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View Full Version : Linux PC the size of a usb flash drive...



Condor Cluster
May 6th, 2011, 08:12 PM
...and costing only $25.

an interesting article: Raspberry Pi (http://news.cnet.com/raspberry-pi-computer-on-a-stick-for-only-$25/8301-17938_105-20060489-1.html)

Fedz
May 6th, 2011, 08:52 PM
Wow! that's amazing :)

No hard-drive attached yet but astounding beginning ~ impressed :)

solitaire
May 6th, 2011, 09:00 PM
Wow! that's amazing :)

No hard-drive attached yet but astounding beginning ~ impressed :)
it runs off of a sd card on the bottom of the device..

you can always stick on a USB drive for extra storage..

From the guy that brought you the first Free Form unlimited space combat / trading game that was smaller (in file size) than most readme text files in today's modern games... lol

benc1213
May 6th, 2011, 09:15 PM
As soon as they start selling them I am going to buy one.

Exodist
May 6th, 2011, 09:24 PM
I would like to have one just to have one.. hehe
Just a few adapters and a USB hug and can have a full fledge system for on the go.

ade234uk
May 6th, 2011, 09:25 PM
At my wifes school she tells me that IT is one of the easiest subjects to get a certificate in. Secondly the kids don't learn things like programming anymore because it costs too much to buy licences.

For some reason the schools dismiss things like PHP, HTML, JAVA, PYTHON. They don't understand that this is something the kids can learn for nothing without licence costs. Its mainly ignorance.

From what I have seen from the teachers side it is even worse. My wife asked to have Firefox put on her machine and was point blank refused, as she was told it was unsafe. Nothing works properly from home because the stupid portal requires Internet Explorer to work. And even when it does work, it wont let you upload .zip .html any type of images. Just .docx and .doc only.

There is simply no point in having computers in schools if all they are going to do is the lock them down. Its not teaching the kids anything and no one benefits from it at all. They spend more time protecting and worrying about the stupid network.

Its got to the point where my wife does not bother uploading anything to the portal and instead just takes in an external hard drive.

solitaire
May 6th, 2011, 09:33 PM
I remember in school we had to learn how to program a simple program in machine Code, it was to add / subtract or multiply 2 fixed values and display it on screen.

Took about 30 or so lines if I remember,
But try asking some kids in an IT class to do that these days and they would complain that there's no fancy GUI to hold their hands and do it for them.

aG93IGRvIGkgdWJ1bnR1Pw==
May 6th, 2011, 10:14 PM
I'll take 10, where do I sign up?

forrestcupp
May 6th, 2011, 10:54 PM
Just a few adapters and a USB hug and can have a full fledge system for on the go.

If you don't mind carrying around an HDMI monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and having a computer with lower specs than most modern phones.

frankvdh
May 6th, 2011, 11:05 PM
I'll be in when they're available too.

I see this as an awesome embedded system.. add a USB analog/digital IO board and you've got everything you need.

del_diablo
May 6th, 2011, 11:08 PM
If you don't mind carrying around an HDMI monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and having a computer with lower specs than most modern phones.

And then you remember that it will be more than web 2.0 capable, and it can run Doom 3 <3
Well, at the least this thing is a computer, add on a touchscreen to it, and some really good tablet interface and it will have massive potential.

Thewhistlingwind
May 6th, 2011, 11:21 PM
For some reason the schools dismiss things like PHP, HTML, JAVA, PYTHON. They don't understand that this is something the kids can learn for nothing without licence costs. Its mainly ignorance. .

Or C. :popcorn:


Seriously though, I'd prefer that they just took the computers out of schools, as the people entrusted to be sysadmins are completely incompetent. Make the kids write machine code if you have too. :wink:

EDIT: I don't really want them to do that.:P (The sysadmins incompetence is a benefit.) Also, I've seen school computers with python on them.

handy
May 7th, 2011, 01:26 AM
I've been (still am) waiting for the day when I can install IPCop on a small device that uses next to no power at all to do the 24/7 firewall/router job.

