The £16 computer

[Pete]

Makes you wonder where all them big prices come from...

Raspberry Pi Beta Board Bring up

More here - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/24/raspberry-pi-computer-launched-costing-just-16-115875-23657377/

[Kent]

Brilliant I Want One..... Could Be a Good Computer/Media Player for You Television.
Will Have To Watch Developments.

[simondjuk]

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.

[Kent]

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 !

[simondjuk]

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

[Kent]

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.

[Fly]

@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
Yup, I'm an electronics geek too 

[Slacker]

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.

[Alsatian]

@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
Yup, I'm an electronics geek too 

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

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!!! 

[Kent]

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

[Pete]

Time to get your soldering irons out folks... 

[Fly]

Nice one Kent.
Not sure about the soldering iron yet Pete,
just brushing up my Linux programming skills a bit 

[Kent]

seems it Wont be long before you can get your hands on one

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

[fbnts]

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.

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.

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

[clive_thor]

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...