4 ms·

3 micro-computers you can use everyday

47 points by nwlinux 15y ago

lgeek 15y ago
I've never heard of the allwinner A10 before, and it looks great on paper: 1.5ghz Cortex-A8, 1 GB RAM, SATA, 3d graphics and hardware video decoder, and the other usual stuff like SD, HDMI, Ethernet, NAND and various other I/O ports, plus full GPL source code (I was under the impression that ARM don't release the source code for MALI drivers under GPL?). However, it looks like they haven't produced a single unit yet. It's vaporware. They hope to sell an initial batch for something closer to $70, which seems more realistic, but I still think they're overly optimistic. On the other hand, Raspberry Pi is looking good. They've had considerable delays (I think initially they were intending to start selling the boards in November), but they're making good progress and seem to have plenty of traction. Their target price seems more easily reachable considering the lower specs compared to the allwinner A10.
- asb 15y ago
  November might have been mentioned as a possibility, but end of the year or December has afaik always been the stated target. I'd hardly say delays so far are 'considerable'.
  - lgeek 15y ago
    Well, I remember them mentioning late November as a likely time to start shipping boards. You'll find some references to this on their [FAQ page](http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs). We're in late December and they haven't even sold the beta boards (although that will probably happen soon). Manufacturing and actually shipping the first large series will take some time. I'll agree that 'considerable' might be a bit too much, but they're late according to the initial schedule.
- otherpope 15y ago
  "plus full GPL source code " This is the relevant page and it does not look good: http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/kernel_compile/ http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/kernel_compile/
unwind 15y ago
If we're talking about small computers that are okay to be announced but not 100% ready to ship, I think the Open Pandora (http://www.open-pandora.org/ http://www.open-pandora.org/) deserves mention. There are some ... production kinks left to iron out, but I'm sure we'll see them shipping with some kind of predictability in, say, two months time. Currently production is being re-targeted to Germany, with what seems to be awesome results, so far. I'm very impressed by the guys behind this project, if I'm sounding very much tongue-in-cheek that's just because I bought mine in March of 2009, and am still waiting for it to ship. :)
phelmig 15y ago
Great Article, but I think it also should mention the Global Scale stuff (D2Plug, DreamPlug, etc.) (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/c-2-globalscale-technologies-products.aspx http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/c-2-globalscale-techn...) They have an identically layout, are a little bit more expensive but they ship at least!
hopeless 15y ago
From the title I'd thought this would be about practical uses of this hardware. They sound really cool but I haven't seen the big "need" that they're fulfilling.
- sourc3 15y ago
  I think these will power the next generation home entertainment centers in our living rooms. Considering all the cool hacks (streaming Pandora, looking at albums from a computer etc) the TV is going to be the giant screen hooked up to all sorts of content. Having a tiny, silent box running right behind my TV would be good.
- justincormack 15y ago
  They are small, low power, and silent. Hopefully cheap too. There has been a gap for stuff for applications like building your own tablet, netbook, robot, media centre, home automation, helicopter, 3d printer etc that people are looking to these to fill, especially now that the graphics are good enough to do video which previously ARM SoCs couldnt. You can have something under 5W a few inches square with integrated interfaces for not much money soon.
elchief 15y ago
* every day
Newky 15y ago
Will the raspberry pi ship with some form of Ubuntu? I hadn't heard this as the specific distribution of choice, but I could be wrong. Would be an interesting choice considering all of the Ubuntu media turbulence. I had heard at one stage that it would run some form of fedora. Will be interesting piece of hardware regardless.
- wcchandler 15y ago
  It was buzzed around that Ubuntu would be their targeted distro but it doesn't support ARMv6.

47 points by nwlinux 15y ago

lgeek 15y ago

I've never heard of the allwinner A10 before, and it looks great on paper: 1.5ghz Cortex-A8, 1 GB RAM, SATA, 3d graphics and hardware video decoder, and the other usual stuff like SD, HDMI, Ethernet, NAND and various other I/O ports, plus full GPL source code (I was under the impression that ARM don't release the source code for MALI drivers under GPL?). However, it looks like they haven't produced a single unit yet. It's vaporware. They hope to sell an initial batch for something closer to $70, which seems more realistic, but I still think they're overly optimistic. On the other hand, Raspberry Pi is looking good. They've had considerable delays (I think initially they were intending to start selling the boards in November), but they're making good progress and seem to have plenty of traction. Their target price seems more easily reachable considering the lower specs compared to the allwinner A10.

asb 15y ago
November might have been mentioned as a possibility, but end of the year or December has afaik always been the stated target. I'd hardly say delays so far are 'considerable'.
- lgeek 15y ago
  Well, I remember them mentioning late November as a likely time to start shipping boards. You'll find some references to this on their [FAQ page](http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs). We're in late December and they haven't even sold the beta boards (although that will probably happen soon). Manufacturing and actually shipping the first large series will take some time. I'll agree that 'considerable' might be a bit too much, but they're late according to the initial schedule.
otherpope 15y ago
"plus full GPL source code " This is the relevant page and it does not look good: http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/kernel_compile/ http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/kernel_compile/

unwind 15y ago

If we're talking about small computers that are okay to be announced but not 100% ready to ship, I think the Open Pandora (http://www.open-pandora.org/ http://www.open-pandora.org/) deserves mention. There are some ... production kinks left to iron out, but I'm sure we'll see them shipping with some kind of predictability in, say, two months time. Currently production is being re-targeted to Germany, with what seems to be awesome results, so far. I'm very impressed by the guys behind this project, if I'm sounding very much tongue-in-cheek that's just because I bought mine in March of 2009, and am still waiting for it to ship. :)

phelmig 15y ago

Great Article, but I think it also should mention the Global Scale stuff (D2Plug, DreamPlug, etc.) (http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/c-2-globalscale-technologies-products.aspx http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/c-2-globalscale-techn...) They have an identically layout, are a little bit more expensive but they ship at least!

hopeless 15y ago

From the title I'd thought this would be about practical uses of this hardware. They sound really cool but I haven't seen the big "need" that they're fulfilling.

sourc3 15y ago
I think these will power the next generation home entertainment centers in our living rooms. Considering all the cool hacks (streaming Pandora, looking at albums from a computer etc) the TV is going to be the giant screen hooked up to all sorts of content. Having a tiny, silent box running right behind my TV would be good.
justincormack 15y ago
They are small, low power, and silent. Hopefully cheap too. There has been a gap for stuff for applications like building your own tablet, netbook, robot, media centre, home automation, helicopter, 3d printer etc that people are looking to these to fill, especially now that the graphics are good enough to do video which previously ARM SoCs couldnt. You can have something under 5W a few inches square with integrated interfaces for not much money soon.

elchief 15y ago

* every day

Newky 15y ago

Will the raspberry pi ship with some form of Ubuntu? I hadn't heard this as the specific distribution of choice, but I could be wrong. Would be an interesting choice considering all of the Ubuntu media turbulence. I had heard at one stage that it would run some form of fedora. Will be interesting piece of hardware regardless.

wcchandler 15y ago
It was buzzed around that Ubuntu would be their targeted distro but it doesn't support ARMv6.