I know each day that goes by is a day closer to that solution arriving.

Hardware like this is certainly encouraging.

mmix
May 8th, 2011, 09:40 AM
http://www.geek.com/articles/games/game-developer-david-braben-creates-a-usb-stick-pc-for-25-2011055/



Braben has developed a tiny USB stick PC that has a HDMI port in one end and a USB port on the other. You plug it into a HDMI socket and then connect a keyboard via the USB port giving you a fully functioning machine running a version of Linux. The cost? $25.

The hardware being offered is no slouch either. It uses a 700MHz ARM11 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM and runs OpenGL ES 2.0 allowing for decent graphics performance with 1080p output confirmed. Storage is catered for by an SD card slot. It also looks as though modules can be attached such as the 12MP camera seen in the image above.

BlacqWolf
May 8th, 2011, 09:46 AM
http://www.geek.com/articles/games/game-developer-david-braben-creates-a-usb-stick-pc-for-25-2011055/

That's quite hefty for a something so little. (though it is good, it could do better in my opinion.)

mips
May 8th, 2011, 11:45 AM
David Braben (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Braben) is legendary for Elite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game)).

Wonder who's old enough to remember Elite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game))?

Ideally this micro pc needs a LAN port to be more useful.

pookiebear
May 8th, 2011, 02:33 PM
David Braben (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Braben) is legendary for Elite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_%28video_game%29).

Wonder who's old enough to remember Elite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_%28video_game%29)?

Ideally this micro pc needs a LAN port to be more useful.


lan... skip it
just do wireless/cell + bluetooth for your mouse and keyboard.

Lucradia
May 8th, 2011, 02:56 PM
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1751340

Already posted on page 4 of the community cafe.

Elfy
May 8th, 2011, 02:59 PM
merged threads

gnomeuser
May 8th, 2011, 03:08 PM
This is how computing should be. Plug in and use, low power, no moving parts. The ARM11 processor isn't exactly a high performer but with advancements made Intel, AMD and ARM in a few years it would not surprise me if we could provide reasonable performance and capability for general computing in this format (and hopefully price range).

Coupled with a FreedomBox (a proper one, with some extendaile storage) that would be.. awesome.

Regardless, getting what is essentially little embedded devices into the hands of kids to tinker with.. great idea. I am sure the now traditional writing and presentation skills could still easily either be assumed or implied since the children have the device to take with them and use anywhere, or simply taught as part of other classes.

In fact I think the hackerspace organizations should cease is chance to figure out some fun projects to get people started on with these devices. The perfect parent/child activity, hacking.

Jagoly
May 8th, 2011, 03:25 PM
At my wifes school she tells me that IT is one of the easiest subjects to get a certificate in. Secondly the kids don't learn things like programming anymore because it costs too much to buy licences.

For some reason the schools dismiss things like PHP, HTML, JAVA, PYTHON. They don't understand that this is something the kids can learn for nothing without licence costs. Its mainly ignorance.

From what I have seen from the teachers side it is even worse. My wife asked to have Firefox put on her machine and was point blank refused, as she was told it was unsafe. Nothing works properly from home because the stupid portal requires Internet Explorer to work. And even when it does work, it wont let you upload .zip .html any type of images. Just .docx and .doc only.

There is simply no point in having computers in schools if all they are going to do is the lock them down. Its not teaching the kids anything and no one benefits from it at all. They spend more time protecting and worrying about the stupid network.

Its got to the point where my wife does not bother uploading anything to the portal and instead just takes in an external hard drive.

Exactly the truth!


I remember in school we had to learn how to program a simple program in machine Code, it was to add / subtract or multiply 2 fixed values and display it on screen.

Took about 30 or so lines if I remember,
But try asking some kids in an IT class to do that these days and they would complain that there's no fancy GUI to hold their hands and do it for them.

