Raspberry Pi
 

I just got a Raspberry Pi Model B (700 Mhz ARM chip, 512 MB RAM, 16GB SDHC card). You can find the site at http://raspberrypi.org

This is a little ARM-based single-board computer that runs Raspbian (Debian) Linux and has Ethernet, 2 USB ports, and HDMI out (source: http://raspberrypi.org). It uses SDHC for storage. It also can be powered from USB.

It was $35 for the board, but I got a case, SDHC card, powered USB 2.0 hub, wireless, USB-> Serial adapter, and a 5 port USB-powered Ethernet switch for it. All of this plugs into the USB hub, and is powered from one outlet.

It's meant for hobbyists. So far, I've done the following:

1. Run a serial cable to my Commodore 64 to use it as a serial terminal.
2. Run a wireless access point on it so I can use Wireshark to debug packets across the wire.
3. Run OpenSSHd for other project.

All of this equipment used to take a big desktop. Now it is a small stack next to my TV set/monitor.

Very interesting!

I've seen that gizmo, and several of its ilk touted in every issue of Make magazine I've ever gotten. I am enticed by the price and cool factor, but haven't found a compelling project yet.

I don't even know what the what.

Is it an SD card with an operating system installed? How do you make it do stuff?

It's a tiny computer that runs an OS from an SD card. It has a set of inputs and outputs and an API, and you can attach whatever you like to those inputs and outputs and program its behavior.

I'd love to get into it, but I also love lazing about, so I never get around to it.

I've been trying to help a friend shopping for a new TV. Just a flat screen, around 40 inch, to plug in the cable box and go. But what I'm finding is shit like;
What? Can I launch shuttle missions with it? :eek:
They're a lot more money, too, twice what my 42" plasma cost a couple years ago.