from AliExpress. There also also a variety of other makes, models, and form factors. I've even seen bare boards. You just need to spend some time reading and googling.

      As you can see, there isno point in waiting around for an rPi anymore.

      Good luck.

    12. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Can I run Debian on the A10? With hardware floating point? Are binary blobs required? This is what is really needed to beat the RPi. I don't need more CPU or RAM or SATA, I need plain vanilla Debian and full use of the hardware.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    13. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've seen ubuntu and puppy linux images. I'm sure there are others.

      Allwinner has been really good about releasing full kernel sources, which includes tons of device drivers. The Mali 400 GPU is also well documented and there is at least one library available to directly access this.

      As far as I know, no binary blobs are required. Having said that, I do not believe the entire SoC has been completely opened. Just the same, I believe it to be fairly comparable, if not in a better light, than the rPi. Please verify my later statement and decide for yourself.

      Please keep in mind, I'm parroting much here as I'm waiting for my hardware to arrive.

    14. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by oakgrove · · Score: 1

      If you want hardware accelerated graphics on an ARM SOC, you can practically forget anything resembling modern performance and Free drivers. Even the AOSP blessed Android Nexus devices require blobs. Add doors the Panda board, the Raspberry Pi, the Nokia N900, etc. If you find anything, let me know as I'd love to find a truly Free arm board.

      --
      The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
    15. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not true. The Mali 400 GPU drivers are openly being developed. This is all fairly emerging stuff. Give it some time. In the near future, there should be fully accellerated video via Android, and X11 drivers. Plus projects like XBMC, Android, and X11 will all be able to leverage various VPU enhancements. Some must be reverse engeineered whiles others have published information. It just depends on the specific SoC.

      Right now, it looks like the A10 based systems will take the market.

    16. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by makomk · · Score: 2

      Can I run Debian on the A10? With hardware floating point? Are binary blobs required?

      On paper you should be able to - it's an ARM Cortex-A8 which is enough to run the Debian releases with hardware floating point, and you might even be able to get unaccelerated graphics working without using any blobs. Open source hardware acceleration is still stuck in the reverse-engineering stages.

    17. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by oakgrove · · Score: 1

      Well, technically it is true until something actually ships and my statement wasn't meant to stand fit eternity just got right now. Like I said though, if somebody can link me to a shipping device that has modern performance and is Free, I'll buy right now.

      --
      The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
    18. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Alioth · · Score: 2

      I got mine for $35. I run it without a case. I already have a USB charger that came with my phone, and I always charge my phone from my computer anyway so I could just use that. The display is my old television via composite video. I already have an ethernet lead. I already have a spare USB keyboard. Actually the TV and the keyboard were both redundant once I had enabled ssh, I just use X11 forwarding over ssh.

    19. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by arth1 · · Score: 1

      What else will I use as a combined leg rest and heater in the winter under the desk otherwise?

      Isn't that what girlfriends are for?

    20. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "lacking ESD protection on the HDVI port"

      This isn't the 90s. Devices today are much better in resisting ESD damage.

      It's been at least ten years since I've killed any piece of hardware via ESD.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    21. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      This is slashdot. You can guarantee just about anyone with a UID over 900,000 is gay.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    22. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Hatta · · Score: 1

      The Mali 400 GPU drivers are openly being developed. This is all fairly emerging stuff. Give it some time.

      If that's the case, this is the platform everyone should be working on. The RPi is actually harmful because it discourages people from working on a truly open platform.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    23. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by marcosdumay · · Score: 1

      As aways, everybody just don't add connectors for the GPIO pins.

      That Goosebery board is only usefull for testing your software. It is simply not usefull for hardware projects.

    24. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is slashdot. You can guarantee just about anyone with a UID over 900,000 is gay.

      Perhaps, but it's well known that anyone with a UID between 864650 and 864652 is a moron.

    25. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whilst those with a UID under 900,000 would be gay, if they hadn't all changed their sex.

    26. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why duck? You hit the nail on the head. Apple has in this case, like every other, already defined the state of art in the field and the lin-sux community just keeps spinning its wheels trying desperately not to appear as outclassed and outsmarted as they obviously are.

      Think different.
      Think BETTER.
      Think Apple!

    27. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As usual, VIA crams a ton of ports that make it bizarrely tall. If they took out the 2 USB under the ETH, and combined the mic/out or moved them side by side, you could get the whole board no taller than the VGA.

    28. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got mine for $35.

      Plus mandatory shipping and taxes.

    29. Re:Speculation: Will somebody do an "EeePC"? by daver00 · · Score: 1

      Well, mine was $35 plus I think $6 shipping, I plugged it into a spare phone charger I had lying around and it currently has no case, but I was planning on using a cardboard box. I haven't even had to buy a cable for it. So yeah I really honestly did spend a whopping $41, nothing like $85 (seriously is that even much money?).

      Considering I was in the market for a HTPC and I was looking at AMD all-in-one fanless systems (~$150) with a nice case (~$150), I think I'm doing ok here.

  15. I just want to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how to OC it....

    1. Re:I just want to know... by Adriax · · Score: 1
      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
  16. Meanwhile, in reality... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that took the world of technology by storm

    Meanwhile, most people have no idea what this is, and the summary is in some odd fantasy world.

  17. $35 or $25 by MyLongNickName · · Score: 2

    The article summary says $35, but http://www.raspberrypi.org/ states $25. Which is accurate? Is there more than one model?

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    1. Re:$35 or $25 by MyLongNickName · · Score: 1

      Never mind, I found it here http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs

      How much will it cost?

      The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes.

