4 ms·

Feels like the ubiquity of these kinds of how-tos implies that the Raspberry Pi is an abundant, ready-to-hand device, which hasn't been true for a few years now

Feels like the ubiquity of these kinds of how-tos implies that the Raspberry Pi is an abundant, ready-to-hand device, which hasn't been true for a few years now. But maybe we’ll get there again soon? Seems like I’ve read people being optimistic about rpi sourcing but it also hasn’t really materialized yet.

jamiek88 3y ago
The prices aren’t that bad on eBay etc right now. The pi 4 8gb is around $100. I bought one last week for $98. Circa $30 over old retail but then they and so much else will never get back there. Why would it when people will pay the new normal?
bequanna 3y ago
I’ve watched this for the past few months and picked up a Zero W and rpi 3 at msrp. https://rpilocator.com/ https://rpilocator.com/?
- musicale 3y ago
  > watched this for the past few months yeah I got tired of doing that
hinkley 3y ago
Would be good if more people called this out. I said something regarding how memory inefficient software is these days and how that makes pi clones difficult to use as a sandbox and someone helpfully responded back about how I should be using some model of RPi for that. First, I already have devices. Second, people are still waiting in like to get Pi’s and based on the last interview I saw the Raspberry people think the system is working. They don’t want to raise their prices. I am fairly sure if you have more money to offer your suppliers that scarce components are easier to get ahold of. They could keep their margins the same and raise their rates and generate a lot more revenue.
- LeoPanthera 3y ago
  > Would be good if more people called this out. "Call it out"? For what? Do you think the Raspberry folks are just choosing to not make enough? I'm pretty sure they don't like the current situation as much as you don't.
  - hinkley 3y ago
    They’ve chosen not to raise prices in a parts shortage and are calling it a virtue. Meanwhile the common advice is to buy them off of eBay at elevated prices. Essentially scalping. You can pay suppliers preferential prices for preferential treatment. That has been Apple’s MO for a decade and a half. Raise your prices until demand just starts to taper. Use the money to butter up suppliers (place bigger orders, pay cash on delivery, in advance, whatever). Get it done, stop patting yourself on the back for five years running for not being able to keep up with demand.
    - LeoPanthera 3y ago
      > They’ve chosen not to raise prices They did raise prices. https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/supply-chain-shortages-and-our-first-ever-price-increase/ https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/supply-chain-shortages-and-...
  - nyanpasu64 3y ago
    They've chosen to prioritize selling to businesses ordering hundreds of Pis for field-deployed devices, over individual hobbyists ordering single-digit quantities for tinkering and hacking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aL9V0JsQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aL9V0JsQQ).
    - musicale 3y ago
      It did seem like something of a bait-and-switch and contrary to the educational mission. Certainly inconvenient for hobbyists, students and instructors. It would be better if there were more boards that were hardware and software compatible with the Pi.
haberman 3y ago
I saw this article a few days ago, hopefully it is true: https://www.pcworld.com/article/1939160/at-last-the-raspberry-pi-shortage-is-finally-coming-to-an-end.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/1939160/at-last-the-raspberr...
geerlingguy 3y ago
The number of people I know who have been waiting to buy a Pi and actually get one has gone from about 1 a month to about 2 a week in the past couple months. It's slow but steady, seeing more in stock notifications from authorized resellers on rpilocator.com, and the stock doesn't deplete for 30 minutes to an hour now, instead of like 5-10 minutes earlier this year.
- velcrovan 3y ago
  Good to hear. Love all your work!
- musicale 3y ago
  That's.... progress I guess.
rcarmo 3y ago
Given the continued prevalence of this kind of comment, I think people have missed the recent updates regarding supply chain slowly normalizing until the end of the year (you can now buy Zeros in packs of 10 at some UK a and EU retailers, at non-scalping prices). Worse, I suspect this will become an urban legend of sorts even when there are no more shortages.

jamiek88 3y ago

The prices aren’t that bad on eBay etc right now. The pi 4 8gb is around $100. I bought one last week for $98. Circa $30 over old retail but then they and so much else will never get back there. Why would it when people will pay the new normal?

bequanna 3y ago

I’ve watched this for the past few months and picked up a Zero W and rpi 3 at msrp. https://rpilocator.com/ https://rpilocator.com/?

musicale 3y ago
> watched this for the past few months yeah I got tired of doing that

hinkley 3y ago

Would be good if more people called this out. I said something regarding how memory inefficient software is these days and how that makes pi clones difficult to use as a sandbox and someone helpfully responded back about how I should be using some model of RPi for that. First, I already have devices. Second, people are still waiting in like to get Pi’s and based on the last interview I saw the Raspberry people think the system is working. They don’t want to raise their prices. I am fairly sure if you have more money to offer your suppliers that scarce components are easier to get ahold of. They could keep their margins the same and raise their rates and generate a lot more revenue.

LeoPanthera 3y ago
> Would be good if more people called this out. "Call it out"? For what? Do you think the Raspberry folks are just choosing to not make enough? I'm pretty sure they don't like the current situation as much as you don't.
- hinkley 3y ago
  They’ve chosen not to raise prices in a parts shortage and are calling it a virtue. Meanwhile the common advice is to buy them off of eBay at elevated prices. Essentially scalping. You can pay suppliers preferential prices for preferential treatment. That has been Apple’s MO for a decade and a half. Raise your prices until demand just starts to taper. Use the money to butter up suppliers (place bigger orders, pay cash on delivery, in advance, whatever). Get it done, stop patting yourself on the back for five years running for not being able to keep up with demand.
  - LeoPanthera 3y ago
    > They’ve chosen not to raise prices They did raise prices. https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/supply-chain-shortages-and-our-first-ever-price-increase/ https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/supply-chain-shortages-and-...
- nyanpasu64 3y ago
  They've chosen to prioritize selling to businesses ordering hundreds of Pis for field-deployed devices, over individual hobbyists ordering single-digit quantities for tinkering and hacking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aL9V0JsQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_aL9V0JsQQ).
  - musicale 3y ago
    It did seem like something of a bait-and-switch and contrary to the educational mission. Certainly inconvenient for hobbyists, students and instructors. It would be better if there were more boards that were hardware and software compatible with the Pi.

haberman 3y ago

I saw this article a few days ago, hopefully it is true: https://www.pcworld.com/article/1939160/at-last-the-raspberry-pi-shortage-is-finally-coming-to-an-end.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/1939160/at-last-the-raspberr...

geerlingguy 3y ago

The number of people I know who have been waiting to buy a Pi and actually get one has gone from about 1 a month to about 2 a week in the past couple months. It's slow but steady, seeing more in stock notifications from authorized resellers on rpilocator.com, and the stock doesn't deplete for 30 minutes to an hour now, instead of like 5-10 minutes earlier this year.

velcrovan 3y ago
Good to hear. Love all your work!
musicale 3y ago
That's.... progress I guess.

rcarmo 3y ago

Given the continued prevalence of this kind of comment, I think people have missed the recent updates regarding supply chain slowly normalizing until the end of the year (you can now buy Zeros in packs of 10 at some UK a and EU retailers, at non-scalping prices). Worse, I suspect this will become an urban legend of sorts even when there are no more shortages.