Raspberry Pi 500+ • Hacker News Board

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#21

Post by pedro_caetano » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:32 AM UTC

threatofrain wrote: post #19

Depending on what you want to experiment with, a Mac Mini might be far more cost-productive for most people wanting to play with software and servers.

A large part of the original Ethos of the Raspberry Pi foundation is to bring back some of the technology fascination and allure that children in 1980's Britain experienced with the BBC Micro and Acorn computers (which ultimately led to today's ARM).

We can assume the 500 is meant more as a nostalgia 'one-computer-for-every-child' design more so than a powerful work house for developers.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#22

Post by LiamPowell » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:36 AM UTC

All the marketing for this advertises it as a desktop computer. What's the appeal of this compared to a cheaper and more powerful N150 NUC, or a used mini PC if it's for personal use where you just need one?

A N150 has about twice the CPU performance, hardware video decoding that isn't crippled, and much more software built for its architecture among other things.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#23

Post by rs186 » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:44 AM UTC

Where's the plus sign in the original title? The current one (with "Raspberry Pi 500") does not make any sense.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#24

Post by glimshe » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:45 AM UTC

$200 and still micro HDMI? No, thanks.

Who is this product for? I've abandoned RPi after the rise of sub $200-PCs on Amazon, which usually come with power supply, on/off buttons, dual full size HDMIs, SSDs etc etc.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#25

Post by rs186 » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:46 AM UTC

Since the original 500 was released, I don't think there is any other major manufacturer that followed, even the Chinese mini PC makers. It feels like nobody really wants this product other than maybe some Raspberry Pi users? If this form factor makes sense, you would expect other people to build similar devices, like what happened after Steam Deck.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#26

Post by TiredOfLife » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:47 AM UTC

chrismorgan wrote: post #10

> The ultimate all-in-one PC I object to this labelling: the term “all-in-one PC” has always been used to mean a computer integrated into a screen , to which you must add a keyboard and mouse (or more likely it will be bundled with a low-quality keyboard and mouse). But this is a computer integrated into a (good) keyboard , to which you must add a screen and mouse—and screens are more expensive than keyboards. Even a…

> screens are more expensive than keyboards

This keyboard https://www.norbauer.co/products/the-seneca?variant=48640876...

is more expensive than Pro Display XDR with nanotexture and the 1k stand

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#27

Post by rs186 » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:51 AM UTC

wewewedxfgdf wrote: post #16

What's the point of this? Where does it fit, who is it aimed at apart from Explaining Computers and good old Jeff Geerling (hiya Jeff!). Maybe if it has been designed into a retro style case or something? As it stands it's very hard to see who would want this.

Since the original 500's release I have never seen a single forum post (in generic tech discussions) about the product.

In other words, for me who spends lots of timing reading/watching discussions/reviews of gadgets, this never came up once, anecdotally.

I don't think you are alone in your confusion.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#28

Post by omnimus » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:52 AM UTC

LiamPowell wrote: post #22

All the marketing for this advertises it as a desktop computer. What's the appeal of this compared to a cheaper and more powerful N150 NUC, or a used mini PC if it's for personal use where you just need one? A N150 has about twice the CPU performance, hardware video decoding that isn't crippled, and much more software built for its architecture among other things.

Software support could be one if N150 wasnt x86 from intel.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#29

Post by pjmlp » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:53 AM UTC

threatofrain wrote: post #19

Depending on what you want to experiment with, a Mac Mini might be far more cost-productive for most people wanting to play with software and servers.

Sure, where can I get a new one at comparable Pi prices?

Re: Raspberry Pi 500+

#30

Post by hyperbovine » Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 9:53 AM UTC

LiamPowell wrote: post #22

All the marketing for this advertises it as a desktop computer. What's the appeal of this compared to a cheaper and more powerful N150 NUC, or a used mini PC if it's for personal use where you just need one? A N150 has about twice the CPU performance, hardware video decoding that isn't crippled, and much more software built for its architecture among other things.

Right, this thing is priced from an earlier (pre-BeeLink) era. There’s just so much more you can get for $200 nowadays, right off Amazon.