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Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

raspberrypi.org

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Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#711

Post by ThePowerOfFuet »

geerlingguy wrote: post #13

I was lucky to get a pre-release version to test, and I decided to tear it down before I started trying it out. I posted this blog post with detailed pictures of the insides, and some more details and performance benchmarks: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2020/raspberry-pi-400-tear... There are also a couple videos linked in the post, if you're more visually-inclined. Fun fact: the Pi 400 (and Compute Module 4) bo…

Edit: It looks like they're affiliate links for monetization, so what I said doesn't apply in this case as they're not the usual tracking crap Amazon et al commonly add to their sharing links.

---

You might want to replace the link to the plexiglass cutter to remove the tracking info (linking everyone who clicks it back to you); here's the smallest you can get it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZZ1D0

The same goes for your SD card links.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#712

Post by jlarcombe »

tachyonbeam wrote: post #329
Mister_Snuggles wrote: post #318

A long time ago I had a Commodore VIC-20 which was a gift from my cousin. The IBM-compatible PCs were firmly entrenched by this time, so the VIC-20 was obsolete but still functioned. I spent many hours playing with it. Once I discovered the User I/O port, I realized its true power. It wasn't a powerful computer on its own, but the fact that it could easily interface with the real world gave it abilities that the PC c…

That's what I was thinking about as well when I saw it. It's very reminiscent of the VIC-20 and C64. A tinkerer's computer. It's really cool that products like that exist again today, and are so affordable. Almost anyone can buy this for their kid for Christmas! I guess Python is the modern BASIC? I feel like what it's missing is an easy to use graphics package for drawing lines, circles and other basic shapes (kind…

pygamezero is good, does have dependencies i suppose.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#713

Post by hexadec »

core-questions wrote: post #583
ddingus wrote: post #548

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it comes with community, is relevant, etc... Sure, smarter people can literally dumpster dive and get going. I literally did that as a kid. N9 big deal. Tons of people will buy this and get a lot out of it.

> I literally did that as a kid. Wicked, would love to hear the story.

No the parent, but I did this a bunch as we grew up poor. I got an oooooold IBM PS2 notebook with 6 Windows 3.1.2 floppies from the school IT discard pile. My friends and I also created the cheapest PC we could. It was a cardboard box with a small box fan and then all the Pentium 4 guts duct taped inside.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#714

Post by brainless »

benjaminRRR wrote: post #686
brainless wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow this is the HN effect, right? I would love to get some insights. I have been wanting to get into some long-term model of social giving. I have been really lazy and only do regular donations to Watsi (YC funded) for about 6 years now. I constantly feel I need to invest more of my personal energy into this but I would like some guidance.

Is there somewhere we can discuss? I'm helping out with a curriculum to help slum kids to (web) program in Thailand in English, but in a way that they can learn English as well. I'd welcome more help (project is going slow as I'm low on spare time), and this could also help the kids in Kolkata as well.

Yes let's talk! I just saw your message here and on Twitter. Thanks.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#715

Post by soneil »

wang_li wrote: post #655
soneil wrote: post #632

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The PoE hat - at least the existing one as we know it - won't work for the 400. Besides the 40pin header it also uses another 2x2 header behind the magjack, which is where it receives the input from the ethernet jack. Oddly, this board spots a separate ethernet transformer which does support PoE, but there's no circuity to tap that, and nowhere to add it. Which begs for a modification, but seems like missed opportuni…

PoE seems off for the target audience of this device. In all likelihood the most prevalent mode of network access is going to be via wifi.

Oh totally. And I can see why they'd want to keep the component count down. Their regular keyboard is $17, and the 4GB pi4 is $55. So if you just duct-taped the pi to the keyboard, you'd already be $2 (plus tape) over the RRP of the 400.

The bit I don't get is why use an ethernet transformer at all, especially if they're not reaping the benefit from it.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#716

Post by interestica »

codysan wrote: post #349
ineedasername wrote: post #265

This blows my mind. I know, it's much more incremental than it is revolutionary, but I think the form factor achieves a much greater degree of access for many people than a typical Pi whose bare hardware may be a lot more intimidating. Now, it's "just" a computer, which happens to expose a 40-pin connector for the standard Pi hardware fun. And unlike other options you might find, this has the massive built-in communi…

It reminds me of what Apple does when it redefines a product category by "just" bringing together existing technology into a more convenient form factor and UX. That's a wonderful observation. The form factor is as clever as it is logical. Stuff like this makes me really optimistic for the future of Raspberry Pi (and widespread computing!).