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    2. Re:$35 or $25 by Fosterocalypse · · Score: 1

      there's 2 models an A and B. I think one had a ethernet port and 2x the ram as its counterpart

    3. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That might be a typo - it should be roughly £25 inc tax, which isn't far from $35 before tax.

    4. Re:$35 or $25 by FrangoAssado · · Score: 4, Informative

      Check the FAQ:

      The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes.

      and

      Model A has been redesigned to have 256Mb RAM, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection). Model B has 256Mb RAM, 2 USB port and an Ethernet port.

    5. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes, there is model A and B (like the bbc micro). B has ethernet (originally A had less RAM, but then they updated the specs). Currently only Bs are available. I tihnk As are more targeted at schools.

    6. Re:$35 or $25 by petermgreen · · Score: 1

      There are two models, the A (which hasn't been released yet) has a nominal price of $25 while the B has a nominal price of $35.

      However those nominal prices do not include shipping, tax or handling (the first two are understandable but the third seems a little slimy to me). The real all-in price here in the UK seems to be about £30.

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
    7. Re:$35 or $25 by citizenr · · Score: 1

      The article summary says $35, but http://www.raspberrypi.org/ states $25. Which is accurate?

      its more like $45 and 10 week waiting time in reality.

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
    8. Re:$35 or $25 by asdf7890 · · Score: 1

      They have to variants (model A and model B). The cheaper one was originally going to have 128Mb RAM (it will now have the same 256Mb). It will be missing a USB port (it will have one rather than two) and won't have any built-in networking (the model B has a 10/100 wired NIC). The Model A is not yet available at all though, so quoting the Pi as being a $25 machine is a little misleading for the time being.

    9. Re:$35 or $25 by Zerth · · Score: 1

      You're right, it does come out to almost $70, although you left out a few purchases.

      5 dollar supply in a free case(if you buy from RS, the shipping box makes an excellent case, better than element14 which shipped a crappy chipboard box with one layer of bubblewrap), and a RPi that only cost me $5 or $7 in shipping because I bought from a local branch instead of the UK headquarters of the distributor.

      Including shipping for the power supply(approx $3.87 if I bought it alone, actually less) and a 1 meter HDMI/DVI video cable($1.60 shipped from Amazon), my total cost was no more than $54(e14) or $56(RS).

      Although that also doesn't include the SD card($5, shipped from amazon, but I already had some), but then you didn't either. If I do add a real case to the two I have, I'll probably just buy one sheet of plastic at the hardware store($5) and some of standoffs($1) instead of paying $25 for it. After that, it is indeed $65 or $67 for a "$35 computer"

      On the plus side, I also had the somewhat dubious piece of mind that if, in the rush to ship, they let production quality slip, I could RMA and get a replacement in a few days instead of having to ship it back to China at my expense.

    10. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why are these very informative posts being troll moderated? Why are they not properly moderated informative? And why are the moderators not fixing these obvious troll moderations? Hell, even a non-anonymous poster agrees with the content here.

    11. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because that "very informative" post was horribly wrong. Most people reading this have all the other components, so calling it a $70 dollar computer isn't true for them, it's only $40 plus parts already on hand.

      The non-anonymous poster rather disagreed that the A10 was a better purchase because the shipping costs weren't as high as claimed, even if his total ended up close because of other purchases the OP left out.

    12. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, that would be a "$35 computer with $32-33 unnecessarily tacked on on top just to make things look worse and get yourself some attention." Jeez, I bet basically everyone so far who've bought the device already have that kind off stuff in their cupboard. In multiples.

    13. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's more than one model. The "B" model's the ones you're seeing offered to get the community to help provide the software ecosystem to empower the CS education role this is supposed to provide. The "A" model's the slightly stripped down model that's the base model that they're envisioning going out into basic CS education contexts.

    14. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Learn to re-read and critically evaluate what he said. Damn the slashdot community has become stupid. He agreed the price point is where it was said to be. You can shave some bucks off but its still the same price as what you can get SUPERIOR equipment for. That's entire the point of the post. Therefore, you would have to be troll moderating and a complete moron to disagree. Oh wait...you chimed in already.

      Dipshit.

      Perhaps its not that it was troll moderated, perhaps the majority of people here these days really are as stupid as you and lack any and all critical thinking capability.

    15. Re:$35 or $25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't be fooled by the price everyone throws around. I wince every time someone says this is a $35 box, it seems disingenuous.

      Goods total -- US $35.00
      Tax -- US $7.00
      Standard Delivery (Despatch expected within 11 week(s)) -- US $8.02

      Order Total -- US $50.02

      +case, +power supply, +sd card, +hdmi cable

      I will be looking for alternatives for my projects. If they had created a kickstarter for this project they would not have had an issue with funding, and as such would not have had to produce low quantities. The raspi will end up being a failure because they can't get enough units in the hands of the people doing the real work.

      I anticipate a huge number of more powerful and cheaper alternatives to hit the markets soon, if they haven't already.

  18. Already here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I just saw something that fits the small Android PC slot perfectly:
    http://www.fanlesstech.com/2012/07/minix-tv-box-h24.html
    Its an Android PC designed for TVs, but maybe ideal for my small PC needs, already can run Ubuntu, but I want it for Android.

    Or perhaps these will start appearing in boxes:
    http://www.fanlesstech.com/2012/07/worlds-first-tegra-3-mini-itx.html
    Mini format PC style motherboard, with PC spec, but Quad core Arm, running Android, supports up to 3 screens, HDMI, cheap.

  19. Re:4000 units per day, 4 bazillion /. users orderi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Taken from an email sent to me from Allied Electronics on July 10th. (I placed an order through them on July 3rd for 1 model b pi unit...)

    Hello John,
    Thank you for your recent Raspberry Pi order.

