[wyldfire]

> 512MB of RAM

Well, ok, but unless I'm going to do some ridiculous amount of paging, I can't really take advantage of the 64-bit much. And in the meantime my 64-bit executables will suffer from larger pointers.

The stuff that arm does well (IMO) is stuff that uses Python and other high-level languages. Those tend to port with little to no effort. Yet they use a ton of indirection so the size of those pointers really matters for memory consumption.

$15 for an ARM board still seems like decent value, though.

[joosters]

Does ARM Linux offer a 64 bit mode with 32 bit pointers?

On x86-64, Linux supports a 'x32' mode which gives all of the advantages of the 64 bit ISA, but with a 32 bit memory model, meaning that programs using lots of pointers will take up far less memory (but still get to use the extra registers & instructions), leading to faster code. You can run x32 binaries inside a 64 bit kernel (ubuntu offers several packages, for example)

OTOH I don't know if the ARM64 ISA offers many other improvements to make a similar 32-in-64 kind of mode worthwhile.

[keenerd]

These 64 bit Allwinner SOCs only have a 32 bit* memory bus anyway (presumably to reduce board cost), so an x32 mode could double performance for pointer-heavy code.

* Anyone remember the 8088?

[ant6n]

Theoretically it's possible. Just keep all memory in the first 4GB. Load all pointers from 32bit locations and do 32bit arithmetic on them, they should get 0-extended for loads and stores. With the correct linker scripts this could be done in user space (modulo calling dynamically linked libraries).

[wyldfire]

> to make a similar 32-in-64 kind of mode worthwhile

Yeah, I kinda doubt AARCH64 is that much better.

[makomk]

There's already a $15 Allwinner-based ARM board shipping now with similar specs, the Orange Pi PC. Quad-core (but only 32-bit) processor, 1GB of RAM, pretty much identical hardware video decode and GPU, 10/100 Ethernet, 3 USB ports, various expansion ports, thermal issues if you run at the advertised clock. (Why do I suspect the Pine has thermal issues? Take a look at the Kickstarter FAQ and how they carefully dodge questions on cooling.)

[deepnet]

Scheltema@MAKE suggests the Pine is differentiated by superior graphics: 4K HDMI, hardware H264 & H265 from a 2 core MALI400 GPU.

http://makezine.com/2015/12/09/the-15-pine64-just-launched-o...

[makomk]

The Orange Pi PC has a 2-core MALI400 GPU and hardware H264 and H265 decoding of 4K content, same as the Pine. Not sure whether it supports 4K HDMI out but I believe it does at 30Hz. The main differentiating factors seem to be that the Pine is 64-bit, has less RAM on the base $15 model, has battery support and isn't actually shipping yet. Oh, and the Pine is charging a lot more in shipping fees.

[rasz_pl]

what good is hardware video decoder block to you if it ships with GPL violating binary blob that only works on android with some ancient kernel?

[duaneb]

If it has ECC, it might be a viable file server. Could definitely do with a gig of memory, though.

[mmagin]

It is my understanding that very few, if any ARM SOCs support ECC RAM.

[inyorgroove]

There are three versions 512MB, 1GB and 2GB.

[ArkyBeagle]

For a whopping $4 more, you get 1 GB. :)