Raspberry Pi Production Will it End like Odroid is?
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Evening all
I posted something similar about this while ago...
But I was watching a video of a odroid board and he explained
that Odroid will keep making them until end of 2019...
That got me thinking what about the Pi???
I hope they will never end production like most of these boards
that's my biggest worry...
What do you guys think??Edit
Oops this soposed to be at the other section of forums -
@retrofreak89 i think the raspberry pi is too successful to stop being made.
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@edmaul69 lol I was about to delete this thread and redo it I accidently
posted it at the wrong section..Yeah I really like Pi
I want them to keep pumping out these boards in the future hehe
But idk i don't see them selling these forever maybe I'm wrong... -
@retrofreak89 the pi probably far outsells all other iot devices combined
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The Pi has been incredibly successful. Some of the models they've been unable to meet demand.
Even if the Raspberry Pi was to be discontinued for some weird reason, it's shown that there's a market for the tiny, cheap, easily hackable SoC boards and somebody else would step in to fill the void.
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It might be another year or two if they do release a Pi "4". No more cooling, no more transistors due to 40nm limitation so for now the Pi 3 is as fast as we likely to see for quite some time.
The Raspberry Pi 3 was just over a year ago on 29 February 2016. If this three year cycle is to be stuck to, we're looking at February 2019 – something made more likely by technical limitations of hardware.
Speaking to our sister site, IT PRO, creator of the Raspberry Pi Eben Upton said: "We're kind of at the end of the road for 40 nanometer. There's not much more you can do in that process, because ultimately you're limited by thermals. In the end, you can add as much silicon area as you want, because if you can't afford to toggle the transistors in the silicon because the thing will cook, then you can't get any faster."
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It is inevitable that certain boards will stop being made as better tech becomes cheaper and easier to acquire for developers. Odroid isn't going away. They are only saying that they will produce the XU4 through the end of 2019. When and IF there is actually a Pi 4 it is very possible that it won't be backwards compatible at that point as honestly the Pi 3 is long in the tooth. The tech and chipsets are getting to be quite old in tech years. The only way for the Pi Foundation to move forward is to change chipsets, memory, etc.
Even the XU4 which is much more capable is older in that the chipset is the same from the Galaxy S 5 and the just launched the 8. The only way that the Pi will not lose its relevance will be if it includes for example at least USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet with the GE not sharing bandwidth with the USB 3.0 ports. Not only that, but also N capable wireless that is actually robust and not anemic as well as much better encryption support for 802.11. Having either EMMC would be a possible bonus. The catch will always the price point really. Even if they were to come out with an updated version of the Pi 3 that had N wireless, say 2 x USB 3.0 and 2 x 2.0, but at $50 people would whine about how it isn't $35 and that it costs too much. The bottom line is that other boards that are much more powerful that are even around the $60 mark don't do as well nor have the support structure because people can't see past the hole in their wallets. These boards first and foremost are being manufactured for developers, makers, tinkerers, and school programs. The fact that they can even be used for emulation is just icing on the proverbial cake. -
@fnkngrv said in Raspberry Pi Production Will it End like Odroid is?:
The fact that they can even be used for emulation is just icing on the proverbial cake.
I think people lose sight of what the Pi is actually for and the Foundation's main raison d'etre. It's not for emulating the N64, that's for sure. It's a learning tool and a makers' board. People demanding a high performance GPU, 4 Gigs of Ram and high CPU speeds are living in cloud cuckoo land.
Whatever the next iteration of the Pi is it will have none of these things unless it is a coincidence and whatever the next chip set used is just happens to have them. -
@fnkngrv said in Raspberry Pi Production Will it End like Odroid is?:
The tech and chipsets are getting to be quite old in tech years. The only way for the Pi Foundation to move forward is to change chipsets, memory, etc.
Since they likely have to switch the manufacturing process from 40nm to further development you'll probably see a new chipset. Which will likely dictate port type (3.0, type C) or wired/wireless type (1GB, 2.4, 5.0, N, etc.) but they'll need to do some shuffling to keep the same form factor.
people would whine about how it isn't $35 and that it costs too much.
Even with all the extended hidden costs of the extra needed peripherals I can't blame them for the $35 cap. I do struggle whether upgrading components and paying extra money is worthwhile (not sure of the word I am looking for). Yes I believe it can be done easily enough and open new doors with the extra horsepower but then again I don't think that was ever the mission statement.