    We know you've been waiting patiently to get your hands on your Raspberry Pi. They are being manufactured as quickly as possible, but the demand is huge, so the estimated delivery is about 12 weeks from when you placed your order.

    We've received a lot of questions about this and wanted to make sure you know what to expect. Please note that we won't charge your card until the order has shipped, at which time it will be processed and you will receive a shipment notification.

    If you have any questions or need assistance, please give us a call at (866) 433-5722.

    Thank you!
    Allied Electronics

    My card has not been charged yet...

    Initially the limit of one unit per customer was placed in the light of limited stocks

    -- well given the demand, limited stocks will continue :)

  20. FAQ Page link by SternisheFan · · Score: 1

    Here's the FAQ page link http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs Pic is here, looks cool! Arstechnica has an article about a Korean made, $129 Arm device http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/07/korean-company-offers-3-5-inch-quad-core-arm-linux-computer-for-129/?comments=1#comments-bar

  21. Anybody in the US got one yet? by Fosterocalypse · · Score: 1

    I signed up to be notified when they first went up for sale but they weren't selling them to people in the US yet....has anyone in the US got one or have one on the way?

    1. Re:Anybody in the US got one yet? by Fosterocalypse · · Score: 1

      Never mind they have changed it and now have a link for US buyers....I haven't checked in a while.

    2. Re:Anybody in the US got one yet? by joelwhitehouse · · Score: 2

      This site shows the locations of several Raspberry Pi owners; look like there are plenty in the US.
      http://rastrack.ryanteck.org.uk/

    3. Re:Anybody in the US got one yet? by Skapare · · Score: 1

      US is via Allied.

      --
      now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
    4. Re:Anybody in the US got one yet? by tchuladdiass · · Score: 1

      I actually had gotten to an order page a while ago, this was way after the initial rush. Placed the order (Element 14) in April, and just got it last Friday. I also got an invitation to order it from RS about a couple weeks ago.

  22. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It does seem more expensive than, e.g. repurposing an otherwise obsolete smartphone, though. E.g. I have an HTC Dream that's got specs on par with a Raspberry Pi and it's just sitting there, unused, since now I have a much more powerful phone.

  23. I'm holding out until it comes in a case. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, I know there are some custom cases out there but they cost just as much as the Pi itself.

    1. Re:I'm holding out until it comes in a case. by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 1

      When I got my order invitation a few weeks ago, they offered plastic cases of various colors with the RPi. I ordered a clear case.

      --
      "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    2. Re:I'm holding out until it comes in a case. by Zerth · · Score: 1

      If you happen to buy regularly from Digikey, this one might work for you @ $6.40 plus shipping.

  24. Re:Could someone please explain to me by jones_supa · · Score: 2

    Why would you use tiny one-board computer when full computers aren't that expensive and, for that matter, the price probably isn't issue. You can get much better devices that way.

    I think people are too often thinking Raspberry Pi as a mini-sized desktop computer, while it mainly targets simple programming and a basis for various embedded projects. R-Pi more like a really powerful Arduino. It's painful to read stories about people trying to cram some full-fledged linux distro into it.

    But yes, if you really want a general-purpose mini desktop machine with lots of bang for the buck, I recommend getting a used netbook and forgetting R-Pi.

  25. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    full computers aren't that expensive

    O'rly? Show me a "full" new computer under 50$ running Linux with GUI.

  26. Re:Could someone please explain to me by jehan60188 · · Score: 2

    I think part of the issue is popularity. If lots of people are using this platform, then someone who is not as creative/innovative as others can still find solutions to his/her problems. While using a phone is clever, and cost effective, I wouldn't be able to figure it out. But, I know a few different programming languages, and I am comfortable in a linux environment, so the Raspberry Pi seems more up my alley.

  27. Piling on Some More Reasons by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Consider the issue explained

    To go a little further, I'd like to remind everyone that it was developed and pitched as an educational tool in the UK with some big backers.

    I now have five of these in my possession with one lent to a friend whose wife keeps him on a very short leash financially. And I had one arduino that was fun to tinker with but I'm more excited about these just because of the prospect of the numbers. Even if I never write one line of code that utilizes this board specifically, there are going to be hundreds of projects developed by hobbyists, teachers, students, etc that are going to target this particular chipset more than any other just based purely on the numbers game. And, I must admit jealously as an American, many UK students that take CS courses are going to come out of high school fully versed in this particular chipset with free time and college and on their hands to make exciting or entertaining projects with it. And the $25/$35 price point really enables that. I'm much more daring with these boards because I have five of them (if I burned out my arduino mega that'd be a painful learning experience). And since I have five, one is hooked up to a USB drive with all my movies and music to my TV. Another is permanently attached to a monitor with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Another is simply on the network and I can SSH into it and run code on it.

    Lastly I'd add that they are simple. Buy a $300 machine from Dell and watch something go bad on it at some point in time. There's not a lot to go bad on these devices but they haven't been around long enough to test their reliability of MTTF in the wild. So I could eat my words on that point but so far they run like a champ for me with no defects.

    Frankly put, the pervasive nature of this product is going to make any code you write for it consumable by many people -- the demand is so high one can only speculate on how high that number will become. I'm definitely sending some of these to my younger cousins that have shown an interest in computer science and I hope the schools in the US make an effort to leverage these devices.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      "I'm much more daring with these boards because I have five of them (if I burned out my arduino mega that'd be a painful learning experience)." ..why? isn't an arduino mega obtainable shipped to your house overnight(or in two) for the base price of pi?

      in couple of years there's going to be plenty of similar offerings on the market. right now you can buy about similarly specced android boxes for 80-100 bucks or so if you order from china(that come with psu, remote controller etc).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    2. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "I'm much more daring with these boards because I have five of them (if I burned out my arduino mega that'd be a painful learning experience)." ..why? isn't an arduino mega obtainable shipped to your house overnight(or in two) for the base price of pi?

      in couple of years there's going to be plenty of similar offerings on the market. right now you can buy about similarly specced android boxes for 80-100 bucks or so if you order from china(that come with psu, remote controller etc).

