Chesterfield Online Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pete on December 24, 2011, 06:00:56 PM

Title: The £16 computer
Post by: Pete on December 24, 2011, 06:00:56 PM
Makes you wonder where all them big prices come from... ;)

Raspberry Pi Beta Board Bring up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te8jt-jUkm8#ws)

More here - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/24/raspberry-pi-computer-launched-costing-just-16-115875-23657377/ (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/24/raspberry-pi-computer-launched-costing-just-16-115875-23657377/)
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Kent on December 26, 2011, 12:29:37 PM
Brilliant I Want One..... Could Be a Good Computer/Media Player for You Television.
Will Have To Watch Developments.
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: simondjuk on December 28, 2011, 11:33:57 AM
Im a little bit wary about this.  I cant see how something so small and simple can run a movie and a game like that.  I have a pretty high spec PC at home and it struggles with the resolution on some games.

The usual expensive part is the processor so it cant be that amazing and theres no RAM.  Wheres the PSU?  Theres also a HDMI cable to the TV but no Graphics Adapter.

I think theres something hidden somewhere making it run like that, id like to be proven wrong though.

Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Kent on December 29, 2011, 06:25:18 PM
Im a little bit wary about this.  I cant see how something so small and simple can run a movie and a game like that.  I have a pretty high spec PC at home and it struggles with the resolution on some games.

The usual expensive part is the processor so it cant be that amazing and theres no RAM.  Wheres the PSU?  Theres also a HDMI cable to the TV but no Graphics Adapter.

I think theres something hidden somewhere making it run like that, id like to be proven wrong though.

If All the Smart Phones out there can Play this Stuff......!

Yes Pete, makes you wonder where ALL these HIGH PRICES Come From?
Maybe Greed !
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: simondjuk on December 30, 2011, 08:20:54 AM
Im a little bit wary about this.  I cant see how something so small and simple can run a movie and a game like that.  I have a pretty high spec PC at home and it struggles with the resolution on some games.

The usual expensive part is the processor so it cant be that amazing and theres no RAM.  Wheres the PSU?  Theres also a HDMI cable to the TV but no Graphics Adapter.

I think theres something hidden somewhere making it run like that, id like to be proven wrong though.

If All the Smart Phones out there can Play this Stuff......!

Yes Pete, makes you wonder where ALL these HIGH PRICES Come From?
Maybe Greed !


Fair point, but smart phones cost more that £16
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Kent on December 30, 2011, 08:45:14 AM
Im a little bit wary about this.  I cant see how something so small and simple can run a movie and a game like that.  I have a pretty high spec PC at home and it struggles with the resolution on some games.

The usual expensive part is the processor so it cant be that amazing and theres no RAM.  Wheres the PSU?  Theres also a HDMI cable to the TV but no Graphics Adapter.

I think theres something hidden somewhere making it run like that, id like to be proven wrong though.

If All the Smart Phones out there can Play this Stuff......!

Yes Pete, makes you wonder where ALL these HIGH PRICES Come From?
Maybe Greed !


Fair point, but smart phones cost more that £16

Exactly the point being made
I remember back in the 80's, I built something for a commodore 64, which would have
cost you at the time around £35 to £40.
I purchased all the bits from an electronics shop up brampton For £3.50.
The actual main chip, if memory serves me right was only 0.27p.
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Fly on December 30, 2011, 09:57:12 AM
@Simon
Mr common man probably doesn't see the possibilities this little device offers.
Have a quick gander here http://www.taxmania.talktalk.net/pic2.html (http://www.taxmania.talktalk.net/pic2.html)
Yup, I'm an electronics geek too  ;D

Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Slacker on December 30, 2011, 10:38:35 AM
You lost me somewhere around "please contact me...."

I have had computers since the zx81 and the simple games machines  that loaded from a cassette, as far as I can recall, were very expensive.
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Alsatian on December 30, 2011, 04:25:43 PM
@Simon
Mr common man probably doesn't see the possibilities this little device offers.
Have a quick gander here http://www.taxmania.talktalk.net/pic2.html (http://www.taxmania.talktalk.net/pic2.html)
Yup, I'm an electronics geek too  ;D

Checked out your link and all I can say is..............WTF?  ;D

Think I'll stick to my 'etch-a-sketch'!!  ;)

BTW I took my disabled sisters' typewriter into charity shop, as she no longer uses it, and told them it was a prototype word processing machine....................................that was met with a vacant expression!!!  :'(
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Kent on January 01, 2012, 07:27:06 PM
Berluddy Hell... take a ganders at this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raspberry-Pi-Model-B-beta-board-10-limited-series-10-/180786734741?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a17baa695#ht_500wt_1156 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raspberry-Pi-Model-B-beta-board-10-limited-series-10-/180786734741?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a17baa695#ht_500wt_1156)
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Pete on January 01, 2012, 07:33:26 PM
Time to get your soldering irons out folks...  :o
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Fly on January 01, 2012, 08:04:01 PM
Nice one Kent.
Not sure about the soldering iron yet Pete,
just brushing up my Linux programming skills a bit  ;)
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: Kent on January 22, 2012, 06:16:05 PM
seems it Wont be long before you can get your hands on one

http://www.raspberrypi.org/ (http://www.raspberrypi.org/)
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: fbnts on January 25, 2012, 01:11:59 AM
I saw this in the news a few months ago and been keeping an eye on their updates and can't wait to purchase one or two.

Quote
the usual expensive part is the processor so it cant be that amazing and theres no RAM.  Wheres the PSU?  Theres also a HDMI cable to the TV but no Graphics Adapter.

General ICs are getting a lot cheaper now-a-days.  The one on the Raspberry only runs at 700mhz hence the cheap price and lack of heatsink.  It also contains a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) so does not require an external graphics adaptor.  The GPU can handle h.264 which is a codec commonly used in blueray and other HD video files.

Quote
Berluddy Hell... take a ganders at this

The beta boards fetched a stupid amount on eBay however the funds raised are used to assist in the projects goal of bringing low cost computing back into education.

Tom
Title: Re: The £16 computer
Post by: clive_thor on January 25, 2012, 07:25:52 AM
This is great, and the fact it runs XBMC (my favourite 10ft display media player) is truly great. Gonna watch for when I can buy / try one of these...