Subj : Re: Bluetooth Keyboard
To   : Barry Martin
From : Ky Moffet
Date : Thu Sep 12 2024 10:51:00

BARRY MARTIN wrote:
> Hi Ky!
>   KM> Explaining Computers demo'd one yesterday, different brand,
>   KM> that's a complete unit for about $50 -- comes with a case and
>   KM> heatsink, so you don't have to piddle around looking for what
>   KM> matches. Not real high powered, but good enough for a lightweight
>   KM> linux (Ubuntu was a bit much for it).
>   
> Canakit, Vilros, GeeekPi and a few others provide kits.  For a beginner

Yep, but this wasn't a kit, it's all assembled and ready to use. All you 
need do is plug it in pick the OS to install at first boot (it has 'em 
stored in ROM, apparently).

They also make a mini screen with a mount for the unit.

> I'd suggest going wiht a Raspberry Pi Foundation approved supplier.

Oh, if you're doing a lot with it, yes. But the point here was ready to 
use out of the box, which I don't recall any others doing. For people 
who just want it to do something like your MythTV controller without 
having to assemble hardware, much easier than having to puzzle it 
together first.

> Probably nothing wrong with the 'non-approved' vendors.  I fixate a
> little on power supplies but had purchased a couple of wall warts where

Some are fine, I'm sure some are crap just like everything else. But 
right now they're all trying to grow the single-board computer market, 
so there seems to be a lot of positive effort.

> the advertising blurb said specifically will work with Raspberry Pi
> (back then the version 3).  Power supply mostly worked -- sometimes the

Anything that's 5V should work, including plugging into random USB port 
(tho older ports may not deliver enough amperage).

> Pi got low voltage or low current (forgot which) and caused errors.
> Eventually swapped in a new RPi-labelled wall wart -- problems
> disappeared.

There ya go.

> 
> And yes, there are other microcomputer boards out there, some possibly
> better than the Pi.  I like the Pi, and by sticking with it get more
> familiar with it.  Plus if something goes wrong can swap out the card,
> the unit, etc., with 'in-stock' spares.

Chris (ExplaingComputers) has at least a dozen brands and probably 50 
different models. Yep, there are some higher-powered and significantly 
more competent than a Pi, but they cost more too, to the point that if 
you're using it as an everyday PC, by then you might as well get an 
Intel micro-PC. OTOH the SBCs all have the GPIO functions no PC does, 
which caters to the maker and appliance market. You could use one to 
build a surveillance camera network at a fraction of the commerical price.

Chris shows how (including the control code) to build stuff like a 
weather station and a simple robot using even the $15 Pi Zero, which has 
all the brains of a paperclip.

Glah, I just drowned my mouse in tea, tho it doesn't seem to mind... 
maybe it can swim....
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