      I paid over twice as much for my Arduino Mega 2560 but the real kick in the pants is all the peripherals I had to buy to get comparable functionality like, say, an SD slot.

    3. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by TheCarp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually.... overall I prefer the aduino. The price on these is great for what you get but, as an educational/devel platform.... the issues with broadcom that are evident int he FAQ make this very unattractive.

      The arduino is, at its heart, just a breakout for the atmega with a nice boot loader pre-burned. I can work up a design, then if I want to go into some manner of production and make alot...I can incorperate the atmega directly into my design, and go from a $30 part "development platform" to a $3 part with a few bits of support (crystal, voltage regulator...)

      I can't do that with pi. I am stuck with a pi. I can develop on a pi but then, every time I want to replicate the design, its another pi.

      Its great for what it is, and it may lead to the development of more fully open platforms but, for what I am looking at, I see little advantage over just getting a linux capable wifi router and starting from there. In fact, the wifi itself makes it even better.

      But overall, for what I need, I also don't need much more than an atmega.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    4. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Alioth · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The Arduino and RPi are fundamentally two different kinds of device, and aren't really comparable other than both being low cost and both having GPIO pins. The RPi really is more low cost personal computer with easy to access GPIO, rather than a microcontroller development board. They both have their place.

      The Broadcom issue (which although I like the RPi, grates with me) is lack of public documentation on the GPU. Having said that it is already known how to get a plain simple frame buffer and get it to boot into a roll-your-own-kernel of your own design (i.e. not a linux kernel) if you're not looking to use the advanced GPU features, so the situation is better than it was a while ago.

    5. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      Ahh I read through the FAQ but didn't realise that was just the GPU. Not so bad then.

      Still it depends what you need it for, I see some uses for these. However, most of what I need is more in the arduino space. I kind of assumed if we were comparing the two, then we are not comparing on advanced features like the more general linux tools being available (which is huge) and the video support, which, is nice and great for some things, but not so useful for a lot of projects.

      I don't mean to shit on the pi, its neat and does offer some nice features, just that, the dev platform aspect of it doesn't add as much as it does elsewhere, and the features that do set it apart from some of the other offerings are optional in many use cases.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    6. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      "I'm much more daring with these boards because I have five of them (if I burned out my arduino mega that'd be a painful learning experience).

      Be careful. The specs would indicate the Pi is *much* easier to trash than an Arduino.

      The Mega is a bummer because it's only available in surface mount. The Arduino Uno chip can be replaced for $3 if you do bad things to it.

      --
      No sig today...
    7. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      if I want to go into some manner of production and make alot...I can incorperate the atmega directly into my design, and go from a $30 part "development platform" to a $3 part with a few bits of support (crystal, voltage regulator...)

      You don't really need either of those. ATmega chips have an internal 16Mhz clock and aren't very fussy about voltage. The only reason you'd need a regulator is if the things you connect to it need a regulated supply.

      But yeah, a $3 chip and a piece of perf board are all you need for the production version of your Arduino project. You can even get the chips with less legs and make things really tiny, eg eight pin Arduino.

      --
      No sig today...
    8. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Joce640k · · Score: 2

      If you need video output or a fast CPU, get a Pi.

      If you just want some I/O lines and simple development, get an Arduino.

      Comparing the two by price is a bit disingenuous. You can roll-your-own Arduino for about $3 when you want to make a permanent device. That's ten Arduinos for every Pi.

      --
      No sig today...
    9. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you can use raspi for brain and atmegas (cpu for arduino) as general io controllers (I'm planning to use such architecture with rpi as a robot's brain/connectivity and atmegas as legs' controllers, just waiting for my rpi)

    10. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      Even better thanks for the info. I was looking at this because I am prototyping some home automation things, but, in the end, I am going to want 10s of these...at $30+ a pop, ardunio boards add significant cost....thats what got me started looking at the atmega itself....and realizing how much the arduino is just a breakout board with some added support and a boot loader.

      So I can still support the people who make arduinos as I need them for prototyping, but then, I can shrink my design in both cost and size when it comes time to replicate it over and over.

      I am still going to need the regulators for the projects I am working on but, good to know I can do without them.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    11. Re:Piling on Some More Reasons by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Yep, the Arduino is just a breakout board with a built-in serial chip to let you access it from your PC (with "avrdude" - learn about that).

      Fun fact: The serial chip is often another ATmega chip which has been programmed as a USB to serial device. Essentially you have two Arduinos on there

      --
      No sig today...
  28. ETA: 11 weeks by mrops · · Score: 1

    "Dispatch expected in 11 weeks"

    That's what the raspberry pi website says.

    1. Re:ETA: 11 weeks by seepho · · Score: 1

      I just ordered from element14 with a lead time of 5 weeks.

    2. Re:ETA: 11 weeks by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      My order confirmation email from two weeks ago said, "Despatch expected within 10 week(s)."

  29. Speaking of RaspberryPi... NetBSD support by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Since we're on the subject -- NetBSD is being ported to the RaspberryPi, despite all the roadblocks in place to do so. (RPi is not an open platform) It is booting to multiuser in test code. See hubertf's post on the subject. I intend to help test as soon as my unit arrives.

    --
    "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    1. Re:Speaking of RaspberryPi... NetBSD support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Hmm... has Netcraft confirmed it?

