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Edited by OrangePiLinux at 2015-3-28 16:52
Thank you zhao_steven for support and interest in peoples opinion--I think it is very important to talk with community and ask their opinion.
Actually I am to be honest--new to this area--DEv boards. In past I was kind of like enthusiast. My main interest was--Android boxes, tablets, computers--So I kind of like learning.
AS far as I understaand-- Dev-boards if to compare with tablets--main part. Of each parts consist tablet? Touch screen LCD, Battery, Frame, and dev board inside but without GPIO and different connectors.
My main interest in such boards--Have ability to run Android, Maybe Firefox if such arises and different types of Linuxes. But I am glad to have GPIO, Camera and LCD touch screen on board interfaces--in order in future learn programming and use them for different projects.
Right now are available such Distros:
Arch Linux, Debian, Ubuntu Core, Fedora, OpenSuse--maybe there are some others---I would be happy to have them all on Orange Pi.
I will tell how I came to dev boards.
I knew nothing about them till lately. I was interested more in Android Boxes--and I think many people are nowadays. I have CS968 Android Box with Rockchip RK3188 inside. It has really horrible cooler on chip--so it becomes hot in middle of case, especially since you start some game or movie--definately feels load on chip. Like this cooler is kind of like flat metal piece which even do not have spikes as usually cooler has to have.
So I hope that when Opange Pi 2 plus will be designed --it will have at least separately if not sold already on chip--will have nice cooler--because RK3288 is definately much more hotter chip than RK3188.
But then one day I discovered such web site and started to read it:
http://www.cnx-software.com/
THen I found this site: http://linuxgizmos.com/
Then I read review about SBC(Single Board Computer)--credit card size PC on ARM : http://linuxgizmos.com/ringing-in-2015-with-40-linux-friendly-hacker-sbcs/
And here also: http://www.linux.com/news/embedded-mobile/mobile-linux/772279-choose-your-favorite-open-source-sbcs
LInk
So it did make big impact on me. I started to learn all about such boards. What I liked about those boards--they give freedom to user--you are not stuck to "Android only image on board" which beefed up with unkonown apps which in antivirus classified as trojan and is part of system as usually. So on this boards was possible to run Android, Linuxes, connect LCD touch screen and video camera and also connect over HDMI to montior--I said to myself so cool--this little board is much more cooler then Android box buy freedom it gives and functions it can execute.
The only my concern was---Majority if not all so called "AFFORDABLE Boards"---have weak processors with weak GPU--also many of them only SD Card Slot--some have one eMMC--but it is little by size--only 4GB --whereas many even entry level Android Boxes have 8GB eMMC inside. So it made me kind of like think if it is worth it--because I do not want to spend my money and get essentially TOY.
So I visite so many web sites from many different manufacturers in the review of SBCs from linux.com. I visited Olimex, Raspberry Pi, Odroid and manyb many more. But in each of them was laways something wrong. Olimex are expensive--in Euros boards and offer weak Allwinner A20n CPUs.
Raspberri Pi even though said have 35$ tag Price--when you come to buy it cost far nopt 35 but higher. Also you need to buy not just board itself--but also case, PSu and many others things--which will make board really expensive. Also Raspberry Pi 2 has no eMMC, has outdated LXDE -which looks not ideally, no Wi-Fi- no Bluetooth. The only strong side of Raspberyy Pi is support and possibility to donwload stuff on site. But why I did not like Raspberry pi--it cant run Android --whereas even Intel Laptops can run it nowadays: http://www.android-x86.org/
BeagleBone Black is good board--but it looks like manily directed at people who want only learn programming on it--like not powerfull board.
Cuibieboard, Cuibietruck are also not good for me--their are either powerfull A80 and expensive--or with outdated CPUS Allwinner A20.
Hummingboards--aare expensive 70-90 buxes.
Marsboards are interesting--but they also outdated by CPUs. Udoo are expensive and outdated boards.
I was looking at Odroid C1 --looks like interesting--only 35$, but I did not like that only MP2 GPU--anyway I tried to buy it. What I liked about their shop--you can buy everything--Board itself, Cooleron CPU, Case, PSU--like full service for customer. Because mainly when people buy board--you get only board in plastic bag and then you ask yourself--this is it? And where is PSU, wherew is Case? You ask yourself--why when I buy even Cheap Android Box or cheap Android stick--you already get Android Board in platic case? Here you have to buy weak --not powerfull compenents and without anything--only board--no case--no cooler, no PSU. Funny heh?
Anyway I kind of like ordered Odroid C1, Cooler, Case, PSU--and then I tried to ship it--and I was shocked--it cost 19 Bux only for shipping--so essentially so cheap Odroid C1 becomes expensive thing.
They have no other option to ship--only pay 19$. I used to buy things on Ebay and always chose Free Shipping. I know that it is not free shipping esenntialy--it is just low paid and lont time wait shipping--someone has to pay 1 bux for it--but I am ok to wait one month untill it arrives. But pay 19 bux for shipping--no way. thank you Odroid for such service.
Anyway--I found out about Banana Pi and Orange Pi. What I like about those projects is that they are coming from China. Why? Because here we can easily have better CPUs, cheap shipping cost and some additional goodies like built in Wi-Fi, BLutooth out of the box and so on.
The only what it needs--good support--and as it looks right now--is possible to download many things already--hope it will be this way.
But o be honest--I believe more in Orange Pi. Somethings tel me that it is better.
What I can tell about Cases for Orange Pi? They need to be Glassy and with different colors and hard to break. So I thing is interesting to have possibility to see board through cglassy case--like alll its internals like CPU and stauff.
Also differetn collors will make it better. Like for example I like green color--would be nice to have possibility to chose such.
Also Case has to have a lot of holes in it in order to have air flow to be the best. We have to remember that CPUS--even though they are from ARM--produce a lot of heat--so air should be coming freely through. Because it is main problem nowadays in Android boxes--they essentially blocked inside cases and have almost no ventialtion--thus making CPUs over heat and reboot.
Maybe even have possibility to attach for some users to case little fan and connect it to board in order improve air flow.
Also I have seen on some ORange Pi--Wi-fi antenna--it is kind of like wire soldered to board and antenna lieing on board--I think looks kind of like funny. Maybe better to attach to board gold-plated connector and then to this connector screw wifi anenna kind of like we have in Wi-Fi routers?
Like here for example:
Also about case--I think probably it has to be designed so--that even when board is in case---person has to have accecss to GPIO and other connectors--I know is difficult to design so--but just my thought.
Another question--size of Boards. It is standardized? Like for example I can hear often that SBC is "Credit-Size-Card PC". So does it have the same size as credit card or different? Because I think it is important --because Case you buy for board--or even two cases--could pass to another model of ORange Pi--thus person saves money on cases.
Now about CPUs. As you all have heard already on this CES2015 show major CPU manufacturers said that will this year will be year of 64bit and year of Linux kernel 3.10 on android and Lollipop.
http://www.rock-chips.com/a/en/News/Rockchip_in_the_News/2015/0110/595.html
http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/01/07/rockchip-rk3368/
Like those chips will be really powerfull:
http://liliputing.com/2015/01/new-chips-rockchip-allwinner-mediatek.html
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