[e1ven]

One of the reasons the Raspberry Pi is really cool is it's helping to make it easier for people to get into hardware hacking. It's fun, and it's cheap enough you don't need to worry about break it.

While it's not quite as simple as a arduino, for those of us who like Linux anyway, it makes it almost trivial to wire into all sorts of projects - Wireless Helicopters, Door badges, tiny webservers, etc.

It's a great piece of kit, and a nice introduction into the embedded HW world.

[blhack]

No, it is not helping people get into hardware hacking. There is no more "hardware hacking" going on here than there is on my macbook.

Arduino AVR is helping people get into hardware.

Raspberry pi is helping people build cheap netflix settop boxes.

edit: maybe I'm jaded. We've got about 4 totally idle raspis at our hackerspace that have been donated by people who have no idea what to do with them, but bought them anyway.

Yet, our stack of arduinos get use constantly.

[koralatov]

Raspberry pi is helping people build cheap netflix settop boxes. ... edit: maybe I'm jaded. We've got about 4 totally idle raspis at our hackerspace that have been donated by people who have no idea what to do with them, but bought them anyway.

I'd agree with that, based on my own personal experience. Of the several people I know who have them, half have no clue what to do with it, and the other half are using them as tiny media centres. There's definitely not much hardware hacking going on.

And I can understand it, to be honest. I can't think of a good use for one that isn't already covered ably by some other computer I have. Media centre? Xbox plus external hard-disk does the job. Small *nix box? Better off using my MacBook -- it's got everything built-in.

The best idea I came up with was a mini backup server connected to my router that pulls power from its spare USB port, but even then, it's easier just to plug in an external HD once in a while, or dump things onto one of the SD cards I have in rotation.

[CamperBob2]

Raspberry pi is helping people build cheap netflix settop boxes.

That's hardware hacking.

In reality, those of us who don't bring a pickaxe and a carbide lamp to work are just "systems integrators" anyway. Attitudes and titles don't pay the bills.

[deelowe]

Wha? There's a difference between SWE, EE/CE, and IT. The community around the pi is more for the IT crowd. I see very few using the gpio pins for anything, though that does seem to be getting marginally better.

Most of the value in the pi is the video decoder. So, that's the types of projects it gets used for.

[flurie]

FWIW, I and many of my friends (who admittedly deal primarily with hardware) find the gpio a big draw. The machine is cheaper and more useful than an arduino after you've thrown in an ethernet shield. I got one to serve as a doorbell router.

[deelowe]

Yeah. I'd like to get one for this reason too, but I'm also eyeing the new arm devices that are starting to show up.

[highsecurity]

Well considering the pi can't run Netflix I would have to disagree with you. There are tons of hardware projects using the pi. I know of a few people locally that just got a pi and basic electronics kit to learn with.

Arduino arduino arduino

[jlgreco]

People are absolutely using Raspberry Pis where they would normally use arduinos: For just a taste: http://hackaday.com/category/raspberry-pi-2/

The HDMI port on mine has never been touched. I'm using it right now to control my roomba though its SCI interface. An uno with a wifi shield costs way more than a Raspberry Pi with a usb wifi dongle. Unless you need more GPIO pins or lower power consumption, Pis just make more sense.

[blhack]

Well then they're idiots. The raspi consumes ~500ma of current even when it's idle.

[jlgreco]

Always pick the right tool for the job. If 500ma is not an issue for your particular project, then what is the big deal?

I am glad I don't go to your hacker space, that is a pretty unnecessarily nasty attitude.

[blhack]

What project that is supposed to be an introduction to embedded electronics can you think of that the raspi would be good for, and the arduino wouldn't be?

500ma is a problem. The fact that you can't easily run it off of a battery without buying additional [expensive] hardware is a problem.

Nasty attitude? If you're telling people that a raspi is a good intro to embedded electronics, then you're harming their development.

This isn't even what the raspberry pi was intended for. It was intended as a cheap machine to introduce people to programming with. For that, it's awesome, but I have yet to see anybody actually use it for that.

[jlgreco]

Your tunnel-vision is absurd. Not everyone is interested in tinkering with the lowest of low in their projects, some people want to be able to use USB peripherals immediately with zero hassle, and have a handful of GPIO pins if needed. Yeah, you can do those sorts of things with an arduino, but why bother if the power is not a concern and the hardware is cheaper?

And yes, the power is not a concern for everybody under the sun.

So in short, development is easier and more flexible (obviously), peripherals are cheaper (for the difference between the usb adapter I got for my Pi and a wifi shield from sparkfun, I would have $75 left over for an "expensive" PSU for a Pi... I mean come on... At least with the Pi you have the option of just using ethernet if you want to be cheap, with an arduino that will still set you back more than the price of a Pi), and the devices themselves are more flexible (get tired of your project for some reason? No problem, just ducttape it to the back of your TV and use it as a media-pc whatever.).

Downsides are... worse GPIO and you need to feed it 500mA. Wow. Anyone who does not find that daunting is surely an idiot.

Nasty attitudes have harmed peoples' development far more than $35 computers ever have. Your vitriol is baffling, how could something so minor evoke this? How have raspberry pis really wronged you?

[astine]

Well, I bought one for my little brother so he could use it for play programming. It's being used. So there's one.

[mniejiki]

Wow, did a rasberry pi sleep with your mother or something?

And who says that embedded hardware must run off a battery? You're sure one to talk about stupidity.

[dfrey]

The Pi also allows you to write code in a high level of your choice and can toggle GPIOs while running a web server and ssh.

Yes it uses more power, but for many applications, that doesn't matter.

[blhack]

It also doesn't support real PWM.

If your device needs a web server, you're probably not just starting to learn about embedded electronics.

If you want to learn about web servers, do that, if you want to learn about embedded electronics, get an arduino.

[randomdata]

I would argue that connecting something physical to the web is a great first project to ease into electronics, especially if you come from a programming background already. The circuit can remain simple to start, while providing something that is more interesting to play with than just a blinking LED.

[iliis]

And then there are projects like the door lock on our hackerspace which unlocks the door with an RFID-Reader and allows user-management via the web. A perfectly reasonable application for a webserver switching a relais.

[marshray]

The project he linked to doesn't look like 500ma would matter much.

Next time you spend $25 for an ATmega32, remember what you called those other people.

[blhack]

Totes $25 for an ATmega32: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/ATMEGA328-PU/ATMEGA...

Try and pop the ARM chip off of your raspi and see how it works out.

[marshray]

$24 ATmega32 http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Mega-MEGA-2560-Board/dp/B004A7...

For ARM, I prefer to solder my own LQFP at about $7. http://twitpic.com/btvkmd

You're right though, someday I'd love to be able to transplant BGA packages.

[baq]

you sir need a broader view on the world.

[blhack]

Really? I've built projects on both the raspberry pi and the arduino, and work with both of them almost every day.

[mikeash]

Apparently that experience isn't enough to avoid being a narrow-minded jerk.

[gokhan]

MK808's might be a better alternative for that, with built-in wifi and male hdmi dongle type design.

My son (6) got his pi as his first computer, we built a lego case for it and he gets excited everytime he connects peripherals. It may not be hw hacking for us, but it is for little folks.

[blhack]

See, that is really cool, and that is what the pi is for. It's not "hardware hacking" though, and there is nothing wrong with that.