    2. Re:Speaking of RaspberryPi... NetBSD support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep that's what I've been pointing out to people for a while now, it's a BROADCOM device for chrissake! That means
      most of the chip functionality is not available unless you execute an NDA with broadcom, and they'll only do that if you're
      a F500 that's going to buy a 100,000 chips in one go. No joy here, sorry.

  30. Re:Could someone please explain to me by tchuladdiass · · Score: 5, Informative

    First, there is inexpensive, and then there is lunch-money inexpensive. Once you get to the price of a couple $20 bills, it becomes an impulse buy, no need to budget it.
    Second, size / heat / power draw are big issues (no fan).
    Third, unlike many other ARM-based devices, this one boots directly off the SD card. So it makes it much harder to "brick" than, say, re-purposing a home router with a Linux distro. And, most of the other similar type devices don't have video / audio out, so they are only suitable for network use or as an embedded controller.

    As for what projects I'm using this for:
    1) Simple NAS type device to dump backups to -- I have a network based backup daemon running on it with a restricted protocol, which makes it very resilient to being attacked by malware on other boxes that I'm backing up.
    2) My parents have an LCD TV in their kitchen -- I am planning on hooking one of these up so they can use it as a kitchen computer (wireless keyboard, look up recipes, play card games, etc).
    3) Also, I can give one to my Dad to hook up as a spare computer, that would allow him to click on anything without getting into trouble (one of his friends is always forwarding stuff, some of which may link back to a drive-by download site).

  31. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    You asshole, not everyone is making that $15+/hr that you are and as such, have expenses that trump a "full computer." For many people, dollars count and you DON'T need a 6-core beast to browse the web.

    Get off your high horse, elitist prick.

  32. Re:Could someone please explain to me by asdf7890 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is more flexible than the old phone option though, especially for those of use who don't have one lying around.

    * I'll run "full" Linux (or ?BSD) rather than Android being the only option (and not even the latest Android no doubt)
    * Wired network access is possible
    * A "proper" keyboard & mouse can be attached (I'm assuming the phone doesn't have a host-capable USB port)
    * Other USB connected devices too for that matter
    * Easy access to I/O channels for connecting non-USB things (such as motors and other custom electronics)

    Of course if you have the phone hanging around you could try repurpose it, it would probably be a fun project if you are that way inclined, but I suspect the extra hassle would eat any saving from not buying a Pi or equivalent. A quick scan on eBay.co.uk suggests that you would be better off selling the old phone and putting the proceeds towards something like a Pi.

    You are right that the phone does have some advantages over the Pi though (built in screen, built-in keyboard (IIRC the Dream was a slide keyboard unit?), neat little case, almost certainly smaller than a Pi+case, ...) depending on what you are wanting it to do.

  33. Re:Where can I buy one? by Elisanre · · Score: 1

    It's called Google mate, try it :) or the second link in the text which have links to both companies

  34. Re:Where can I buy one? by jehan60188 · · Score: 1
  35. Re:Where can I buy one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You did it wrong.

  36. Re:Could someone please explain to me by slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They are intended for teaching hacking.

    $500 school computer: "Right kids, it's 3 to a keyboard for the duration of a lesson. You can sign up for access during after-school club. Don't break anything because the next lesson needs the computers too. We won't have the PC lab next week because Mr Jones' class wants to take a turn.

    $500 home computer: "Don't break it, Mummy wants to use Facebook after you've gone to bed"

    $25 board: The PTA has signed up a sponsor so every pupil gets their own.

    Also the Pi is designed for really simple recovery. Flash a new SD card and start again with a clean slate.

  37. I want but... by TheCarp · · Score: 1

    You know I want one. I want to support their non-profit, and its a cool thing but... and there is a big but....

    I just bought a few TP-Links. There is one you can get (wr700n) for about $15-25 (have to look around), can run Openwrt. With Ethernet, USB host, and Wifi, powered from a miniUSB.... is pretty damned close to a rasberry pi for a few bucks less...and its tiny.

    --
    "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    1. Re:I want but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a WR700N myself - it does *not* support OpenWRT. 2MB Flash means it's not possible.

    2. Re:I want but... by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      it looks like you are right... I know one of the TPLinks does support it, and has those features in about that price range.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    3. Re:I want but... by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      Sigh...I am glad that you posted this. I did a bit more digging, its the wr703n that I was thinking of, which is highly unfortunate, since I got the wr700n from my amazon order. Oops. Thats more than a bit dissapointing.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    4. Re:I want but... by mirix · · Score: 1

      WR-703N does, though. it has double the flash and RAM. (4/32MB).

      I ordered one from ebay the other day for $23 CAD shipped (I guess ~20 USD). It will be interesting to see how it works out.

      openwrt wiki entry for WR-703N

      --
      Sent from my PDP-11
  38. So... by Iniamyen · · Score: 1

    If they are now so available, why does it still show a 12 week lead time and no availability when I go to order one? I'd like to give them money, I really would.

  39. Re:Could someone please explain to me by jehan60188 · · Score: 2

    It is more flexible than the old phone option though, especially for those of use who don't have one lying around. ... * Easy access to I/O channels for connecting non-USB things (such as motors and other custom electronics)

    That's the part that interests me the most! I'm studying mechanical engineering, and I've always seen I/Cs as just a way to control where/when electricity is delivered. I like the arduino for this reason- I can access pins without having to learn a new programming language, or do any sort of memory management. I really see the R-Pi as a more powerful arduino (unfortunately, it's more expensive- with the arduino, I can take out the atmega328 chip, add a few components on to a perf board, and make my project permanent for under $10. that's not really an option with the R-Pi)

  40. Re:Could someone please explain to me by unixisc · · Score: 1

    It is a good learning tool. You probably don't want to disable your regular computer while experimenting w/ it, but w/ this, you can experiment to your heart's content w/o disrupting the computing needs of both yourself and others - such as web browsing, e-mail, printing documents and so on.

