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A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15

bbenchoff.github.io

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Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15

#6
post #3

Two things: I'm not clear on why the first one would cost $10k. The enclosure, maybe? If he were going to sell these, the rule of thumb I heard was to charge the cost of parts x 10. (Edit: maybe a factor of 2? I forget.)

I was wondering the same thing.

PCBs are pretty cheap at this size, and the components wouldn't be THAT much more expensive to grab in smaller quantities.

If someone would get a group buy started just for the components and 3d case files I'd hapilly sign up and 3d print the thing.

Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15

#7
This is nice. This is a simple, straightforward design, and a reasonably convenient form factor.

Two biggest limitations are RAM and wireless interfaces, or rather lack thereof. This thing has less RAM than my router (admittedly a $70 box), and has neither WiFi nor BT. It does not seem to have many GPIO pins, too.

With the amount of RAM installed, it's mostly a handheld terminal, and maybe a handheld console with emulators for old games.

While this is admirable as a proof of concept, I suspect that moving the price point up to, say, $30 could give a much more useful and hacker-friendly device.

I greatly appreciate the split keyboard and the replaceable NiMH batteries, though.

Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15

#8
> That’s about it. Could you do all of this with a smartphone? Yeah, kinda, if you root prepaid Android phone, but even that would cost more than $30.

You can almost certainly do better than $30 on local marketplaces, or by asking friends if they have a disused smartphone sitting around.

reusing is absurdly cost efficient

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