Just remember that this isn't always the case. It's not the students fault, it's the classes. In It in year 10 for god sake they still teach how to use windows movie maker. yep.

So now I always bring a customised, striped down xubuntu live USB to do most work. Enable the Redmond XP theme, change the wallpaper and... Poof! The teachers can't even tell the difference. Now I can use all of my wonderfull linux tools, Kdenlive, Gimp, Libreoffice, audacity, dia... the list goes on. And g++ for when everything else is finished :)

Either way not all IT students are only willing to use a GNI (graphical n00b interface)

NormanFLinux
May 8th, 2011, 04:20 PM
Good old GNOMEXP. Tell them its Windows. They won't know the C:/ Drive doesn't exist!

Heh

kostageas
May 8th, 2011, 06:14 PM
At my school, computers are 100% locked down and unusable. We have MSO, IE, and some Adobe programs that can only be used by "extremely advanced classes". Some people can learn without your stupid classes FFS.

They also provide you with a network drive to store all school work on it. It is approximately 250gbs, and after about a semester of nothing but school work (mostly word documents and a few PowerPoint(R) presentations), I have run out of room. They think I'm storing personal pictures and music and videos.

So now, I just bring my laptop everyday. I don't use their locked down internet enough at school to justify waiting 20 minutes for the damn thing to boot up and log in, so my own computer it is. :)

Jagoly
May 10th, 2011, 06:51 AM
At my school, computers are 100% locked down and unusable. We have MSO, IE, and some Adobe programs that can only be used by "extremely advanced classes". Some people can learn without your stupid classes FFS.

They also provide you with a network drive to store all school work on it. It is approximately 250gbs, and after about a semester of nothing but school work (mostly word documents and a few PowerPoint(R) presentations), I have run out of room. They think I'm storing personal pictures and music and videos.

So now, I just bring my laptop everyday. I don't use their locked down internet enough at school to justify waiting 20 minutes for the damn thing to boot up and log in, so my own computer it is. :)

Are you sure I didn't write that? I'm in EXACTLY the same situation. Except we actually have signs everywhere explicitly stating not to shut down the machines, only log off (no one reads them, though). Maybe we should move this conversation to it's own thread? Also, kostageas, might I ask what country you reside in?

Onoku
May 10th, 2011, 07:16 AM
Please correct me if I am wrong, but can't you fit a Ubuntu installation on a usb stick and boot from linux on just about any computer? When I first did a linux install, I put it on an external harddrive and booted it from that.

I could only imagine the look on a teachers face when they walk by someone in the computer lab and they aren't using windows.

Jagoly
May 10th, 2011, 07:23 AM
Please correct me if I am wrong, but can't you fit a Ubuntu installation on a usb stick and boot from linux on just about any computer? When I first did a linux install, I put it on an external harddrive and booted it from that.

I could only imagine the look on a teachers face when they walk by someone in the computer lab and they aren't using windows.

This isn't a usb containing a live image. It IS the computer. It contains a cpu, ram, everything. the usb plug is for a keyboard. here's a picture:
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/05/06/pcb_610x458.jpg

Onoku
May 10th, 2011, 07:56 AM
Yeah, I understood that much of it. But seeing as you would still need to have a keyboard and monitor available anyways, there would likely be a terminal as well.

The idea was related, so I thought I'd pose the question. Thanks though. =)

Johnsie
May 10th, 2011, 12:09 PM
My Android phone has HDMI out, is not much bigger and is probably alot more powerful.Oh and it has an embedded touch screen ;-)

To me this usb computer seems just like a cut down phone.

Jagoly
May 10th, 2011, 01:41 PM
My Android phone has HDMI out, is not much bigger and is probably alot more powerful.Oh and it has an embedded touch screen ;-)

To me this usb computer seems just like a cut down phone.

I'm sure that that phone costed a little bit more than $25.