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Advantages of Raspberry Pi: No fans, no moving parts, no dust. Huge amount of software, documentation, support available.

linux2647 2y ago
Though a fan is recommended for the 4 and 5 models
agumonkey 2y ago
what software is rpi only ? honest question
- pmalynin 2y ago
  Not sure if this is still the case but I thought you could get a free version of Wolfram Mathematica for RPI for free
  - hinkley 2y ago
    Running Mathematica on underpowered hardware lead me to hate Macs for over a decade. I have concerns.
  - freeone3000 2y ago
    It’s available, but not free. The language server is free for all linuxes, sans data.
- ddulaney 2y ago
  Almost everything can be modified or configured to run on another system, but it’s pretty common for RPi to be the default or best-tested platform.
- ThatPlayer 2y ago
  A bit niche, but one software I use for my Raspberry Pi powered 3d printer is camera-streamer: https://github.com/ayufan/camera-streamer https://github.com/ayufan/camera-streamer It provides a WebRTC stream for a USB camera (or Pi Camera, what I'm using). Rather than the old, inefficient, low-quality MJPEG stream. The software itself will run on anything, but the WebRTC only works on a Pi for now.
rat9988 2y ago
Huge amount of software compared to?
- shadowgovt 2y ago
  Mostly other options with no fans, dust, or moving parts. The fact that you can run a Linux on it means you can tap into a big ecosystem of existing software. Nice to have.
- dingnuts 2y ago
  good question -- methinks the GP didn't read the article. the rpi does have a ton of software compared to other SBCs, but the article is about fking x86 machines. With power consumption so low on some of these, I feel like they defeat most of the benefit of ARM and you get way more native software on x86
- TillE 2y ago
  If you're doing stuff with the GPIO, I'm sure there's far more software written for the Raspberry Pi than anything else. If you're just using it like a normal computer, then it's not special.
  - michaelt 2y ago
    There is more and better GPIO support for Arduino, ESP32 and STM32 than anything Linux based.
tyingq 2y ago
I would add GPIO pins that are also well documented.
ThrowawayR2 2y ago
The Raspberry Pi 5's official heatsink comes with a fan and its collection of software is dwarfed by what's available for a x86 PC regardless of whether it's running Linux or Windows.
- distances 2y ago
  That fan stays idle on low loads, and if you wanted you could also leave it unplugged to just rely on the heatsink. Then again, N100 can also be bought with passive cooling. But not so sure how the mini PCs of the article would fare without a fan.
  - jki275 2y ago
    I've been running a fanless mini-pc as a firewall for years. They work just fine. The ones you get from aliexpress come in a case where half of the case is a massive heat sink, and it will get a little bit warm.
  - akira2501 2y ago
    > you could also leave it unplugged to just rely on the heatsink. You can also expect your hardware to have a shorter life.
    - distances 2y ago
      Pi will automatically throttle before running too hot. And in any case, I doubt most people run their Pis hard at all. I bet most use cases will be completely fine even without that heatsink, with no compromise on the lifespan.
BoredPositron 2y ago
Mhm... mini PC: [X] No fans available with atoms or i3s [X] No moving parts [X] x86... Huge amount of software [X] documentation The only thing is support but the raspberry foundation is also not really helpful if you go into the nitty gritty parts.
lomereiter 2y ago
For some Mini PCs there are fanless cases, e.g. from Akasa: https://akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=list%2FCHASSIS+POWER.tpl&type=FANLESS+CASES&type_sub=Mini+PC&fval=all https://akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=list%2FCHASSIS+POWER.tpl&... I've got one of those, and it houses a system with 8 CPU cores, 32 GB RAM (can be upgraded to 64 if need be), 1 TB NVMe and 4 TB SSD - and it's all inside, whereas with an RPi the SSD would have to be external. The only thing that's collecting dust now is the old RPi.
RenThraysk 2y ago
Rugged Intel NUCs have no fans.

linux2647 2y ago

Though a fan is recommended for the 4 and 5 models

agumonkey 2y ago

what software is rpi only ? honest question

pmalynin 2y ago
Not sure if this is still the case but I thought you could get a free version of Wolfram Mathematica for RPI for free
- hinkley 2y ago
  Running Mathematica on underpowered hardware lead me to hate Macs for over a decade. I have concerns.
- freeone3000 2y ago
  It’s available, but not free. The language server is free for all linuxes, sans data.
ddulaney 2y ago
Almost everything can be modified or configured to run on another system, but it’s pretty common for RPi to be the default or best-tested platform.
ThatPlayer 2y ago
A bit niche, but one software I use for my Raspberry Pi powered 3d printer is camera-streamer: https://github.com/ayufan/camera-streamer https://github.com/ayufan/camera-streamer It provides a WebRTC stream for a USB camera (or Pi Camera, what I'm using). Rather than the old, inefficient, low-quality MJPEG stream. The software itself will run on anything, but the WebRTC only works on a Pi for now.

rat9988 2y ago

Huge amount of software compared to?

shadowgovt 2y ago
Mostly other options with no fans, dust, or moving parts. The fact that you can run a Linux on it means you can tap into a big ecosystem of existing software. Nice to have.
dingnuts 2y ago
good question -- methinks the GP didn't read the article. the rpi does have a ton of software compared to other SBCs, but the article is about fking x86 machines. With power consumption so low on some of these, I feel like they defeat most of the benefit of ARM and you get way more native software on x86
TillE 2y ago
If you're doing stuff with the GPIO, I'm sure there's far more software written for the Raspberry Pi than anything else. If you're just using it like a normal computer, then it's not special.
- michaelt 2y ago
  There is more and better GPIO support for Arduino, ESP32 and STM32 than anything Linux based.

tyingq 2y ago

I would add GPIO pins that are also well documented.

ThrowawayR2 2y ago

The Raspberry Pi 5's official heatsink comes with a fan and its collection of software is dwarfed by what's available for a x86 PC regardless of whether it's running Linux or Windows.

distances 2y ago
That fan stays idle on low loads, and if you wanted you could also leave it unplugged to just rely on the heatsink. Then again, N100 can also be bought with passive cooling. But not so sure how the mini PCs of the article would fare without a fan.
- jki275 2y ago
  I've been running a fanless mini-pc as a firewall for years. They work just fine. The ones you get from aliexpress come in a case where half of the case is a massive heat sink, and it will get a little bit warm.
- akira2501 2y ago
  > you could also leave it unplugged to just rely on the heatsink. You can also expect your hardware to have a shorter life.
  - distances 2y ago
    Pi will automatically throttle before running too hot. And in any case, I doubt most people run their Pis hard at all. I bet most use cases will be completely fine even without that heatsink, with no compromise on the lifespan.

BoredPositron 2y ago

Mhm... mini PC: [X] No fans available with atoms or i3s [X] No moving parts [X] x86... Huge amount of software [X] documentation The only thing is support but the raspberry foundation is also not really helpful if you go into the nitty gritty parts.

lomereiter 2y ago

For some Mini PCs there are fanless cases, e.g. from Akasa: https://akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=list%2FCHASSIS+POWER.tpl&type=FANLESS+CASES&type_sub=Mini+PC&fval=all https://akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=list%2FCHASSIS+POWER.tpl&... I've got one of those, and it houses a system with 8 CPU cores, 32 GB RAM (can be upgraded to 64 if need be), 1 TB NVMe and 4 TB SSD - and it's all inside, whereas with an RPi the SSD would have to be external. The only thing that's collecting dust now is the old RPi.

RenThraysk 2y ago

Rugged Intel NUCs have no fans.