[News] Raspberry Pi computer, is it rational?

[Notebook]

Bit of info for the model B




Raspberry Pi Linux Specs
SoC Broadcom BCM2835 (CPU, GPU, DSP, and SDRAM)
CPU: 700 MHz ARM1176JZF-S core (ARM11 family)
GPU: Broadcom VideoCore IV, OpenGL ES 2.0, 1080p30 h.264/MPEG-4 AVC high-profile decoder
Memory (SDRAM): 256 Megabytes (MiB)
Video outputs: Composite RCA, HDMI
Audio outputs: 3.5 mm jack, HDMI
Onboard storage: SD, MMC, SDIO card slot
10/100 Ethernet RJ45 onboard network
Storage via SD/ MMC/ SDIO card slot

N.

[Ghostrider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarvitä

 Except they can't, because the chip design hasn't been released, the graphics driver is proprietary and the GPIO logic is heavily obfuscated.

Then we'll use it to control homemade homing missiles or spider-shaped killer robots.

[TMac3000]

I think its cool. You can't beat a cheap educational computer that runs Linux

[Urwumpe]

I can't really see any reason behind the complaints...just name one graphics driver that is not proprietary.

It is a pretty fast board with a lot of memory and on-board graphics for just 25 Euros. I pay 35 Euro for a 80 MHz 32 bit ATMega board with less hardware and more GPIO. Or 155 Euro for a BeagleBoard with just a bit more power.

It is not open-hardware, OK. But it is not more expensive, quite contrary. I can really understand its appeal, especially since 25 euro is not that much for just trying it out. A BeagleBoard is a more serious investment.

[garyw]

I don't really understand the point of these but thats maybe because I'm a sysadmin and not a programmer. Now give me something I can throw disks and network cards into and I'm happy.

[Notebook]

Some i/o boards are available, this looks useful:

http://piface.openlx.org.uk/

N.

[TMac3000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urwumpe

 ...just name one graphics driver that is not proprietary.

Nouveau

[Urwumpe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMac3000

 Nouveau

Is still not 100% open-source since it is about reverse engineering the interfaces of NVidia cards.

And the problem then: You also need NVidia hardware. Not really optimal.

[Artlav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyw

 I don't really understand the point of these but thats maybe because I'm a sysadmin and not a programmer. Now give me something I can throw disks and network cards into and I'm happy.

Random case #1 - you want to know how to administer a cluster. You get 9 boards for $325, a hub and some wires - voilà, a mini-cluster with all the needed patterns.

Random case #2 - you need something to both control a piece of hardware with motors and sensors and at the same time process and store a large stream of information coming from the same sensors, all the while running off batteries inside a cramped unventilated box.

And so on. Uses are unlimited.

[Jarvitä]

May get this on one of the subsequent batches. All its weaknesses are really insignificant when you look at the price. The main use I can imagine for it is as a uC with a built-in development kit.

Quote:

Random case #2 - you need something to both control a piece of hardware with motors and sensors and at the same time process and store a large stream of information coming from the same sensors, all the while running off batteries inside a cramped unventilated box.

It's battery powered?

[Artlav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarvitä

 It's battery powered?

It have a place to attach power to. With W level power consumption it can run off AA batteries easy.
Also, they won't provide a power supply with the board, you'll have to make/get one on your own.

[Ghostrider]

Now, imagine a Beowulf cluster of these.

[Artlav]

Consider this: The first 10000 batch have already been sold out by now, and they are having "over 600 registrations of interest, visits or pre-orders every second" at Farnell alone.

Amazing to see such interest in a thing so opposite from an iPhone.

[Linguofreak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarvitä

 nor is it a fully functional computer (ARM, severely underpowered).

You're just spoiled by Moore's law. It actually compares quite favorably to a 10-year old desktop machine that I have here at home.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notebook

 I don't know what chip it runs, the BBC report says it runs UNIX/Debian?

EDIT: I'm probably getting confused between UNIX/LINUX, know nothing about either...

My cloth ears, he says" Debian/Linux"

N.

This might clear up some of the confusion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix-like

[TMac3000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urwumpe

 Is still not 100% open-source since it is about reverse engineering the interfaces of NVidia cards.

And the problem then: You also need NVidia hardware. Not really optimal.

Conceded
I remember trying to get an Nvidia card to work in Fedora 9 as my introduction to desktop Linux. It was absolute hell, but once I got it working, it was quite adequate.

But do you sort of have to reverse-engineer proprietary hardware to make an open source driver for it?