This is How I see Orange Pi in Future. How You see it in Future?

OrangePiLinux

                                

Hello Everyone.

I am new to forum but I really like all those little Android boxes and little ARMComputers.

I want to express my opinion on all this and how I see Orange PI in future.

First of all ARMComputers in future will play very big role in everyones life. The main reasons of this is:

1.Affordable, 2.Productive, 3. Energy efficient.

Can you imagine--next to your Monitor sits little almost invisible ARM-Board-Computers--but is as powerfull as DEsktop Pc? Amazing.

When I first saw Raspbery PI—I was amazed at how little it is and also how useful it is. But the main problem of Raspbery Pi—it is not powerfull if it comes to CPU and GPU—Android Boxes have much more powerfull CPUs and GPUs. Then I found out about Banana Pi—but still was not really amazed by Banana Pi boards. But then accidentally  on CNX-Software I found out about Orange Pi and said to myself—this is the future—because Orange Pi is coming from China—and Thus can make really powerfull and modern boards.

Actually I understand that it is only start for Orange Pi—but still very good start to my opinion.

I will tell you how I see Orange Pi.

First of all—we have to use on our boards Three Types of Processors:

1. RockChip; 2.AllWinner; 3.Amlogic.

I will explain why. Because every person expects from board really powerfull machine—and for example not every manufacturer of CPU+GPU can have powerfull components. Like I looked at major boards manufacturers and a lot of boards have 2core CPUs and 2core GPUs—which is really not powerfull enough right nowadays.

FourCore CPU andFour Core GPU are now adays are essential already. Lets imagine situation—you will install Android or Linux on even4coreCpu+2coreGpu---you will notice lag all the time—especially in games from AndroidMarket. And if you will install Linux? Most Likely it will have LXDE interface—which is not the best looking and will work in 720P in the best scenario—no 1080P...

So in order to have nice and productive mashine—we have to use proper CPUs+GPUs. I know it is more expensive—but hey, lets let people vote with their wallet what they want to buy. Of course there should be low costboards as well—but powerfull also.

So from Rockchip I see Rockchip RK3188—really affordable and powerfull CPU, there area also RK3128 and RK3126—but they have only two GPUcores—which willmake impact. RK3288 is more powerfull but also more expensive.

Anyway right now I see from Rockchip RK3188 as the best solution.

Allwinner has almost no solutions if it comes to forecoreCPU+4coreGPUs. They have nothing. I think A31s is best one—has fourcoreCPU and two Core SXG544 GPUs. H3 chip from Alwinner has only two Mali400 cores—which will make impact. There will be in near future A64 with 4 A53Cores and powerfull GPU inside—I think will be nice chip.

Amlogic has veryinteresting chips. Their chips have updated Mali450 GPU with many cores—4 to 8—which will make board really powerfull.

I can definately say about Amlogic M801 and Amlogic M802 —both have QuadCore A9 and OctoCore Mali-450. Also good chips are Amlogic S802 and S812 –as well both have Quad Core A9 and Octo Core Mali-450 which will make really cheap and powerfull mashine. Amlogic T866 as well.

I see that the best here Amlogic, then comes Rockchip and then Allwiner by components power.

Next thing. When you buy Orange Pi—you need not just have board—you want it to have installed to Case or Box—so it will sit nicely onDesktop next to Monitor or TV and make nice view.

Company need to design and manufacture Nice looking Glassy Cases of Different colors maybe even with easy access to GPIO for Orange Pi boards.

Also—CPUs+GPUs are tend to produce heat in heavy  tasks—so we need to have possibility to order from Orange Pi also Cooler on Chip. Can company start produce such coolers to buy ?

Another thing—I want to have ability also order from Orange Pi PSU—PowerSupply Unit—so, when I get board—I willl be able to connect it to electicity.

Another problem, I would be happy to see Orange Pi on Ebay. I know that AliExpress is good shop—but they do not accept PayPal. Many users want to use PayPal when buying stuff—because it is more comfortable—you do not have to expose your data of credit card.Thats why I believe that Orange Pi should open shop on Ebay it would make Orange Pi more spread and more accessible to the world.

So lets count one more time;

1.Different Chips in order make customer buy what they really need by power of  components—Rockchip, Allwinner, Amlogic;

2.Different Colourful Glassy Cases for Orange Pi—so boards wont lie on table open and possible to damage;

3.Cooler on Chip;

4.Power Supply Unit for Different Countries—US, EU, EN, AU.

5.Shop on Ebay in order have possibility buy  it with PayPal.

6.Download service—Android , Linuxes and tools easy to download for people.

This is how I see product to be successful—all the service for customer.

If you have your own ideas—please tell what you think in order to make Orange Pi more successful...

