Nerds assemble! Raspberry pi close to launch date.

Subliminal Aura · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:25

metbandit1 said:
Its getting all this publicity because its marketed very well.

BS and where is this marketing that you talk about? Have you even seen their videos, it makes me want to cringe.

The facts are that it has been pushed because it's about the first thing a British company has produced in an Eon and a half.

Don't get me wrong I'm happy for it but too much hype for what is essentially nothing innovative.

Em3bbs · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:28

VeNT said:
looks like the Farnell sites been ocuked

Umm, I think demand stretches a little further than OcUK. I've had friends from Finland and Norway asking if I could get one this morning.

metbandit1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:29

Marketing doesn't necessarily mean its been paid for. It has sold itself and subject to that others have sold it for them effectively. A good product will always sell itself. This is a good example of that.

Em3bbs is right you do seem really angry over this. Easiest thing for you if you don't like seeing people buy it is to leave the thread and count to 10 to calm yourself down a bit.

touch · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:44

Subliminal Aura said:
WHY are so many people being suckered in to this crap ?
Just buy yourself a mini/pico system for only a few bucks more that is 1000s of times more powerful.

That sounds good, can you give us a link to this pico system for only a few bucks more please?

sigma · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:52

Subliminal Aura said:
WHY are so many people being suckered in to this crap ?

Just buy yourself a mini/pico system for only a few bucks more that is 1000s of times more powerful.

Any links to example boards?

RomanNose · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:53

I know people all around the world trying to get one, maybe linux on the desktop might succeed this year.

wonder_lander · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:57

I'm looking to grab hold of one of these too but looks like I'll have to wait a little longer!

What is this mini/pico system that you speak of?

sigma · 29 Feb 2012 at 08:59

Certainly interested to hear of something 1000 times more powerful for not a lot more money.

touch · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:01

RomanNose said:
I know people all around the world trying to get one, maybe linux on the desktop might succeed this year.

Yes, it is very popular, but the type of people who are interested in it are also likely to be the type of people who are comfortable using linux.

I dont think it will be long before we see average users switching from windows to linux. The versions available these days are very easy to use and most users would be able to find their way around as easily as they do in windows. The main problem is installing it. Not that the installers are difficult to use, just going through the process of going into bios, changing boot order, booting from cd/usb is beyond the average computer user. When new computers start coming with linux preinstalled (like some netbooks etc) then it's market share think it will grow quickly.

Robbo · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:06

touch said:
I dont think it will be long before we see average users switching from windows to linux. The versions available these days are very easy to use and most users would be able to find their way around as easily as they do in windows. The main problem is installing it. Not that the installers are difficult to use, just going through the process of going into bios, changing boot order, booting from cd/usb is beyond the average computer user. When new computers start coming with linux preinstalled (like some netbooks etc) then it's market share think it will grow quickly.

I can't see that happening for a long, long time.

There is nothing remotely wrong with Windows and I don't understand why so many people complain about it.

There is no good reason for your average computer user to change from Windows. People on here may be a different story but I doubt it, as all of these expensive computers are mostly used for gaming - that's useless on Linux.

touch · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:11

Robbo said:
There is no good reason for your average computer user to change from Windows. People on here may be a different story but I doubt it, as all of these expensive computers are mostly used for gaming - that's useless on Linux.

I think you're right that people who buy top-end hardware specifically for playing games wont want to be using linux.
But for average users who use their computer for web browsing/checking their email/writing word documents/etc, there is no point in them paying extra for a windows license when linux can do all of that equally as well.

Em3bbs · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:11

touch said:
Yes, it is very popular, but the type of people who are interested in it are also likely to be the type of people who are comfortable using linux.

I dont think it will be long before we see average users switching from windows to linux.

Do you realise how many years Linux enthusiasts have been saying this (including myself many years ago!).

Robbo · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:12

touch said:
I think you're right that people who buy top-end hardware specifically for playing games wont want to be using linux.
But for average users who use their computer for web browsing/checking their email/writing word documents/etc, there is no point in them paying extra for a windows license when linux can do all of that equally as well.

For those people though, Windows will usually be pre-installed on all of the 'attractive' computers that are being sold in the usual places such people buy them from.

Em3bbs · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:13

touch said:
I think you're right that people who buy top-end hardware specifically for playing games wont want to be using linux.
But for average users who use their computer for web browsing/checking their email/writing word documents/etc, there is no point in them paying extra for a windows license when linux can do all of that equally as well.

The trouble is most users want more than that. Even my dad wants to buy a cheap webcam from Lidl and it just work, he wants to watch Sky Go, he wants to watch Lovefilm. I would love to swap him over to Linux for support reasons but the desktop software support isn't there and if anything has got worse in recent years. I have four Linux machines in the house, one is the upstairs desktop but I wouldn't be able to survive with Linux alone, especially for the messing around I do with mobile phones and tablets.

RDM · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:15

touch said:
I think you're right that people who buy top-end hardware specifically for playing games wont want to be using linux.
But for average users who use their computer for web browsing/checking their email/writing word documents/etc, there is no point in them paying extra for a windows license when linux can do all of that equally as well.

Which wont happen until the box they buy off the shelf has linux installed on it. It happened with some netbooks but the windows ones seemed to sell better and the netbook concept has been pretty much killed by the tablet these days anyway.

touch · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:15

Robbo said:
For those people though, Windows will usually be pre-installed on all of the 'attractive' computers that are being sold in the usual places such people buy them from.

Yep. Which is why i said it wont become mainstream popular until it can be bought preinstalled on a computer.

touch said:
When new computers start coming with linux preinstalled (like some netbooks etc) then it's market share think it will grow quickly.

It's a huge business risk for manufacturers to start doing that though, but when one starts, the others will have to follow to compete on price.

Anyway, back on topic. My alarm didnt go off this morning, so i didnt get one

(although, it looks like i would have had a hard time getting one even if i got up in time). Not to worry, it wont be long before there's more stock.
How many of you managed to get one?
Whats your plans for it?

Em3bbs · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:18

touch said:
It's a huge business risk for manufacturers to start doing that though, but when one starts, the others will have to follow to compete on price.

I take it you don't remember WAL-MART doing a massive push on cheap Linux PCs (using Lindows as it was then called) a few years back then, not to mention Dell's effort as well.

Burnsy2023 · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:21

touch said:
I think you're right that people who buy top-end hardware specifically for playing games wont want to be using linux.
But for average users who use their computer for web browsing/checking their email/writing word documents/etc, there is no point in them paying extra for a windows license when linux can do all of that equally as well.

I agree, but most of the general population won't use linux because it looks different. It's amazing how big this seemingly trivial barrier actually is.

After XBMC has been ported and has gone through a few revisions, this will likely be the heart of my media center.

matt1 · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:21

Gosh didn't realise they would be so popular. Will have to hold tight for one.

Been a few years since I used Linux at uni, will be nice to give it a spin and perhaps blow off the coding cobwebs!

bayo000 · 29 Feb 2012 at 09:24

touch said:
Anyway, back on topic. My alarm didnt go off this morning, so i didnt get one (although, it looks like i would have had a hard time getting one even if i got up in time). Not to worry, it wont be long before there's more stock.
How many of you managed to get one?
Whats your plans for it?

I got one, estimated delivery week starting 26/03, woke up at 7.40 and at 08.02. I had my order placed. Took a few attempts but once i had it in a basket it was pretty much painless.