Raspberry Pi Gets 512MB Filling

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Raspberry Pi Gets 512MB Filling

Posted by samzenpus on Monday October 15, 2012 @01:35AM from the bigger-and-better dept.

sfcrazy writes "Good (and bad) news for Raspberry Pi lovers, the Model B has been upgraded to 512MB RAM from 256MB. Bad news is for those who already got their Model B shipments because all those who have outstanding orders with either distributors will get the *upgraded* version of the device, means with 512MB RAM instead of 256MB. The upgraded devices should be arriving to customers from today onwards. Raspberry Pi team will be pushing a firmware upgrade soon so these news devices can detect and use the additional RAM."

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"Bad news" by Bronster · 2012-10-15 01:41 · Score: 5, Insightful

That's what happens when you adopt early, you get earlier revisions of stuff.
The alternative would be to never upgrade for fear of making the early adopters sad. Of course there has to be a balance, but most non-assholes accept that this is how things work.
On the plus side, they actually HAVE their Pi now, and have had the use of it already. If they hadn't bought it (collectively), there would be no Pi.
Mmm, Pi.
1. Re:"Bad news" by mfh · 2012-10-15 01:45 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  That's what happens when you adopt early, you get earlier revisions of stuff.
  Early adopters get a rare slice of history. Nothing wrong with that.
  
  --
  The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
2. Re:"Bad news" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-15 01:48 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  @ $35, it's not even an issue. buy a second one! wooo.
3. Re:"Bad news" by decipher_saint · 2012-10-15 02:02 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Hmm, I guess the alternative is to wait until just before the end of time to buy all your devices.
  (but you just know they have better devices in a parallel universe anyway)
  
  --
  crazy dynamite monkey
4. Re:"Bad news" by kelemvor4 · 2012-10-15 02:05 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  @ $50, it's not even an issue. buy a second one! wooo.
  FTFY. Although at this point, I didn't really buy a pi, I loaned them 50 bucks.
5. Re:"Bad news" by MightyYar · 2012-10-15 02:31 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I know I said in the past that I would buy one when Western Digital started making them
  I know, I'm waiting for Boeing to start making automobiles. Toyotas just aren't reliable enough ;p
  Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I personally think you are better off with an Intel SSD, since intel has experience with chips. WD might know how to make a good spinning disk, but AFAIK they don't own a single chip fab.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
6. Re:"Bad news" by msauve · 2012-10-15 02:52 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "I guess the alternative is to wait until just before the end of time to buy all your devices."
  
  Even better, if you're buying at the end of time, pay with credit!
  
  --
  "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
7. Re:"Bad news" by Gaygirlie · 2012-10-15 02:53 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  The reason they were able to upgrade the Pi to 512MB is exactly because the 256MB - version was so popular. If there had not been such demand there still wouldn't be 512MB - version. So basically, you're annoyed because it is popular and therefore managed to get a discount -- rather illogical from your part.
8. Re:"Bad news" by Dishevel · 2012-10-15 03:33 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Everybody STOP!
  Do not improve anything. AC just bought something and we must respect his feelings in this matter.
  
  --
  Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
9. Re:"Bad news" by Gaygirlie · 2012-10-15 03:37 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It's not 1994 anymore, ram is dirt cheap. Putting in 512mb from the start SHOULD have been obvious at the design meeting, would not have added significant cost, and would not have fragmented the software base, as now there will be different version for stuff with differing amounts of ram.
  The manufacturers weren't convinced there'd be enough demand for the Pi and therefore getting a deal for 512MB chips would indeed have increased the price of the device quite a bit. Also, your argument is like saying that they should never ever do upgraded versions of anything whatsoever because -- gee whiz! -- there will be new versions of stuff to make use of new possibilities!
Bring on the Android Pi by judgecorp · 2012-10-15 01:42 · Score: 4, Interesting

One exciting thing is the Pi can now run the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android... http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/raspberry-pi-512mb-ram-96143
How about actually shipping them? by Terrasque · 2012-10-15 01:43 · Score: 4, Interesting

How about actually, you know, shipping the things? Ordered a month ago, only thing I've got from it so far is an automated email and a PI-shaped hole in my paypal account..
Less mucking about, more actually delivering stuff please.

--
It's The Golden Rule: "He who has the gold makes the rules."
1. Re:How about actually shipping them? by Terrasque · 2012-10-15 01:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Ordered from raspberrypi.rsdelivers.com - one of the two that was recommended from http://www.raspberrypi.org/ page.
  I looked at element14 but they didn't seem to have a casing for it, so I ended up at the other recommended place.
  
  --
  It's The Golden Rule: "He who has the gold makes the rules."
2. Re:How about actually shipping them? by rdnetto · 2012-10-15 02:19 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Here's a useful reference point: I ordered one from both element14 and RS at the same time. The RS one arrived several weeks after the one from element14. I ordered another one from element14 more recently, and it arrived in under 3 weeks.
  AFAICT, most of the people complaining ordered theirs from RS. I suspect part of the reason may be that RS is using a completely separate website and therefore likely has a completely separate administrative process for fulfilling orders, which isn't as capable. Element14 just added them as items to their regular site, so they aren't subject to the same limitations. (I'd say that was a pretty good move on their part, given that I've since ordered lots of more obscure components from them.)
  
  --
  Most human behaviour can be explained in terms of identity.
Re:Good site for Raspberry Pi hardware? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-15 01:51 · Score: 3, Informative

Adafruit.com has some nifty items. Also checkout hackaday.com for some interesting raspi stuff.
Re:Good site for Raspberry Pi hardware? by capedgirardeau · 2012-10-15 02:18 · Score: 4, Informative

I would check out the RPi forums and potentially the wiki. There are a lot of folks who use the RPi for robotics.
Here is a link to the sub forum that includes robotics, but I bet there are robotics threads in lots of other places on their forums as well:
http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=37
And here is the RPi wiki:
http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub
Feel free to ask on the forums, I have found them to be very friendly.

--
Wax on, wax off baby!
switch distributors by Chirs · 2012-10-15 02:48 · Score: 4, Informative

The one distributor (RS, I think) is notorious for crazy long shipping times, while the other has almost always had stock. Cancel your order, go with the other guy.
1. Re:switch distributors by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-15 03:13 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Parent post is correct: RS has had atrociously long shipping times (though they'll charge your credit card almost immediately). Go with Farnell/Newark/Element instead.
  And if you're not keen on trusting an AC's posting, go check the Shipping forum on the Raspberry Pi site for a second opinion.
Re:Some Pi Alternatives by jockm · 2012-10-15 04:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Hmm none of those systems have open pins for hardware work, only one is roughly the same size, you can't really install any linux you want on most of them, only one can be run off of AA batteries.
And while you can to a lot with the hardware you mentioned, it isn't the same as having a small, relatively powerful, piece of generic hardware.
Binary blobs don't bother everyone...

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What do you know I wrote a novel