  41. Availability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Availability: Big fat ZERO (North America)

    1. Re:Availability by ultranerdz · · Score: 1

      RS does not even answer my emails.

  42. Re:Could someone please explain to me by bugs2squash · · Score: 1

    Before you run too far with this, most kids will need more than $25 to get started. A monitor, keyboard etc. or a separate PC to ssh from. It all adds up.

    --
    Nullius in verba
  43. solution in search of a problem... by Tom · · Score: 1

    This is such a cool toy - I wish I had something I need it for. I really do. Suggestions?

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  44. Re:Could someone please explain to me by slim · · Score: 3, Informative

    Before you run too far with this, most kids will need more than $25 to get started. A monitor, keyboard etc. or a separate PC to ssh from. It all adds up.

    True, but they Pi team observed that there's loads of keyboards and mice going to landfill. For a display, there's composite to an old TV (sounds awful, but we managed in the 80s/90s) HDMI to a new TV, or get a dedicated monitor. It *is* a shame the Pi has no analogue VGA for all the CRT VGA monitors going begging.

  45. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And if you can later learn to code in C, your project may not even need an ATmega328. As an example, the ATtiny13A is only 1.06$CAD at Digi-Key.ca.

  46. Got mine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Got on a waiting list around the first of the year. Ordered it on Mar 20th and finally got it on Friday July 13th. It's been a fun little toy to hack around with. I set it up as a server on the Internet and am going to see how many days/years I can keep it up without a reboot using 100% solar power that I am generating at my house. At first I had stability issues because for whatever reason nginx was causing it to lock up. I switched to lighttpd and it has been stable ever since. Still working on it but you check it out at http://pi.qcontinuum.com

  47. Still not in stock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yeah the limit was lifted. However, if you go to the sites selling them there are none in stock and a delievery time of 11-12 weeks. 3 more months to wait, thats the expected date where you would have worked up through the queue. Could be sooner, but probably not.

    PS, the moderator on Pi's site apparently is editing out that info in the comments. Made the comment. 4-5 minutes later it was deleted.

    1. Re:Still not in stock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Current production is 4000 a day. Backlog is reducing, but lead time is still about 12 weeks, may get quicker if we can ramp a bit more. 200k delivered so far.

      Are you sure your post was deleted? if it was a first, second or third post, then it needs to be moderated first in an effort stop spambots. We won't have deleted a post if it just contain what you said here (unless you were rude whilst saying it, the site is child friendly given its teaching nature!)

      Moderator, Raspi Site

  48. Re:Could someone please explain to me by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 0

    This is nothing like an Arduino. Other than it's tiny. And.... electric. They have different purposes.

  49. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm using two of them inside of a device that I'm starting a company around... they're inexpensive enough to do so (orders of magnitude cheaper than custom electronics), versatile, easily programmable, and have GPIO built in (General Purpose Input/Output - for driving motors, external sensors, communications, etc.).

    $70/device for two full-fledged Linux computers? It's a steal! Performance has been outstanding too, even with multi-threading code in near real-time applications.

    MadCow.

  50. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Khyber · · Score: 0

    Well, from new (totally unused parts) obtained from a garage sale, I have a fully-functional 800MHz PIII system running Linux with a GUI.

    Was like $25 for all the parts, case as well.

    Someone doesn't know how to bargain shop.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  51. Re:agelesshookup by Khyber · · Score: 1

    Hey guys, check it out, a spammer trying to spam a site when people can just hook up at your local porn shop's arcade.

    I haven't seen anything funnier on here in a long time.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  52. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Hatta · · Score: 2

    They are intended for teaching hacking.

    Unfortunately, the limiting factor for that isn't the available hardware. It's available teaching talent.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  53. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    I think people are too often thinking Raspberry Pi as a mini-sized desktop computer,

    To all those people:

    It's got 256Mb RAM. I don't know how lean-and-mean their OS is but I doubt it can open more than a couple of windows before you run out. I'm not even sure Firefox could open a couple of pages without using it up.

    When you run out of RAM you're swapping to an SD card. Think about that for a moment...

    --
    No sig today...
  54. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Dewin · · Score: 1

    I imagine the Pi is cheaper than the PIII after you factor in electricity costs...

    --
    Of course nobody reads the FAQ! If people read the FAQ, the Questions wouldn't be so Frequently Asked.
  55. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Yetihehe · · Score: 1

    I'm not even sure Firefox could open a couple of pages without using it up.

    In 1987 Amiga could open multiple windows simultaneously with just 0.5meg ram. And it was rather fast with only 7mhz.

    --
    Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
  56. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Yetihehe · · Score: 1

    Most of the hackers are self-taught. As soon as I got computer and learned that I can write my own programs, I've learned myself. Working with teacher would be too slow.

    --
    Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
  57. You will have to wait for Broadcom even longer!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Depends on how you want to play you may not get to play as much as you might hope:

    IT'S A BROADCOM DEVICE:

    Therefore:

    (from the rasberrypi FAQ):

    What hardware documentation will be available?

    Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We will release a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We will also release a board schematic later on.
    But I want documentation for !

    Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.
    But I demand the documentation for the chip. Give it to me!

    To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

  58. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've got a T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream), which was the first Android phone to hit the market. It is in near mint condition. I'd love to turn it into a Pirate box or some kind of file server, but the only OS option I can find for this phone is Android (either CyanogenMod or the stock OS). Most of the RAM would be eaten up by the GUI that I wouldn't need.