A guy could go buy one of those micro PC's like the Intel NUC which will keep you in the 6 x 6 x 2" form factor with a ton of horse power, i5 or i7, USB 3.1, fairly powerful integrated graphics, HD support etc. Regardless of whatever they are doing, they are doing it correctly as the demand will most definitely outstrip the supply once it's released.
These boards first and foremost are being manufactured for developers, makers, tinkerers, and school programs. The fact that they can even be used for emulation is just icing on the proverbial cake.
Isn't that the emulation scene? Developers, makers & tinkers. School programs include many game types whether it be education, entertainment or edutainment! :) I remember going into school early to play games on the C64. Waiting 20 minutes for a game to load.
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I doubt that if interviewed the Pi Foundation folks would ever admit that emulation was a goal.
Discussing these half baked micro PCs isn't really in scope because ones that are even of mention-able worth cost $180+. My point is that for example the Odroid XU4 costs around 65 bucks now and is much more capable. Plus that cost comes with a PSU. If you are looking at it from purely a cost to benefit analysis for an emulation perspective it unlocks just about the entire N64, Dreamcast, and PSP libraries having great performance. Sure, there are still a few stragglers for games that run like muck, but when you can spend $30 and gain the ability to play thousands of games that cost should become moot.
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@fnkngrv said in Raspberry Pi Production Will it End like Odroid is?:
I doubt that if interviewed the Pi Foundation folks would ever admit that emulation was a goal.
I see your point but I guess I was more focused on the idea of it having educational value beyond the boundaries of a traditional "student" attending a brick and mortar school. There statement is pretty open ended and I would even venture to say it's been used far beyond what they even imagined from camera's, radio's, streaming, weather, surveillance, Echo/Siri type devices, bitcoin mining, you name it. Everything from the practical to the fantastical. Emulation and arcade sticks being just as relevant.
Taking RetroPie as an example. A bunch of middle aged guys/gals collaborating and solving emulation challenges while learning and having fun along the way. I know I have learned plenty. I find it invaluable as an educational tool but focused on something I'm passionate about, even better. It's a win-win. I never thought of education as something that stops at the boundaries of an educational institution or learning center.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK-based charity that works to put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world, so they are capable of understanding and shaping our increasingly digital world, able to solve the problems that matter to them, and equipped for the jobs of the future.
We provide low-cost, high-performance computers that people use to learn, solve problems and have fun. We provide outreach and education to help more people access computing and digital making. We develop free resources to help people learn about computing and how to make things with computers, and train educators who can guide other people to learn.
micro PCs isn't really in scope because ones that are even of mention-able worth cost $180+
That was kind of the point of the $35 price point. $50 may be to much or others discretionary income might cap them at $100, $200 or $300. Everyone has a cap on what they choose to spend. For some the $180 is quite reasonable and not out of the question. The foundation chose $35 as it's cap. Whether you want to call it an arbitrary amount or if $65 seems like a more reasonable cost/performance ratio it's still a 54% price increase that some prefer not to spend.
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I completely get your viewpoints and feel that they are valid....not that what my opinion is really matters :-) In the end this is all great discussion. I personally feel that the cost increase of an XU4 for example totally pays for itself within the first couple days of using it. Kind of like how I feel the few dollar increase for laser projection and 11.1 sound in a Cinemark XD theather for certain titles is completely worth it with how it adds to the immersion of the experience. Now will you catch me paying for a Blu-ray when it comes out compared to a 5.1 digital download? Nope, at least right now because I can't warrant spending the 2-3k for a decent Atmos based HT audio and big screen video experience so why would I pay for the Blu-ray when I can pay less for a digital copy that meets the specs of what I currently have to view/experience it on? My biggest point is that with how quickly tech is moving and then in turn driving down the costs for existing tech I don't blame companies for selling a product for a couple years and then moving on up. This is how it is anyway with traditional PCs and their components. Same goes for mobile devices. I guess what I am saying is that even if Odroid or Raspberry made say a new XU5 and RPi 4 and then it was different form factors or other compatibility were not there with previous gens I personally wouldn't get all bent out of shape because it wouldn't be due to forced obsolescence like it is when Apple does away with something. It would be primarily because that tech has moved in large or even giant steps.
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i think they are too far in to get out of this race
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