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Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

tomshardware.com

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Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#71

Post by magicalhippo »

tsak wrote: post #48
akho wrote: post #42

In a world where N100 exists, only Zero and Nano Pis are interesting. The main/x00 lines are not good deals for desktop or self-hosting use. Not sure what the point the monitor makes.

Can you spec a N100 system with 8GB of RAM and at least 32 GB of (slow) SSD and land around the £100 / $120 price point of a Raspberry Pi 500 with 27W power adapter? Not to mention the GPIO header.

This[1] semi-random example comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB of SSD for $130 + $10 shipping. Here's[2] another form factor with similar specs for $140 with free shipping.

That said, I'm sure the included RAM + SSD isn't the greatest. The ones I got in my case (different model and store) has been working fine so far, but it's a bit of gamble.

[1]: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807325349169.html

[2]: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805048559264.html

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#72

Post by [deleted] »

jens-c wrote: post #68

Unfortunately, it seems it cannot be used just as a keyboard for other devices. I have a similar gripe with iMacs and most all-in-one PCs that they cannot be used as a monitor for other devices. Once the PC/Mac inside becomes obsolete, the whole device becomes useless even though it has an excellent display that still works. This is kind of the keyboard equivalent of this.

[deleted]

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#75

Post by naikrovek »

Cumpiler69 wrote: post #35
0xEF wrote: post #19

A lot of scorn for this latest offering from Pi, but I think perspective is important here. No, most of us here do not have a use for the Pi 500 or it's display, but in part so the world where a lightweight low-consumption device can open some doors for connectivity and learning, this looks like a great solution. We tend to forget that not everyone on the planet has the same resources or needs we do.

>but in part so the world where a lightweight low-consumption device can open some doors for connectivity and learning, this looks like a great solution I hear this repeated over and over again in RPi threads, but nobody ever provides any proof of developing nations using RPis as affordable desktop computers apart from some PR articles every now and then involving partnerships and donations. This feels more of an opi…

> nobody ever provides any proof of developing nations using RPis as affordable desktop computers

Just because they're not widely used for that now doesn't make them unsuitable for that. They're an option, and options are good.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#76

Post by naikrovek »

Cumpiler69 wrote: post #63
whywhywhywhy wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's because in reality it just doesn't work that way, the reality of what education really needs is ways to collaborate on documents and sync those back to teachers, ways to broadcast or watch recordings of lessons and most of all reliability and control. In reality these needs are better served by Chromebooks or Android tablets. The fact that the Pi is a real computer and runs the real version of Python on a real O…

>Like what use would that have been? Advertising, PR, virtue signaling and maybe getting some kids into some embedded linux development who will then grow up and use the Pi in commercial products at work. Win on all fronts for the RPi corpora-, sorry I meant foundation.

You have a very myopic view, intentionally or not.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#77

Post by kiririn »

AlanYx wrote: post #20
kiririn wrote: post #9

> 45% colour gamut $100 for an e-waste monitor is poor value, for that money you can get a portable monitor with full sRGB, high refresh rate, etc

It's strange that they don't specify what gamut. I think it's possible that they mean 45% of the entire CIE gamut, which would be slightly larger than sRGB. (It's an odd way of specifying a monitor though, usually manufacturers specify as a fraction of either Adobe RGB or Display P3.)

I expected it to mean 45% NTSC.. panel gamuts are usually specified in marketing as either 45% NTSC, 100% sRGB, or some % of adobe rgb/display p3 for wide gamut

Not sure why they dropped the NTSC, maybe consumers have cottoned on to NTSC keyword = bad monitor

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#78

Post by esskay »

5d41402abc4b wrote: post #11
elashri wrote: post #4

I understand that peoppe usually use medium PI boards for electronic projects. But other that, isn't it more cost effective and organized if you get minipc (something like N100 kit) for projects like backups machine or selfhosting projects?

You can get a few generations old mini PCs with 16GB RAM and SSD at the same price as a PI.

You can sometimes even get new ones. I picked up 5 Dell Optiplex 3050's brand new in box on ebay last year for £58 (~$75 USD) a pop. Even came with a keyboard and mouse. You get a lot of office clearances on there where its places that have just bought excess then never ended up using them.

The ones I nabbed were the i7 6700T's with 16GB ram and a 128gb ssd. Total bargain and not at all that rare to find on there these days around that price point.

Oh they also all came with a Windows hardware license, not that I wanted it but another bonus.

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#79

Post by Cumpiler69 »

naikrovek wrote: post #76
Cumpiler69 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Like what use would that have been? Advertising, PR, virtue signaling and maybe getting some kids into some embedded linux development who will then grow up and use the Pi in commercial products at work. Win on all fronts for the RPi corpora-, sorry I meant foundation.

You have a very myopic view, intentionally or not.

Maybe you can detail and clarify my view on why you think that is?

Re: Raspberry Pi 500 Review: The keyboard is the computer, again

#80

Post by jens-c »

supermatt wrote: post #69
jens-c wrote: post #68

Unfortunately, it seems it cannot be used just as a keyboard for other devices. I have a similar gripe with iMacs and most all-in-one PCs that they cannot be used as a monitor for other devices. Once the PC/Mac inside becomes obsolete, the whole device becomes useless even though it has an excellent display that still works. This is kind of the keyboard equivalent of this.

Are you sure about that? Other pis can use gadget mode to act as a device (like a keyboard). Has that been specifically disabled somehow for the pi500?

That's not what I meant. I meant just using the keyboard part as a keyboard, out of the box, without the need to tinker with the pi's software and/or hardware.
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