    Rather than spending several hours over several days hacking that phone to re-purpose it I can just spend ~$35 and get something with more usable RAM, a faster processor, two USB ports, and an ethernet port.

  59. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Patch86 · · Score: 1

    I see HTC Dreams selling on eBay and Amazon for £60-£100 used. A Raspberry Pi is something like £20. So by using your old Dream instead of selling it and buying a Pi, you're losing between £40-£80.

    So no, it'd be more expensive to use the old smartphone. Although using the smartphone is certainly a lazier, and hackier method (both good things).

  60. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Patch86 · · Score: 1

    So says Slashdot, Debian will run on the G1:
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/08/11/13/2240244/debian-running-on-the-t-mobile-g1

    Debian obviously supports most any server functionality you care to mention, and runs fine from a CLI.

  61. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Considering I'm on total solar, nope, wrong again.

    ~Khyber

  62. Re:$35 or $25 for a locked down board! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It also says in that same FAQ you pulled that from, that many chip functions are not publicly documented and
    not to expect broadcom to come forth with any such documentation in the future.

    A board with an undocumented chipset can be thought of as locked down. Sure you could reverse-engineer
    much of what broadcom is withholding from you by reverse-engineering libraries and firmwares from stb's
    were it was used in the past, but why would you if there are alternatives out there that do cost a bit more to
    purchase, but not as much as the effort you would have to put in with this broadcom 'offering'.

    Just my thoughts, not buying more broadcom crap.
    Thanks.

  63. Arrived by willie3204 · · Score: 1

    Mine arrived today
    I plan on loading ARMed slack on it ASAP
    http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=6132&start=100

  64. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's $35 because it's a very limited device .. not so much limited in terms of memory or cpu speed, but in terms of what you can
    do with it. Closed source drivers and undocumented hardware is the rule with broadcom, personally I would pay 4x as much for
    real value.

  65. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How much did your solar array cost? You can run about 100 Raspberry PI's for the power requirements of your P3....

  66. Great, I'll be ordering some more! by epp_b · · Score: 1

    I bought and received mine from RS Online a little while ago (shipped to Canada). Great little toy. I first tried the basic recommended distro (I think it was Debian Squeeze). Little bit of fuss, but it didn't take much to get up and running with X and basically having a full-fledged desktop computer. A whole lot less hassle than your typical barebones Linux install. Then I made a modest goal of getting it up and running as a web server. I don't think it took me more than a couple hours from start to finish, including research and everything. Swapped in a different SD card, installed arch Linux and set it up with LAMP. It was a little slow with PHP, but that was probably down to my own code needing optimizing more than anything else. Now, I have it set up with OpenELEC, attached to the big screen TV downstairs, a spare keyboard mouse and a 2.1 speaker set. I just used the charging cable from a Kindle and one of many USB power adapters I have a lying around. I've played a few HD movies on it and it's been flawless! Once I can get the wiring setup in the house, I'll hook up the Ethernet, too (I think I've read that OpenELEC can do Netflix ... if not then, oh well, at least there'll no more sneakerneting with a USB stick) I think what I love about it most is how easy and painless it is to recover or change the operating system -- just swap in a different SD card; takes two seconds! I'm glad to see that I can now buy some more Pi's. I'll probably get one to use as a NAS, one as a has a web server, another one to attach a webcam for home security ... and who knows what else? For only a couple of 20's a piece, why the heck not? All in all, much more than I could've hoped to expect for 35 bucks!

    1. Re:Great, I'll be ordering some more! by epp_b · · Score: 1

      Dang it, sorry about the text wall; that was supposed to be plain text, not HTML.

  67. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Read the article that slashdot post references. "Debian & Android Together on G1." It doesn't replace Android, it runs along side of it. That leaves even less usable memory.

  68. And you know what this will be used for... by srk2040 · · Score: 0

    Your porn server.

  69. Still waiting for mine.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is what it sounds like, when nerds cry.

  70. Hey by da · · Score: 1

    Does that mean I can now order a beowulf cluster of these...? Imagine...!

    --
    I reserve the right to be wrong.
  71. Re:Could someone please explain to me by daver00 · · Score: 1

    Well mine is running XBMC very happily using raspbmc, and will output 1080p. It really wasn't that long ago that 256mb ram was decent. It isn't that snappy in a desktop environment, but really, we aren't talking about a particularly limited set of capabilities here.

  72. Re:Could someone please explain to me by bjwest · · Score: 1

    I have an original Motorola Droid sitting in a drawer I'm thinking of re purposing into a smart thermostat. It's going to need a helper and the Pi is way overkill for that. I'll probibly use an Aduino, which is still way overkill, or roll my own interface with a U421 and let the droid do all the processing if I can get them talking to each other.

    --

    --- Keep the choice with the user..
  73. Re:$35 or $25 for a locked down board! by Malvineous · · Score: 1

    I agree that it's bad having the hardware locked down, but remember that the code you write runs under Linux, so unless you're doing something very specific for the hardware (which you shouldn't be because there's no documentation for it) then there's no problems transferring your code to any other Linux device/PC and running it there.

    Basically the only thing that's locked down is access to the specific hardware used in the Pi, which if you used it, would mean your code would be locked down to that device anyway...

  74. Re:Could someone please explain to me by mirix · · Score: 1

    digikey is pretty expensive on micros. Newark has ATTINY85 for less than a dollar (CAD) in single quantity. It has eight times as much flash, RAM, and EEPROM of the tiny13, so you can use C on it more practically. (tiny13 only has 64b of RAM... pretty hurtin' unit, really.)

    For less than double that, you can get a mega168 though, same thing used on the earlier arduinos. It's got double everything the 85 has, plus real serial devices and far more IO. (the USI on some of the tinys is pretty odd to use. and on the 8pin ones you can only use one serial interface at a time, obviously.)

