Author Topic: Full computer for $25 (Read 44614 times)

tonycollinet · « **on:** 03 November, 2011, 07:12:52 pm »

(Or $35 if you want a network port)

Not sure why this has not been posted before. Looks very interesting for geeks (and there's a lot of them here)

Full arm based linux capable computer with USB network, and HDMI for $35 (OK you don't get a box for that - or a PSU, but it'll run of a USB connection). Possibly interesting for home server applications due to the very low power requirements. Main drawback is that being arm based, any applications would need to be ported before they can be used.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

pcolbeck · « **Reply #1 on:** 03 November, 2011, 08:01:51 pm »

Quote from: tonycollinet on 03 November, 2011, 07:12:52 pm

(Or $35 if you want a network port)
Main drawback is that being arm based, any applications would need to be ported before they can be used.

Just run Debian on it as they have an Arm version.

andygates · « **Reply #2 on:** 03 November, 2011, 08:07:41 pm »

I sense fun in the home automation and tinkering robotics arenas.

hubner · « **Reply #3 on:** 03 November, 2011, 08:16:27 pm »

It's not a full computer is it? It's more like a base unit.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #4 on:** 03 November, 2011, 08:52:17 pm »

Well, you can plug iit into a monitor, keyboard, mouse, (cheap) psu and network, and run stuff on it.

Seems pretty much like a full computer to me.

Kim · « **Reply #5 on:** 03 November, 2011, 09:20:11 pm »

Ooh, shiny.

rusky · « **Reply #6 on:** 03 November, 2011, 09:20:25 pm »

Fedora ARM version here...
http://www.spinics.net/linux/fedora/fedora-arm/msg02188.html

tonycollinet · « **Reply #7 on:** 03 November, 2011, 09:52:01 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 03 November, 2011, 09:20:11 pm

Ooh, shiny.

Indeed! Feel the gleam!

David Martin · « **Reply #8 on:** 03 November, 2011, 11:48:04 pm »

Ooohh, shiny. Runs fedora arm Linux - should be able to stick a USB hub and some temperature monitoring stuff on that, and link it via wireless to the network.

Hmm.. starting to be very interested. Anyone interested in a group buy (as it will be from over the pond and a group buy might reduce shipping costs)

pcolbeck · « **Reply #9 on:** 03 November, 2011, 11:50:50 pm »

Its a UK outfit ....

Biggsy · « **Reply #10 on:** 03 November, 2011, 11:59:15 pm »

Quote

You may have seen on our forums that we’re mulling the possibility of limiting sales to those who are prepared to donate the cost of a Raspberry Pi to the foundation at the same time as they buy one

In other words, they're considering doubling the price.

I love the name anyway: Raspberry Pi.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #11 on:** 04 November, 2011, 07:56:22 am »

On the other hand, they are not for profit. It is only for the first 10K pieces (or possibly first couple of weeks), and it is a "buy one, donate one" model. Looks like it is voluntary also.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=957

andygates · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 January, 2012, 06:58:48 pm »

A capable little thing, and by design unrestricted enough to allow funhax. Viz:

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/01/the-15-raspberry-pi-can-stream-video-from-ipad-to-tv-using-airplay/

David Martin · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 January, 2012, 11:42:46 pm »

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one. I'm enjoying arduino hacking so will love the raspberry pi. I have plans for building a fully electronic roller racing rig.

Hook it up to a projector and then have a chat to one of our club members who used to develop stuff for Realtime Worlds about some graphics visualisation. Be cool to get competitors faces mapped on to 3D avatars racing on a virtual (or real) velodrome. Have to go and photograph the local track in detail but could in theory add any circuit you like (Super Mario Kart anyone?)

hazeii · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 January, 2012, 10:51:51 am »

As it happens I and a couple of others have been working on something similar for a couple of years now, using PC's and PIC micros (to detect speed, cadence and heart rate) hooked up to GMaps and Google Earth - to make those club turbo sessions a bit more interesting! I'll ping over details if you're interested - shouldn't be hard to interface it with an Arduino.

The great thing about the Pi is, of course, that it has video output - so it'll be possible to build these kinds of rig without needing a PC.

David Martin · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 January, 2012, 01:35:35 pm »

Cool - sounds like fun.

I was thinking of putting a debouncer on the reed switch on the rollers, linked through a binary counter. I reckon that at 100kph it has to be capable of detecting a signal every 15ms for a single magnet on a 10cm roller.

Not wanting to have to scan 4 inputs continuously for the signals, I'd put the counters (probably 8-bit for integrity though 4 bit would probably work and would halve the number of components) onto a PISO shift register which would allow me to read all channels synchronously from a minimum of GPIO pins as and when I want. This effectively decouples the need to scan the inputs from the rollers as I can rely on the counters to store that information and then calculate change, as long as I sample with sufficient frequency.

So I could scan that every 100 ms or so and punt the results upstream to the computer that can deal with the signals and calculate the graphics layout.

I should have enough bits kicking about (when the cheap as chips ICs arrive) that I can put together a prototype of the hardware, read output from serial and then cobble together a very basic GUI with python/TK, processing or similar.

David Martin · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 February, 2012, 01:50:51 pm »

Manufacturing of the first production run will be complete on 20th February. Sales before teh end of the month.

There are 10k in the first batch and over 90k people on the mailing list..

tonycollinet · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 February, 2012, 05:39:59 pm »

There is even a 'droid app which monitors the pi shop, and alerts you if it changes.

. I'm not that desperate. Will wait for the second batch unless I happen to get lucky.

TimO · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 February, 2012, 07:37:42 pm »

I had been popping to the shop every so often, until they said that the current plan was for it to appear on the 20th!

I could definitely use this instead of the Teensys that I'm currently using for an EGSE (Electronic Ground Support Equipment) on our CubeSat instrument. The much more powerful design, and larger memory plus Ethernet, would allow us to just plug a screen and keyboard into it, dump the data onto an SD Card, and also allow access to the data across a network, all desirable features. At the moment I have to use a PC as a host for the Teensy, but this would allow us to have a self contained unit for almost the same money. Yay!

David Martin · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 February, 2012, 07:56:03 pm »

Tims rocket has it's own web page. Cool! I wonder how many units they will order for the second run, given the average number of units sold per person on the mailing list will probably be at least 1.5 and there are 90+K people on the list..

Probably the most exciting thing computaitonally for a long time.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #20 on:** 29 February, 2012, 06:25:48 am »

Well they've just made this announcement (sales through RS and Farnell distribution)

Both Farnell, and RS websites have fallen over. It's just like a DDOS attack.

TimO · « **Reply #21 on:** 29 February, 2012, 06:57:28 am »

Not entirely surprisingly!

It seems to have utterly killed Farnell and RS access, even via my work pipes, which are much bigger than most companies.

Even using the access I'd use to purchase through work (which I couldn't use to buy this), I can't get through to them. I suspect they'll regret agreeing to this, it's likely to cost them significant money in lost sales.

rusky · « **Reply #22 on:** 29 February, 2012, 07:00:17 am »

According to the Pi Twitter feed, Farnell may well have sold out

TimO · « **Reply #23 on:** 29 February, 2012, 07:12:20 am »

I'd love to know how, I've barely managed to get more than a slight response from either companies website, and that's using works big pipe, as well as trying at home. $:-\$

rusky · « **Reply #24 on:** 29 February, 2012, 07:15:00 am »

RS "Register here to express an interest in Raspberry Pi"

There are also reports on Twitter that RS won't sell to private individuals!!