Raspberry Pi 2 worth it?

[TheMechEngineer]

What do you guys reckon? Anyone here own one?

I'm looking at a kit for the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B with the quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

 

Of course I'm not expecting it to have Core i5 levels of performance, but it does look pretty awesome.

Most likely I'll be using it as a low-power desktop for word processing, trying out some programming.....who knows, it may come in useful even as a small server or something.

 

Here's the thing though.....I already have an ASUS Eee PC Seashell laptop, so would I really need a Raspberry Pi for small-computer, low-power purposes anyway?

[HumbleMobo]

What do you guys reckon? Anyone here own one?

I'm looking at a kit for the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B with the quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

 

Of course I'm not expecting it to have Core i5 levels of performance, but it does look pretty awesome.

Most likely I'll be using it as a low-power desktop for word processing, trying out some programming.....who knows, it may come in useful even as a small server or something.

 

Here's the thing though.....I already have an ASUS Eee PC Seashell laptop, so would I really need a Raspberry Pi for small-computer, low-power purposes anyway?

Sell it for 100$  and get a nice RP2 you could probably build a wooden case for the RP2 because of its form factor.

[FuzzyYellow]

prolly not, but it's cool.

[Rmusic10891]

Wow an Eee PC, haven't messed with one of those since my retail days.  Nostalgia aside I do have a Pi 2 and honestly for the money the thing is pretty amazing.  It's currently in testing to be used as Kodi (XBMC) based HTPC for me. It handle's 1080p playback (outside of DTS audio issues) quite well. So I imagine it'll handle word processing and light programming just fine.

[TheMechEngineer]

Sell it for 100$  and get a nice RP2 you could probably build a wooden case for the RP2 because of its form factor.

 

Nah it's all good, I have the funds available. Just wondering if it's actually worth the US$60 (or so) or whether it'll end up at the bottom of a draw like most gimmiks.

Would certainly be interesting to make custom cases and cooling stuff for it.

[bob345]

a raspberry pi is not something you would want to use as a desktop replacement. Its a development platform. sure, you can run some very simple linux builds on it, but that is not what its made for.

[TheMechEngineer]

Wow an Eee PC, haven't messed with one of those since my retail days.  Nostalgia aside I do have a Pi 2 and honestly for the money the thing is pretty amazing.  It's currently in testing to be used as Kodi (XBMC) based HTPC for me. It handle's 1080p playback (outside of DTS audio issues) quite well. So I imagine it'll handle word processing and light programming just fine.

 

Does it run on any monitor? (I'd imagine you'd need a HDMI-to-DVI adapter)

I'm wondering if it's even possible to use an adapter to plug it into a laptop display...

[AMICLG]

RasPi 2 is garbage for the price, they kept the same GPU. Get a ODROID-C1+ from Hardkernel.

[Rmusic10891]

Nah it's all good, I have the funds available. Just wondering if it's actually worth the US$60 (or so) or whether it'll end up at the bottom of a draw like most gimmiks.

Would certainly be interesting to make custom cases and cooling stuff for it.

Are you quoting $60 for one of the packages that come with the Pi and Accessories? If not yikes that's a lot for the Pi.

 

Does it run on any monitor? (I'd imagine you'd need a HDMI-to-DVI adapter)

I'm wondering if it's even possible to use an adapter to plug it into a laptop display...

Yeah if you're running it to DVI you'd just have to use an adapter, their cheap enough.  I also should note considering your call out two different desktop rigs in your signature that this was more of a side project type thing, not something you were planning on using for you everyday machine.

[mapegl]

Well it really depends on what you use it for. As a PC....nah, not that great.

You can basically make it a streaming box for your nvidia gpu (limelight) or you can stream from your ipad or similar device on it, works great. I know a few people, who made their TV a Smart-TV by hooking up a raspberry pi and using a wireless keyboard.

 

I built a little lego case for it, but there is tons of ideas for enclosures.

[TheSLSAMG]

The Pi is for a specific crowd. It's not for someone to make an XBMC box for their living room (though it works fairly well as one.) It's more for the same type of person who is going to buy an Arduino or an Edison. It's for coders, developers and hackers I guess.

 

If you want a television box to play around with, get a Nexus Player, get one of those ITX Intel Celeron/Pentium boards, get an AMD Kabini CPU and motherboard or get an ODROID like @AdamIsaacLang suggests.

 

I'll tell you this because I bought one expecting to install Android on it and have a zippy little PC. Now I'm selling it and buying a Nexus Player most likely.

[babadoctor]

What do you guys reckon? Anyone here own one?

I'm looking at a kit for the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B with the quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

 

Of course I'm not expecting it to have Core i5 levels of performance, but it does look pretty awesome.

Most likely I'll be using it as a low-power desktop for word processing, trying out some programming.....who knows, it may come in useful even as a small server or something.

 

Here's the thing though.....I already have an ASUS Eee PC Seashell laptop, so would I really need a Raspberry Pi for small-computer, low-power purposes anyway?

noice mang

[TheMechEngineer]

Are you quoting $60 for one of the packages that come with the Pi and Accessories? If not yikes that's a lot for the Pi.

 

Yeah if you're running it to DVI you'd just have to use an adapter, their cheap enough.  I also should note considering your call out two different desktop rigs in your signature that this was more of a side project type thing, not something you were planning on using for you everyday machine.

 

Yeah it's a starter kit. Might be a little more than US$60, I just guessed that figure.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Raspberry-Pi-2-Model-B-1GB-Starter-Pack-Case-Power-SWITCH-8G-NOOBS-HDMI/291513451822?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D05165c0a2e0b46a59413318e06b22e3e%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D371321988251

[KemoKa]

Depends on what you want to use it for. It's certainly not viable for use as a desktop-replacement machine (unless you're in africa or you only have a 5V solar panel and battery), but it will do just about everything else that you could want a microcomputer to do. GPIO pins, USB, ethernet, you can install tons of neat things on it, code stuff, set it up to drop fish food into your tank for you... make a robot with it, mate it with an arduino, make a Game Boy Pi emulator. If you're a DIY tinkerer, it's a dream come true. If you're an 80-year-old grandmother from Idaho, then... no, it's not worth your money.

I wanted them to send a tiny rover to mars, but make it controlled by a couple of Raspberry Pi 2s and an arduino. It would be terrific.

[Yoinkerman]

i wouldn't get it unless you want to code things and tinker

[watts300]

I've had a Raspberry Pi for a couple years.  I made a box for it with Lego and got an SD card for it.  Boot it up and opened a movie to see if it worked.  

 

I haven't used it since.