this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
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Realistically probably not getting one for less than $160CAD.
At that point, might as well just buy a used Dell optiplex or something. These boards are absurdly priced, and you'll never get it for MSRP.
Even with the added power consumption of the Dell you'll pull out ahead lol
I remember when the Raspberry Pi was the amazing $15 computer. Times have changed.
Didn't it start at $35? I don't remember the mainstream Pi ever being $15.
And I get it, this thing is still more than that... But, the original model had 256MB RAM, didn't have WiFi or Bluetooth, and all IO was extremely slow. Plus the cheaper "A" model had no Ethernet and a single USB.
10 years later, for a board that now has PCIE, 16x the RAM, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2x the USB, and even more other connectivity, a $25 hike to $60 really doesn't seem that bad.
If you planned to use WiFi with your Pi back in the day, that's $20 right there, AND you just lost 1 of 2 USB ports.
Yes, times have changed. $35 in 2012 money is $45 in 2023 money, meaning realistically they've increased the price by 33%+inflation in the 10 years since launch. For all the value that's been added to the board, that really doesn't seem bad.
And if you don't need all the extra features I just listed, a Pi Zero is fantastic and still very cheap.
Yes, I was wrong about the original price. The intention originally was to sell it for $25, not $15. It's the Zero versions that were $15.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-years-of-raspberry-pi-the-25-computer-has-come-a-long-way/
Amazing for what exactly? I remember them being unreliable, slow af and not really good for much other than collecting dust.
I mean sure the idea was cool, in principle, but they needed a serious upgrade in specs. Now they got it and everyone bitches bc it comes at a price?
The first models were rough on reliability, but they got a lot better around Model 2B and onward. SD cards with A1 or A2 rating help a lot.
I don't need any of those things tho. Mostly what I need is decent IO throughput which was unnecessarily constrained on earlier pis by poor design choices. The pi4 is the first to really shine in that regard.
I have a pi2 and I used it as a libreelec media center, and it was Ok in that capacity, but it's far too slow to transfer larger files regardless of how you do it (all relies on a slow usb interface).
Idk about everyone else but I was fine with the specs. A basic Linux machine that can hook up to the network and run simple python scripts was plenty for a ton of use cases. They didn't need to be desktop competitors. The market didn't need to be small form factor high performance machines, and I'd argue it wasn't.
They still sell the old slow ones don't they? from the website: "Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+ will remain in production until at least January 2026" "Raspberry Pi 3 Model B will remain in production until at least January 2028" etc etc.
If you like pain, go get yourself a rpi1 lol. As for me, idk... I'm drawn more to VMs and containers which can run very well even on a 2011 tower pc (with few upgrades over the years).
I mean they've found enough use cases that the power increase was a much-requested upgrade.
For the simple python script uses you just mentioned, you can still pick up older pi boards for cheap or just get a pi zero/zero w.
It's still not a desktop competitor in general, but if someone wants a really cheap computer that's widely supported, at least it's a viable option now.
Used Lenovo Thinkcentres are also a good option.