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crackerjack







Joined: 11/07/2011

Location: AustraliaPosts: 164 Senior MemberJoined: 11/07/2011Location: AustraliaPosts: 164 Posted: 10:19pm 01 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

For those who may be interested, the Raspberry Pi (of which there has been much talk, and a fair amount of hype), went on sale today...



See http://www.raspberrypi.org/ for details.



For those who don't know what it is, you can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi



Cheers...

djuqa







Joined: 23/11/2011

Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 GuruJoined: 23/11/2011Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 Posted: 10:23pm 01 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

And for those of you that haven't heard the news, they sold out within a couple hours.

[quote=CRN.com.au]RS Components and Premier Farnell, the licensed manufacturers, sold out of the Raspberry Pi within hours of its release â€“ so you'll have to be patient while the team gets the next batch together. [/quote]

Although further stocks arriving SOON.

Edited by djuqa 2012-03-03 VK4MU MicroController Units





Gizmo







Joined: 05/06/2004

Location: AustraliaPosts: 4817 Admin GroupJoined: 05/06/2004Location: AustraliaPosts: 4817 Posted: 10:55pm 01 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Wow. These things just keep getting better. The raspberrypi web page is lacking, but the wiki fills in the gaps.



Glenn People say 2020 is a terrible year, with the bush fires, COVID 19, and riots. But I see it as the year we woke up to ourselves.



JAQ Software

vasi







Joined: 23/03/2007

Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 GuruJoined: 23/03/2007Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 Posted: 01:14am 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Raspberry Pi demands crashes website



And "The Raspberry Pi is available at either Premier Farnell or RS Components.



Note: both websites are currently experiencing heavy load, and international customers may find that Raspberry Pi is not available yet in their territory. Please be patient, and consider checking back in a few hours' time." Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton

Elvish name: Mablung Miriel

Beyound Arduino Lang

JohnS





Joined: 18/11/2011

Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 GuruJoined: 18/11/2011Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 Posted: 08:23am 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Looks like about a 2 month lead time if you've not already got a confirmed date.



Seems to be that no actual deliveries at element14/Farnell or RS have yet occurred.



More hype than pie?



John

Olimex





Joined: 02/10/2011

Location: BulgariaPosts: 226 Senior MemberJoined: 02/10/2011Location: BulgariaPosts: 226 Posted: 05:48pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

djuqa said And for those of you that haven't heard the news, they sold out within a couple hours.





I do not believe this, this is what is written on their web page:



Although we are still waiting for units to arrive from China, you can start buying the Raspberry Pi today.



so they never ran this 10K batch, and now you can pre-order from Farnell and RS-Components and wait 60 days, hoping that they will finally manage to arrange the manufacturing.



it's pity as it all seems now to look like cheap advertising for Broadcom for their processor. (the man behind this project - Mr. Raspberry Pi is working for Broadcom)



They said they will produce complete linux computer with HDMI for $25, but they obviously have no any manufacturing background nor they every did production in any scale, and 10K unit production is not so easy as they think.

It was really funny to read on their forum how they intend to manufacture the boards in UK but the "import taxes" were holding them off, to build just tester for such board which to load the linux image and do the functional test for series of 10K pcs will cost about 200K GBP so they will not fit in their budged just to test the boards in UK.



$25 is the Arduino board price tag, releasing board with 256MB RAM and ARM on 700 Mhz at this price have no business logic/background - this you can achieve for board with 8bit micro or you have to not include re-seller margin and to work on really tight budged. I don't say this is not possible, there are Bit-tornet loaders on Deal Extreme for $30 which run linux but there the processor is smaller and with no HDMI, so if the chinese can't do it for $25 I don't see how UK based company will arrange the production.



The board which came close to these specs is the BeagleBone for $89 which TI sells to selected developers at cost for $50-60



Raspberry PI so far just makes press releases and sold few boards for 1000 GBP each on e-bay, they had to release this 10K batch in December, January, February, end of February and now it looks like the earliest release date through Farnell is April .. 1st



I really wanted to buy one at Embedded but had no chance.



To add on top of this the closed source code for the Broadcom processor, this board will have never mainstream linux support like Beagle and other boards which are with completely open source drivers.



vasi







Joined: 23/03/2007

Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 GuruJoined: 23/03/2007Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 Posted: 06:31pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

The price is so unreal!

OpenPandora is a better unit but, unfortunately, hard to build. Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton

Elvish name: Mablung Miriel

Beyound Arduino Lang

JohnS





Joined: 18/11/2011

Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 GuruJoined: 18/11/2011Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 Posted: 06:43pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

hmm, I think they will actually have to make and sell them at that price as Farnell wouldn't be likely to take orders otherwise.



The part about manufacture and import taxes, sadly, is true over here. Makes no sense, but then many taxes make no sense.



John

vasi







Joined: 23/03/2007

Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 GuruJoined: 23/03/2007Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 Posted: 07:31pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Actually, they have no(t enough) money! So, they need to sell before. To do that (to put pressure on the buyer), you just have to change your web page from dynamic to static . Then, when money are enough, they will pay the Chinese.

It is so similar to another board...



