Raspberry Pi Forums

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 2:59 am

by Pikalev15

I've kind of been sitting on the edge about buying a raspberry pi five and bought a 0 series and a 02. They are a bit weak for me to tinker with (but I am still going to buy one for a pwagotchi project) and i want something that I kind use Linux for more than 3 seconds without it crashing on me. Since I am going to America in a few months an di gained enough cash for me to buy a cheap mini pc or a pi 5, one 02w and a Pico 2, should i keep waiting for the pi6 or get a mini pc over the pi 5? Also is the pi 5 usable in a desktop pc condition for like normal services? Pls help me im dying to know what I should do

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 4:44 am

by aBUGSworstnightmare

A Pi5 just works fine as a daily driver.
No idea on chromebook as I've never used on.
What kind of mini PC are you interrested in and what do you want to use the PI/Chromebook or the mini PC for?

What about buying a refurbished notebook (i3 with win11 is roughly 120bucks here) and start with a pico?

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 5:53 am

by redvli

If you want Linux, you can use an existing laptop, there are plenty of guides how to remove or shrink windows and put Linux on it so dual boot. Or as virtual machine, even easier. And you have compact 1 object with a screen that only needs a PSU. A Pi5 and miniPC need a screen keyboard mouse and so extra cables and PSU etc. Fine if fixed office environment. A chromebook has a screen, but it needs internet and is google vendor lock. And same as Apple OS, MS Windows, Android, it is not really open source. In a plane or during travel a device with screen has way more value then a computing box. Also in hotels, you don't need HDMI cable and the TV in the room. It is just some situations, I don't know your life and plans.
If you just want a small board and do some HW GPIO a Pico connected via an USB cable to whatever computer is cheap and I think more fun than a Pi0. Pi0 has camera option, maybe that is wanted.
If you figured out that you need some Linux server 24/7 hooked up to the internet, a Pi5 is more low-power than a miniPC. If you want battery operated, even a Pi5 might be too power hungry, but I think that is not the issue in this topic. It seems about (human) interactive computing.

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 9:28 am

by KeithMck

Depending on OPs needs/usage, which machine will be best for them cannot be determined by people on this forum, without specific usage info, we can say that the RPi5 is suitable for general purpose daily computing, is small & lightweight, & could be used with most TVs. On the other hand, a laptop is an all-in-one solution....

Mini PCs are usually low powered, (unless expensive), & are heavier than the RPi5.

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 10:35 am

by pidd

I use a Pi5 as my daily desktop, it does the job and is incredibly energy efficient.

I have an N100 based mini-pc which was intended to take over as my Windows desktop but not bothered to implement it as yet, I use my old Windows computer (Pentium core 2 duo) about once a month mostly as a backup for photos, documents and emails but for the occasional Windows only software.

Don't be too fooled by mini-PC's quoted power, using TDP of the processor can be highly misleading. Looking at my 58000H based mini-pcs they are currently running at 30W TDP but the processor alone is actually using more than 58W of electrical energy (58A @ 1.0V)

I also have a number of old i7-4790S computers which can be picked up used very cheaply (30ドル with 16GB RAM and SSD) which are very good performers for the price.

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 2:35 pm

by W. H. Heydt

Pikalev15 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2024 2:59 am

... should i keep waiting for the pi6 or get a mini pc over the pi 5?

Waiting for the next version is a fools errand. There is *always* a next version. Since the RPT generally doesn't announce new products ahead of time, you've no idea when the Pi6 will appear, nor do you know what features it will have. If you want a Pi *and* the Pi5 will do what you want, get a Pi5.

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 4:26 pm

by tinker2much

The pi5 works fine as a desktop, for most everything you might use a PC for. I wouldn't try to wait for a pi6, as W. H. Heydt says.

I wouldn't buy a mini PC, unless you have something specific in mind that only it can do. It's not that different from a pi and will definitely use more power.

I have twice bought Chromebooks and they work well for web-based work. But I don't like Google hovering up all my data, so I deliberately removed ChromeOS and installed GNU/Linux (once Debian, once Manjaro). I do this as a very personal choice, a kind of blow for freedom. You may not care as strongly as I do. But note that this is often difficult to do, and not everything works even so, despite some good help on the web.

You can buy a cheap used Windows laptop and either dual boot or just install Linux. This gives you something portable and eliminates the need for a monitor. Even older models run well with lighter distributions (or window managers).

So my recommendation is to get a pi5 (perhaps saving money by getting one with less memory), and if you want something else (or something in addition), a repurposed used cheap laptop.

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:23 am

by memjr

Apples, oranges and peaches. They're all fruits, but they're all different.

Same thing for your question.

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:33 am

by cjan

Pi5 + peripheral = not cheap.
and can not suit for Pi6 PSU case cooler hats etc, just like Pi4 to Pi5 :twisted:

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 2:02 pm

by W. H. Heydt

cjan wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:33 am

and can not suit for Pi6 PSU case cooler hats etc, just like Pi4 to Pi5 :twisted:

What is your source for that? Or is it purely conjecture?

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:23 pm

by keyboardman

I suggest you to watch Rpi 5 video reviews and observe the performance and got some idea about it. I did that and I concluded its performance is enough for me. I am using it as my main PC since Pi5 release.

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 9:09 pm

by ame

OP has logged in again, but not contributed to the discussion. Maybe it's not a genuine enquiry?