The one weird thing to me is their mouse placement decision. Their promo photos and videos show it on the left side because of the most convenient usb port. I have never actually seen a left-placed mouse in the wild. Having it all look so clean and organized in the promo is a bit disingenuous.

In reality, the mouse will be on the right, and the cable will have to cross over top of all cables except the ethernet and usbc power. For such a beautiful form factor, it will look like a mess.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#717

Post by ineedasername »

jeffxtreme wrote: post #609
my123 wrote: post #574

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chromebooks right now are in a quite huge shortage: https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20201029PD205.html > Component shortages continue to disrupt Acer's Chromebook shipments, which can fulfill only 30% of customer orders, with shipments for the remainders having to be deferred, according to the company.

Ah still? Interesting. Maybe supply is geographically dependent, as I'm seeing Chromebook availability in Walmart / Amazon / directly from Acer. The sub-$200 laptops are mostly used or renewed though, so maybe school districts are more hesitant to purchase those.

They're available around me like that too, but not in sufficient quantities. If my district tried to buy 1,000 from Walmart, they wouldn't be able to. They're trickling in from suppliers slowly. It's also difficult to do a dozen of one type, 50 of another model, etc. The district needs to support these, and the more models there are the bigger the burden of support, different OS versions and levels of support/updates from the manufacturer. So, not a first choice, but it's still better than nothing. If they managed to get 200 more kids learning then it would be worth it.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#718

Post by paulcarroty »

geerlingguy wrote: post #353
codysan wrote: post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It reminds me of what Apple does when it redefines a product category by "just" bringing together existing technology into a more convenient form factor and UX. That's a wonderful observation. The form factor is as clever as it is logical. Stuff like this makes me really optimistic for the future of Raspberry Pi (and widespread computing!).

It's one of those designs where you kind of go "ah yes, I thought that would be a good idea". But before you saw it you might never have planned it in your head exactly the way it is. The iPod was like that for me, with its scrolling click wheel. Like getting to the platonic form of a specific type of device. The Pi 400 is the completion of the idea of an educational computer for kids, IMO. It's not going to compete…

> the idea of an educational computer for kids

Especially for poor kids in Africa/Asia/etc. Hope it will be the "educational iPod" for them.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#719

Post by Angostura »

acomjean wrote: post #680
qz2 wrote: post #490

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a British person we tend to tell everyone we do that and people believe it. However it’s not necessarily true. We produced a ridiculously large amount of crap to the point we nearly killed our manufacturing industry. If there’s anything to aspire to its Hewlett Packard’s test and measurement and computing offerings between 1960 and 1990.

My mom had an MGB in the late 60/early 70s. While she loved that car she didn’t love it’s reliability. Those Brompton folding bikes are pretty well made, though pricey even with the deflated pound.

I've still got a 1971 MGB. Apart from problems with the electrics - batteries go flat in winter, it's pretty easy to fix most things by hitting it with a hammer.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#720

Post by blisterpeanuts »

interestica wrote: post #716
codysan wrote: post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It reminds me of what Apple does when it redefines a product category by "just" bringing together existing technology into a more convenient form factor and UX. That's a wonderful observation. The form factor is as clever as it is logical. Stuff like this makes me really optimistic for the future of Raspberry Pi (and widespread computing!).

The one weird thing to me is their mouse placement decision. Their promo photos and videos show it on the left side because of the most convenient usb port. I have never actually seen a left-placed mouse in the wild. Having it all look so clean and organized in the promo is a bit disingenuous. In reality, the mouse will be on the right, and the cable will have to cross over top of all cables except the ethernet and u…

The keyboard comes with Bluetooth 5.0; maybe the promo would look a bit cleaner with a bluetooth mouse, or at least a 2.4GHz wireless mouse and dongle.
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