Tiny quad-core ARM computer delivers serious power for $129 | Hacker News Reader

Tiny quad-core ARM computer delivers serious power for $129

venturebeat.com

54 pointsjpadilla_30 comments

Has anyone elsed noticed that these sorts of publications seem to be linking to things randomly? I read this article, and there's no link to the company's website, no link to where I can get more details about it, no link to where I can buy it.

The only link in the article is titled "Korean hardware manufacturer called Hardkernel is launching", which you'd expect to be linking to something relevant, and that link goes to a PC World article about the Nexus 7 being hard to find. What the fuck?

I noticed that there are a few offenders like this, who seem to just be linking to other articles of theirs randomly in an attempt to bolster relevancy. They just make me not click any links at all.

It's one of the cheap tricks AOL and Engadget pioneered and now everyone else emulates because it's so successful. They also love giant images at the start of articles to ensure you'll view the ads below the fold.

The smaller these become the more the ports and jacks stick out like a sore thumb.

At 90mm x 95mm, it fits nicely inside the 100mm x 100mm mounting specification for flat-panel monitors.

Pricing competes directly with mini-itx boards. Interesting that the neo-itx board from VIA (apc.io) is priced to compete with the RPi.

Add all the tablet incursions and you catch a glimpse of why desktop pc sales are flat.

Seems to benefit GNU/Linux, Ubuntu development as well.

Link to the manufacturer's site: http://www.hardkernel.com/renewal_2011/products/prdt_info.ph...

You can also add on Wi-Fi for $9, and other stuff too.

Its hard to decide whether to get this or a Raspberry Pi, talking to someone who has a Raspberry Pi, they have found that running even a graphical interface like lxde is slow and involves a lot of hacking.

Although I fully expected this, I wonder whether I've outgrown that sort of fooling around, and would rather play with something a little bigger like this, which packs a (slightly) bigger punch.

Not sure what I want from either device, other than something that could be another thing to play with.

That's kind of the point though. Why waste the money? If it's just to tinker, fine. But I use my Raspberry Pi as a streaming endpoint and it works well. I have to cope with transcoding my 1080p content down though. That's the only reason I'd see shelling out for one of these.

This is based on the assumption that most people on HN aren't going to seriously use one of these cheap ARM devices as anything more than a toy. Even if you wanted a thin client of sorts, the RPi is more than capable.

Just depends on what you'll use it for. My rpi has proven a more-than-capable mail server, and anything with more oomph would just cost more (and suck more power)

It depends on what you want. If you want linux μC programming then RPi has a bunch of GPIO pins which I'm sure will be easily addressable under Linux. I'm not able to see anything like that on this one. But holy mother of god, this has 6 USB ports...

It has GPIO pins in the big header. Please don't guess and then act like it is fact.

With Debian Squeeze, 'startx' brings up the GUI without issues on mine.

Still, I do not plan on running a GUI on my RPi. It's got too little memory for that (imho). I plan to use it for home automation projects.

I wonder if it's a sign of my impending decrepitude, but I can't think of a use for this that would tickle my hacker nerve. I applaud the existence even as I look at it and say "pass".

At $199 you can get Nexus 7 - quad core CPU, 1GB RAM, 8GB flash storage, HD touch screen, Wifi, GPS, microphone, accelerometer, NFC, magnetometer, gyroscope, USB, 9-hour battery.

In a significantly larger form factor.

With significantly better hardware.

Quad core Exynos (very good), quad core graphics, 1GB RAM, 6 USB ports, Ethernet, SDHC memory card slot.

For what this is being marketed for and for everyone of the top 6 uses I can think of... this has as good of specs or better.

I mean, what do you want NFC in an embedded form like this that would have similar uses in a tablet? For something being sold by Asus vs [some seemingly random person] and for $70 less, I think this has a lot more value that you give it credit for.

How is it better specs? It doesn't have a display, it doesn't run off a battery, it doesn't have any of the sensors I listed.

This is for hardware experimentation, not to put in your pocket. Why would I want a display?

Can you load your own OS on the Nexus 7? This thing can run Linux as well as Ubuntu.

http://www.hardkernel.com/renewal_2011/products/prdt_info.ph...

Nexus 7 just started shipping. I'm sure it will be hacked to run Linux in a few weeks.

I am sure it is already running Linux ;)

"Suddenly" RMS' advice to write GNU/Linux makes sense, huh.

(At least it usefully separates your typical distro from Android, which doesn't use the GNU userland and C library.)

> I'm sure it will be hacked to run Linux in a few weeks.

While lacking video driver and you can only play 480p video?

just search play for ubuntu installer, its a way to chroot and boot an xserver and then you vnc into it... kind of hack, sure, but there are also xservers and busybox, depends on your needs if these options will work for you. i haven't heard much about people using an arm build of ubuntu on droid devices, though, although it seems i remember something about it being worked on

exactly what i am thinking.

Nexus 7 is available only in a select few countries though.

Previous discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4236094

I think they forgot something. Like a video output.

It has mini-HDMI out.

Isn't that HDMI micro on the left?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Connectors

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