OrangePiLinux

Another thing-- I want to have Orange Pi with Two eMMC chips on board. They can be both 4GB each or 8 GB each. I want to have in Orange Pi possibility to instal simultaneously lets say Andorid goes to one eMMC and Linux goes to another eMMC. Or maybe just two versions of Android KitKat and Lollipop and Linux will start from MemoryCard or from SATA port.

Also loader of board should be disigned so--that I connect keyboard at start up of system. On main screen it shows picture of starting system and at the bottom it has F2 and F12 marks. So if I will press on keyboard during Start up F2--I will be able to change boot Sequence between My two  eMMC chips on board--so I will be able to chose what I want to boot--Android on one chip or Linux on another chip. And Memory Card can be used for experiments--for example I want to boot something from Memory card--I press F2 at Start Up and change Boot Sequence to Memory Card.  If Press F12 at start up--is possible to come inside BIOS and change settings.

So F2 could let us change in loader Boot Sequence in such sequence:
eMMC0, eMMC1, SD MemoryCard, eSATA, USB.  USB can be used to boot from USB Flash Drives.

I have noticed that on lates Orange Pis started to disappear from board LCD Touch Screen interface. I think every board should have Camera andLCD touch screen intereface--is essential to my opinion.

Also has to be possibility to install as on Rasberry Pi done--many linux Distros to one SD card.


So in general should be present versions of Orange Pi with Memory Card slot only, Memory Card slot and one eMMC on board, Memory Card slot and two eMMC chips on board.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in is important and also connector external antenna has to be soldered on board. So like I could also buy Antenna from ORange PI or use from router--connect on thread of connecotr and has nice standing like in router antenna for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.


Hope to see such features in Orange Pi 3 --because I am now  is at choice--Buy latest Android Box on RK3288 or buy Orange Pi?
From one Point of view--Android Box is more powerfull--but has no Linux support, from another point of view--Orange Pi gives more freedom by selection of Operating Systems--but I do not see it as powerfull as RK3288 chip. If there could be in future appear really powerfull boards from Orange Pi 3--- I would be very glad to have one thing from both worlds which can do it all.

zhao_steven

@OrangePiLinux   Thank you very much. If we will design Orange Pi 2 plus  with RK3288 chip,what is your advise ? Orange PI 2 plus need to have what characteristic? We want Orange Pi 3 with 64bits chip(ARMV8).

KingNyx

This thread is a good idea, but I cant agree with all of that.

Arm boards wont any time in the future replace desktop solutions. They use less Power because they are focused completely on efficiency but not on raw power. Not every application is totally optimized so sometimes the only solution is to have enough raw compute power.

Two EMMC's on a board would be bad simply because it would raise the price and require creating another card that would only work for a small number of people.

The better chips, yes I agree with that.

If Orange pi wanted to make a huge difference with competitors, then putting an express card slot on it would be a real game changer.
The express card slot would allow for several mods, the biggest one being the ability to run an external GPU.

FransM

There is an interesting alternative to rockchip/allwinner/amlogic: Intel
Probably a bit more expensive but also more mainstream wrt software.
Don't know exactly how the latest intel SoC benchmark compared to the three mentioned above.

PCI express would be nice, but requires additional logic so additional cost

animefreak1233

Intel is great, but I've seen many mini PCs with Intel and all cost upward of 100 bucks, and dev boards tend to be more expensive because of extra components and connectors, so you can expect it to be ~150 USD. I agree with Amlogic, they're cheap and have great and awesome SoCs. If there is a Pi 2+ or 3, I'd like integrated bluetooth, integrated ADCs, probably a black colored PCB (cause they look great) and especially a LVDS/RGB interfave which went missing in the 2nd gen pis
which was a great deal breaker for me. SATA is also something I'd like to see along with GBit ethernet, but it has to be native and a PMU like on the 1st gen boards.

FransM

I think there are some Intel based mini PC's for $ 100-110. If you want windows 8 it will add to the bill though. (and it was not that long ago that arm based mini pc's were around 75 $, expect intel based boards to come down in price too

gaara

Yes, but I think for theses boards named "Pi", the price should not be upper than 50$. Intel's boards are sold for some differents markets, maybe for industries or development.
For people just want to play, to build home made tricks (like me), we need cheap boards. If possible with powerfull, all depends what we want to buid. (for domotic, a single core is enough, so the price could be very cheap).
For the others, we need a mini speeder port, to plug externals devices (GPU, SSD, etc). For SSD, SATA is a very good progress.
But how about mSATA ? Then could build some smallest things with powerfull.

And for others external devices, maybe mPCIe, if the price will be lower ?

animefreak1233

Yeah I like the idea of mPCIE, could use my fpga with it. And msata will let me make really small stuff.

animefreak1233

Ram also needs upgradation if you're gonna go 64 bit