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 1:35 am

by cjan

W. H. Heydt wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 2:02 pm

cjan wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:33 am

and can not suit for Pi6 PSU case cooler hats etc, just like Pi4 to Pi5 :twisted:

What is your source for that? Or is it purely conjecture?

purely conjecture, of course :D

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:42 am

by weberjn

Maybe the foundation should sell a raspberry pi five based mini pc. With ports for two m.2 ssds, two (empty) ddr4 ram banks and lots of usb ports. And of course for much less than double the pi five price.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 11:41 am

by davidcoton

weberjn wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:42 am

Maybe the foundation should sell a raspberry pi five based mini pc. With ports for two m.2 ssds, two (empty) ddr4 ram banks and lots of usb ports. And of course for much less than double the pi five price.

And it must have a pink unicorn dancing on a rainbow.
Locking in three ...

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 11:52 am

by weberjn

davidcoton wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 11:41 am

weberjn wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:42 am

Maybe the foundation should sell a raspberry pi five based mini pc. With ports for two m.2 ssds, two (empty) ddr4 ram banks and lots of usb ports. And of course for much less than double the pi five price.

And it must have a pink unicorn dancing on a rainbow.
Locking in three ...

I don't see why a Raspberry based PC would be odd.

Currently arm based laptops make headlines for how long their battery lasts. But I haven't heard of an arm based PC.
This could be a great opportunity for Raspberry to fill a gap in the market for a very power efficient mini PC.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 12:00 pm

by davidcoton

weberjn wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 11:52 am

davidcoton wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 11:41 am

weberjn wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:42 am

Maybe the foundation should sell a raspberry pi five based mini pc. With ports for two m.2 ssds, two (empty) ddr4 ram banks and lots of usb ports. And of course for much less than double the pi five price.

And it must have a pink unicorn dancing on a rainbow.
Locking in three ...

I don't see why a Raspberry based PC would be odd.

Currently arm based laptops make headlines for how long their battery lasts. But I haven't heard of an arm based PC.
This could be a great opportunity for Raspberry to fill a gap in the market for a very power efficient mini PC.

The concept is not odd, but...

RPi Ltd manage this forum, and do not generally welcome discussions of future products. They've thought of most of them, some will happen, others are either technically off-beam or commercially naive (or both). In any case, the first we will know of new products is when they are announced.

The likely product is a Pi500, which will be a PC in a keyboard with limited expandability and connectivity (see the Pi400 spec). I have no inside knowledge (and those who do won't say anything).

The suggestion is also off-topic for this thread.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 8:44 pm

by memjr

weberjn wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:42 am

Maybe the foundation should sell a raspberry pi five based mini pc. With ports for two m.2 ssds, two (empty) ddr4 ram banks and lots of usb ports. And of course for much less than double the pi five price.

Why wait for them to do it, which they will probably not do it at all?

Other than the DDR ram slots, you can build this yourself today with a pi 5, USB hub, PCI splitter, etc.

If you don't like the format, there is the cm4 that lets you customize the build however you want, and off course, there is the soon to be released cm5.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:17 pm

by jason_kidd

Apples and oranges. Chromebooks are "laptops". The others are not.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 11:52 pm

by Moonmarch

The Raspberry Pi 5 Computer is considered a Desktop Computer, because the computer requires a keyboard, monitor, mouse, and power supply.

The same with a mini PC, and a mini PC will consist of laptop hardware with upgradeable components.

A Chromebook is a laptop, and Chrome OS is not the same as Android OS.

Windows Laptops are cheaper if you are able to purchase the laptop when the computer is on sale.

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2024 5:06 pm

by bjtheone

Moonmarch wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 23, 2024 11:52 pm

The Raspberry Pi 5 Computer is considered a Desktop Computer, because the computer requires a keyboard, monitor, mouse, and power supply.

The same with a mini PC, and a mini PC will consist of laptop hardware with upgradeable components.

A Chromebook is a laptop, and Chrome OS is not the same as Android OS.

Windows Laptops are cheaper if you are able to purchase the laptop when the computer is on sale.

Chromebooks are almost always cheaper than the vaguely equivalent Windows laptop. Even with the same processor, the chromebook usually has less ram than the equivalent Windows version. License costs are less as well.

Most (I would tend to say all) modern Chromebooks will run Linux flawlessly. Higher end Chromebooks are my go to Linux Laptop solution. No clue how Android OS entered the discussion.

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2024 7:55 pm

by ame

It's another low-effort drive by.

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2024 3:54 am

by Pikalev15

ame wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 9:09 pm

OP has logged in again, but not contributed to the discussion. Maybe it's not a genuine enquiry?

sorry no laptop. my parents do not let me have my laptop all the time

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2024 4:01 am

by W. H. Heydt

Pikalev15 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 17, 2024 3:54 am

ame wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 9:09 pm

OP has logged in again, but not contributed to the discussion. Maybe it's not a genuine enquiry?

sorry no laptop. my parents do not let me have my laptop all the time

Hmmm... Okay. My parents don't get a say...unless you can find a way to raise the dead.

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2024 4:17 am

by ejolson

Pikalev15 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 17, 2024 3:54 am

ame wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 21, 2024 9:09 pm

OP has logged in again, but not contributed to the discussion. Maybe it's not a genuine enquiry?

sorry no laptop. my parents do not let me have my laptop all the time

If you already have a laptop, then a Chromebook is much the same except more limited. If you install Linux on a mini PC, that will be noticeably different than a laptop and might be interesting.

A Raspberry Pi is more unique than the mini PC or the Chromebook. From a software point of view Linux is vendor supported. From a hardware point of view the small size and GPIO enable robotics and automation projects by allowing connection of physical controls and sensors in a direct way that is impossible with a Chromebook or mini PC.

Welcome to the forum!