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Order Limit On Raspberry Pi Lifted
hypnosec writes "Raspberry Pi, the small $35 ARM-based computer system capable of running Linux that took the world of technology by storm just a few months back, has its order limit shackles removed as it has been revealed that manufacturers are now producing 4000 units per day. The Raspberry Pi Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the tiny computer, has said that RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell have started producing enough units to allow them to scrap the order limit on Raspberry Pi. In a blog post, the foundation made the announcement. Initially the limit of one unit per customer was placed in the light of limited stocks. Despite these limits, there was always a shortage and people had to wait for long time to get their hands on one of these credit card sized computers."
If you are making an embeded system such as a robot, house control system, etc. this will be cheaper than buying a full computer.
you gave one of the answers, size!
Low power, 35$ 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);
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.
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!
I wonder if they called the cap on raspberry orders... wait for it... the raspberry beret.
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
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.
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
Because the price *is* an issue.
Dangit, couldn't you have waited to post the slashdot article until I had ordered mine?
--Joe
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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?
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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"
"Dispatch expected in 11 weeks"
That's what the raspberry pi website says.
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=10516&p=119100&hilit=web+browsing#p118172
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
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"
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).
It is more flexible than the old phone option though, especially for those of use who don't have one lying around.
...) depending on what you are wanting it to do.
* 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,
It's called Google mate, try it :)
or the second link in the text which have links to both companies
http://bit.ly/PYXUgl
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.
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"
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.
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)
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.
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
RS does not even answer my emails.
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
Before you run too far with this, most kids will need more than $25 to get started. A monitor, keyboard etc. or a separate PC to ssh from. It all adds up.
True, but they Pi team observed that there's loads of keyboards and mice going to landfill. For a display, there's composite to an old TV (sounds awful, but we managed in the 80s/90s) HDMI to a new TV, or get a dedicated monitor. It *is* a shame the Pi has no analogue VGA for all the CRT VGA monitors going begging.
And if you can later learn to code in C, your project may not even need an ATmega328. As an example, the ATtiny13A is only 1.06$CAD at Digi-Key.ca.
If you happen to buy regularly from Digikey, this one might work for you @ $6.40 plus shipping.
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
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.
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.
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!
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...
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.
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
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
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).
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.
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
The answer to all your problems
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!
Does that mean I can now order a beowulf cluster of these...? Imagine...!
I reserve the right to be wrong.
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.
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..
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...
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
That should be 64B of RAM. Oops.
Sent from my PDP-11
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.
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
Yes, but there wasn't much in those windows. These days we expect more.
No sig today...
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...
That's why the Raspberry Pi is part of an ecosystem including stuff like Code Club,
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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"
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.