--------------------

Actually, this model of pre-ordering is used with success by the Blender Foundation when they intend to make tutorials on DVDs or open movies. But they do not depend on third party organizations to have their job done. They have full support from their community but also they get money from donations, sponsorship and other activities. Edited by vasi 2012-03-04 Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton

Elvish name: Mablung Miriel

Beyound Arduino Lang

Olimex





Joined: 02/10/2011

Location: BulgariaPosts: 226 Senior MemberJoined: 02/10/2011Location: BulgariaPosts: 226 Posted: 09:16pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

JohnS said hmm, I think they will actually have to make and sell them at that price as Farnell wouldn't be likely to take orders otherwise.





I can bet that there will be no $25 with the specs they anounced first!



We all saw how the $25 linux computer transformed to $35 linux computer now Farnell and RS component keep this price tag, but when you attempt to order you got $20 "handling" charge which is add to your order, so it become $55 without the shipping, so again very close to the BeagleBone price :)



the $25 price is not realistic and they used this shocking low price anouncement just to get in all news



djuqa







Joined: 23/11/2011

Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 GuruJoined: 23/11/2011Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 Posted: 09:50pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

It sounds like a lot of "Pi in the Sky"

I think price will rapidly change.

Too many projects have come un-stuck because of the reality of margins over the cost of components and manufacturing.





VK4MU MicroController Units





JohnS





Joined: 18/11/2011

Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 GuruJoined: 18/11/2011Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 Posted: 09:57pm 02 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

They're offering the Model B which they said would be $35.



I've not seen Farnell charge $20 handling fee, and people on a Linux list here weren't saying that Farnell are - so I reckon that's not happening.



The big issue for many people is that there's yet more delay.



John

jebz







Joined: 13/06/2011

Location: AustraliaPosts: 79 Regular MemberJoined: 13/06/2011Location: AustraliaPosts: 79 Posted: 12:11am 04 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

The price does seem unreal but if you compare it to any of the mass produced routers it's not much different. In fact without the case and any included user documentation or support the price is more comparable. This won't be for everyone but it will find a home in some applications.

Ray B





Joined: 16/02/2007

Location: AustraliaPosts: 219 Senior MemberJoined: 16/02/2007Location: AustraliaPosts: 219 Posted: 04:04am 04 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

The PicAxe Forum are starting to get into the Ras-Pi on following link



http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?20698-Connect-PI CAXE-210-via-radio-to-Raspberry-Pi



Cheers

RayB from Perth WA

djuqa







Joined: 23/11/2011

Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 GuruJoined: 23/11/2011Location: AustraliaPosts: 447 Posted: 01:48am 15 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

New lowered prices for Aussies buying a Raspberry Pi

Methinks demand has slowed a little! Edited by djuqa 2012-03-16 VK4MU MicroController Units





robarino





Joined: 15/03/2012

Location: SwedenPosts: 24 NewbieJoined: 15/03/2012Location: SwedenPosts: 24 Posted: 04:05pm 18 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Personally the Pi doesnt do anything for me. It does not have the convenient pins of say an arduino format that you can throw into a project. I already have a bunch of computers lying around why do I need another? Can I plug in servos and motors easily? Can I read voltage and make decisions based on those readings without spending more money on addons?



I prefer the Olimex approach. I do think what R-Pi is doing is admirable though!



Edited by robarino 2012-03-20

vasi







Joined: 23/03/2007

Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 GuruJoined: 23/03/2007Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 Posted: 04:45pm 18 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Hi @robarino,



Exactly, what means for you Arduino socket (not what means in general)?



Vasi Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton

Elvish name: Mablung Miriel

Beyound Arduino Lang

robarino





Joined: 15/03/2012

Location: SwedenPosts: 24 NewbieJoined: 15/03/2012Location: SwedenPosts: 24 Posted: 05:10pm 18 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

@vasi



I guess I don't need the arduino layout per se but I the lack of easy to use ADC means the pi cannot be easily used with my sensors. The Pi is designed to be a computer I think. It actually makes me wonder whether the line is very blurred now between a microcontroller and a computer. I just don't need that much power...



I have a Fez Hydra and that is plenty fast enough ;)



I am even happier running BASIC on the Duinomite...in 1 color! Gosh there is an awesome feeling when that basic boots up in 1 second with its greeting. I have only had the thing a few days but I LOVE IT. It is not without its problems though. I wonder if the maximite is more stable?



If I want HDMI out and OPENGL etc I would just use my computer :)

JohnS





Joined: 18/11/2011

Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 GuruJoined: 18/11/2011Location: United KingdomPosts: 2156 Posted: 11:57am 19 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

Do you mean your DM is not stable? Tell us more :)



John

robarino





Joined: 15/03/2012

Location: SwedenPosts: 24 NewbieJoined: 15/03/2012Location: SwedenPosts: 24 Posted: 09:40pm 21 Mar 2012 Copy link to clipboard Print this post Print this post

@Johns



I like the duinomite a lot and it cost me about the same as a set of shoe laces. Some things do not work though and the documentation is all over the place. I can tell you that one moment the frequency counter works and another it does not (for instance). I also think there are some features that are needed. All in all though I love this platform and it is a lot of fun. I wonder though if the MM is more reliable (in terms of documentation and reliability of basic commands etc...). I have tried 3.1 but the pin assignments are all messed up (for example)....