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
  75. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Take a look at the reviews for this device. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007KEIRNG
    So it is possible to support VGA too.

  76. Re:Could someone please explain to me by mirix · · Score: 1

    That should be 64B of RAM. Oops.

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
  77. Re:Could someone please explain to me by mmja · · Score: 1

    1) Simple NAS type device to dump backups to -- I have a network based backup daemon running on it with a restricted protocol, which makes it very resilient to being attacked by malware on other boxes that I'm backing up.

    I'd be interested to know more about your setup.

  78. Yea another fumble by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    Lifting the restriction of people ordering multiples while most of us cant even get a email with news of availability and an average roumored 12 week lead time. Tucker sold more cars than they had as well, didnt work out for them, maybe having an item in stock doesnt matter as long as the money keeps rolling in.

    They should have fufilled their backorders before doing this, just another "sigh I dont want to even deal with these people anymore" move

  79. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    Yes, but there wasn't much in those windows. These days we expect more.

    --
    No sig today...
  80. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    We're talking about desktop replacement.

    OK, you've got one. How bad is it when you open something that starts swapping? Everything I've read says the performance suddenly drops off a cliff.

    --
    No sig today...
  81. Re:Could someone please explain to me by slim · · Score: 1

    That's why the Raspberry Pi is part of an ecosystem including stuff like Code Club,

  82. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    I once talked with a Digi-Key representative (online chat) and she explained to me that the prices on Digi-Key.ca include all duty fees and there's no brokerage fees when you order from them. Shipping is also pretty fast, considering the duty times. About one day from the USA warehouse to Montreal, then it gets stuck about 4-5 days in Montreal, then one day later you receive your parts.

    So if you live in Canada and you order from Newark, Mouser or some other place, you'll get hit with 20$CAD brokerage fees on top of whatever duty fees you have to pay. So the 0.669$USD ATtiny13A from Newark ends up costing a lot more than the 1.06$CAD one from Digi-Key.

    I do agree on the ATtiny85 vs ATtiny13A or even ATmega168, I was merely listing the cheapest one as an example.

  83. Re:Could someone please explain to me by mirix · · Score: 1

    I order from Digikey and Newark all the time. Both collect GST, so there is no brokerage, as tax is already paid, and it seems the crown isn't bothered to collect the duty? I'm not even sure if there is duty on electronic components, seeing as we don't really make any here. I usually find it is 2 day shipping from both of them, but it varies somewhat... sometimes overnight, sometimes 3-4 days.

    However, Newark's flat shipping is $12, so unless you are buying more than a few parts, Digikey is a better deal at $8.

    Mouser collects tax too, and I've never had to pay duty with them either. Unfortunately you have to pay actual ship rates with them, if you order is under $200 (which I've never done - so no experience on the sub $200 orders / USPS shipping - I can't guarantee there will be no fees).

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
  84. Re:Could someone please explain to me by Khyber · · Score: 1

    That was free, too. And the battery bank and charge controller.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  85. Re:Could someone please explain to me by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

    Small, very cheap (proper computers are at least ten times as expensive), and can be run from a small pack of AA batteries.

    If I need something that fits any of those criteria and doesn't require massive general computing power then the Pi is perfect.

    Robotics, small distributed experiments, mucking around with programming, seeing what can be done, fitting a computer (almost) into an Altoids tin, low power.... I would say that at $35 this is pretty awesome. Heck, as it has the capability to decode HD video and has a USB port, WiFi, and a SD slot then it works fine as a main video computer, just connected to an old LCD. Great for the kids' room.

    Oh yeah, and it's silent. Because of the low power it doesn't require fans.

    So, small, cheap, silent, energy efficient..

    Consider the issue explained

    How soon before we have a network device that includes all the smarts. Firewall, proxy, dmz functionality, etc. Raspberry must be making Cisco shiver.

    --
    Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
  86. not available at any price by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Many months ago I ordered one of these from Farnell. A month ago other charged my credit card and emailed me that it had been shipped. They ignored a slew of emails from me asking for tracking information, then finally admitted there was none because they ship internationally without tracking. Finally they got bad k to me and asked for a certain reference number which had never been provided to me. Then they said they would send a replacement unit, but have not gotten back to me about whether it was sent or not, and whether there was tracking information on this replacement. It is a thrill to hear the order limit has been lifted so that the money we lose paying for a single unit that never arrives can be multiplied by an unlimited number. That is more efficient if loosing money is your goal.

  87. Re:Still waiting...USB-ethernet by Douglas+Goodall · · Score: 1

    Oh bloody hell. All this time waiting for this board and in the last few minutes I find it uses an undocumented chipset and the ethernet is crippled by virtue of being attached by a USB interface. Like I needed to feel like a fool one more time. Perhaps I need (next time) to spend my money on a "make in america" product, and research the product more fully before waiting months for a product that never seems to arrive.

  88. Re:Speculation:Looking for someone w/IUD not gay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have been wondering if "anonymous coward" is just one guy that gets a random userid. It would explain a lot.

  89. Re:Could someone please explain to me by RockDoctor · · Score: 1
    Oh, it's an AC. Well, I'll reply anyway.

    It does seem more expensive than, e.g. repurposing an otherwise obsolete smartphone, though.

    How many I/O ports does your mobile phone expose for controling your putative robot's motors, reading it's limb positions, etc?

    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  90. Re:Could someone please explain to me by daver00 · · Score: 1

    No, I wouldn't really regard the Pi as a desktop replacement, but it can run one. I haven't really played around enough to see what happens when it starts swapping so I can't tell you I'm afraid. I would however imagine that this is heavily dependent on the read/write speeds of your SD card, which can be highly variable.