News Raspberry Pi goes on sale - briefly

Seriously Phil if you aren't interested then why do you troll on any thread that mentions Linux?


http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=XBMC+on+raspbery+pi
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=quake+3+on+raspberry+pi

 

I don't, not intentionally, but I suppose since you ask it's a good idea that people are warned of the problems that are likely to exist.

The Quake example is sort of what I mean, though: it's another instance of Linux people getting very excited about doing something everyone else considered trivial ten years ago.

 

I think we're mixing up terminology. The Debian "root filesystem" I refer to is actually the Debian SD card image - that is, a complete distribution of Debian ready to be imaged to an SD card. A Fedora distribution is also on the way very soon.

It is a single-board computer based on a Broadcom ARM processor, with 256MB of RAM, 2x USB ports, composite video, HDMI and 3.5mm audio output. It is a computer. All one needs is an operating system on an SD card and it is identical to any other desktop running Linux.

The point is that this is not something trivial; this computer can handle the vast majority of desktop tasks that the vast majority of users need for $35. This first release may be targeted at "linux people", but it is not the end of the line for this product.

 

But can you do it on a system the size of a credit card that runs on a 5v power supply, which can also decode 1080p h.264 video at full resolution with no loss of frames?

That's why people are excited.

 

I'd be quite excited if it could encode h.264 video in realtime, but I suspect it can't, because the only reason it'll be able to do the decode is because it's got some sort of hardware assist. I suppose you could plug one of those USB h.264 input devices into it, and... oh yes, linux and modern devices, drivers... forget I mentioned it...

 

The agenda shines through; you know, you could have saved yourself an awful lot of time if you'd just said "LOL LINUX SUXXORZ!!ROFL!" right at the start.

Clearly you have utterly no interest in the Raspberry Pi and are now just trolling. I'm not going to waste any more time debating the matter with you.

 

You seem to be missing the point

I had no idea it was launching because I used the mailing list to save me having to check the website for updates

 

It's $35 for flip's sake. What do you expect it to do? The fact it's $35 and can decode h.264 is a pretty good feat!

 

I've had a scan through this post and can't believe no one has mentioned farnells profiteering. £26 and rs are listing it at only £21 and change. In an ideal world RPi would have been able to put anyone who has bought one just to sell on ebay before a firing squad

 

Pretty sure Farnell's price included shipping where the RS one did not.

Raspberry Pi Twitter

 

Are you actually serious? Why don't you tell us all how much it would take to build a system that could encode H.264 at a high quality profile in real time.

Also you can tell you are a generic troll just from your attitude of linux being completely incompatible with modern devices.

 

So has anyone here actually managed to get hold of one?

 

Are you kidding me? Work all day, hoping to get an order in when I come back and it's all sold out? Anyone have any idea when it will be on sale again? Are they manufacturing more now or will they wait until the 'Educational release date'?

 

What are you supposed to do with it? Learn to code practically at a budget price, that's what it's designed for.

 

Because you're an infant.

 

Looks like this guy might have: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raspberry...aultDomain_3&hash=item1e6bc26d6b#ht_500wt_966

Quite a mark up at £50...

I'm actually quite surprised that it's the only one on ebay at the moment.

 

Even 0600 GMT is between 1000 and 0100 in the continental US this time of year, just as problematic for many working people. If anything I'd be looking at those to the East of GMT as having gotten the best deal.

I was very much in Phil's boat for awhile. People were going on about it being a great learning tool and how you can learn coding and such. To be honest it made me lose interest, not into coding and it all sounded like a fair deal of work. Then I learned about its media playing capabilities and suddenly was quite excited. Not quite as multi-purpose as my m-ITX HTPC but a fair deal cheaper and smaller.

 

What I don't get is why are you complaining and whining about it NOT being something it clearly isn't? So you aren't interested and don't find it useful? Congratulations on your promotion to Phil Rhodes: Global Usefulness Expert On Everything.

The fact that in the time I took to read the article I had thought of three useful things that *I* could use a 700MHz ARM-based computer that draws 3.5W for, says that there is a market for them beyond Phil Rhodes: Global Usefulness Expert On Everything.

Also, there are people on the planet who don't need OS, drivers and software supplied to them in neat little .exe packages with friendly wizards, simple step-by-step instructions and a reassuring hand to hold on to.

(Sometimes, you just need to use Rhetorical Weapons of Mass Sarcasm in a post. Sorry about that. That was sarcasm too.)

 

I intend to buy one as a completely silent and low power Torrent box - plug in a decent sized usb drive and you have the perfect download system to leave on 24/7.

 

Yes, but they're not really the sort of people at whom this seems to be aimed. I mean, it's supposed to be about teaching kids to code, right?

I can't describe how much this is exactly not the way to do that.