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Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

raspberrypi.org

751–760 of 776 posts

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#751

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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.

"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" Is there somewhere one could read more about this? Sounds nifty.

Hi Max_Mustermann, it's all in a mix of google docs and jsfiddle snippets. Once it's in a distributable format I will be sure to show HN. If you're keen to help flick me a message on twitter (even to just help structure things :) )

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#753
post #744

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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.

I've been considering buying one. How much cost do you think you spend per year on matinence?

I have a family member that had a long flirtation with MGBs and MGCs. The short answer is "as much as you're able to".

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#754

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> I have never actually seen a left-placed mouse in the wild. Then you've never seen my desk! (About 10-15% of the population is left-handed) But really, the Pi 400 supports Bluetooth 5. So I expect many/most folks will go wireless for their rodents.

I am a right hander but use my mouse with my left hand. Why? “Saving my right hand to play tabla (Indian hand drums)”.

In any case, over the years I have become very comfortable using mouse with left hand as a right hander.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#755

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That was an example. $1600 ultrabook costs $230 after 6 years. It includes display and there are cheaper models. Computing power has not changed much in the last ten years (just stay away from Intel Atom), maybe add some RAM and good to go. Bonus point — compatibility with x86 and x64 software, SATA. Raspberry Pi 400 is fine, but it is not cheapest.

Opening a brand new Pi and building up the environment is part of the attraction. An old machine that doesn’t support new features seems somehow inferior to a new machine that doesn’t support some stuff. The satisfaction in making a tiny little computer board go is very apparent when you see a kid do it, even if it’s just to make some lights flash or boot into a Nintendo 64 emulator via a console. It all feels very c…

I don't know. Booting real machine into Linux, running Nintendo 64 emulator...

The only difference I could imagine is "Pi is not a "real" computer, expectations are not high" as it does not run Microsoft Windows.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#756
post #406
post #273

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Apple made the chiclet keyboard cool again. It might be OK. Gen-x who remember the TRS80 MC10 and its keyboard remember chiclet keyboards as not much better than membrane keyboards (Consider the ZX81 Spectrum) But decades later Apple started shipping chiclet-appearing keyboards that actually worked, so the style has been somewhat revitalized. That said, yeah they could be shipping a 1980s quality chiclet keyboard or…

The modern Apple "chiclets" seem to be really just low-travel scissor keys. "Real" chiclet keys as seen on the ZX Spectrum or the original PCjr keyboard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5yIg5wmf6I were something else again. (The ZX81 was a separate, earlier computer, with a very different and even worse keyboard.)

When I was around 7 years old, our family was manufacturing ZX81, ZX Spectrum and Enterprise foil-keyboards, because the factory ones were just shit and died within a year or two.

they were all the same design. 3 layers of plastic foil. 1 for horizontal wires, 1 for vertical wires to create a matrix and a 3rd sheet of foil between them with holes, so the horizontal and vertical wires can contact when pressed.

before that, when I was around 6 years old, I remember my father was sticking round aluminum foil stickers on his finger and type directly on a keyboard made out of a PCB with a key matrix.

The keys were the shape of 2 combs facing each other and you had to short them by touching them with the alu stickers on his finger.

It was an AirComp II computer, iirc. I can't find any references to it online now...

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#757

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…

I’m left handed but finding good mice and fighting the bindings is just tiresome.

So I’m usually right handed, although I still move it around from time to time.

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#758

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!).

and it is british. anecdotally in terms of longevity and development i have seen they do the best job.

Maybe it’ll be adopted better than the Sinclair QL, you know that cheap British 16bit micro of the future... /s

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#759
post #452

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Sharing a TV with everyone and everything else in the house is far from ideal. A good number of home-computer users did it in the '80s, but only out of necessity. You need multiple fully-working TVs knocking about the house before giving one over to a computer is likely to be no problem, and that's probably a lot less universal.

Our TV sits unused during work hours for the most part, I think this is less of an issue than people are making it out to be.

Who didn’t plug their 8 bit machine into the big telly before dad got home?

Re: Raspberry Pi 400 Desktop PC

#760
post #743

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm right-handed, but I mouse with my left hand. It works well for me and I've been doing it for decades.

Me too. Due to some issues with right hand I retrained myself to use mouse with my left hand. Now I can use mouse by both hands, and in both button orientations.

You basically just convinced me that I should be training my left hand to use my mouse. In all cases except precision work (eg graphic design) it should be doable.
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