The Raspberry Pi Foundation launched an updated version of their tiny single-board computer this week. The $35 Raspberry Pi Model B+ has more USB ports and more GPIO pins than its predecessor, as well as a few other tweaks: but it doesn’t have a faster processor or more memory.
It’s been more than 2 years since the first Raspberry Pi Model B shipped, and the developers are still selling devices with 512MB of RAM and a Broadcom BCM2835 processor.
How long will we have to wait to see a more powerful Raspberry Pi? Probably about 3 more years.
Update: Or not… the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the Raspberry Pi 2 in February, 2015.
Project founder Eben Upton tells the folks at RaspPi.Today that there are plans to release a new model with higher performance parts. But it probably won’t happen til sometime around 2017 — or about 5 years after the release of the first Raspberry Pi computer.
In other words, it’s probably best to think of a generation of Raspberry Pi hardware more like a generation in video game console years than PC years. Companies like HP, Lenovo, and Asus release newer, faster computers every 6 to 12 months. Game console makers like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft release new consoles a few times a decade.
Sure, the ARM11 processor powering the Raspberry Pi Model B+ will look pretty dated by 2017… but it’s already rather underpowered by 2014 standards. In fact, it was a pretty slow processor even when the first model hit the streets in 2012.
The point is… the Raspberry Pi isn’t supposed to be a supercomputer. It’s a small, cheap, accessible computer aimed at educators, students, hobbyists, and others… and it’s good enough to serve that audience. You can use it as a low-power desktop computer or media center. You can use it to learn to program or as the brains of a DIY project like a robot, home automation system, or alarm.
Part of what’s made the project popular at a time when there are plenty of alternative computer kits with faster processors and low price tags is that a huge community has developed around the Raspberry Pi. It’s sort of the Arduino of single-board computers, and there’s a large group of people writing software for the Raspberry Pi, developing cases and other peripherals that work with it, and creating tutorials for other users who are just getting started.
The more often the Raspberry Pi Foundation changes the hardware, the less time folks have to get used to the existing device.
Still, 3 years is a long time to wait if you’re looking for a more powerful device. So if you’re in that boat today and you care more about performance than community support, you might want to check out some alternatives such as the SolidRun HummingBoard, pcDuino3, Banana Pi, or ECS LIVA.
2017? or Feb 2015? hmm..
Things came together a bit more quickly than they’d originally expected and they moved up their plans.
You could add ODROID U3 to that list. It’s even smaller than the RasPi.
I don’t know about anyone else, but this thing runs with 100% CPU constantly while using a GUI. There’s nothing left for running any applications.
Er, why run a GUI? It’s a raspberry pi, it’s not a Mac.
I primarily use my Raspberry Pi to display a 10-foot viewing style web-based statusboard with information fed to it by different services that I use. The GUI and the CLI both have an important place in computing. Also, my L and S keys need a break every once in a while 😉
That does sound fun! Maybe the 100% CPU load isn’t the GUI but the information retrieval?
It was fun to set up and is pretty useful. It’s the GUI though because the load starts after X starts but before I open Midori. Also, most of the info is fetched by the server via PHP rather than by the RasPi. The page pretty much sits there after it loads (except for some JavaScript that displays the time). The page just auto-refreshes every 30 minutes (the info doesn’t change very quickly but it is helpful to have it all at a glance).
The $35 price point is about the only reason to buy one now…especially if you need a couple.
The launch of the Compute Module kind of negates most of the arguments for the underwhelming upgrade though…
There are plenty of other options if you’re looking for a fast single board computer, they just cost more. I think the Raspberry Pi series should stay in the $35 price point. You can scale up with Pi’s – buy thirty for a classroom. Or buy 5 to distribute around the house for your home automation system.
People have to remember this board is about learning about programming and projects(at schools or collages) so speed is not an issue. The Guys who want it to do XBMC and PC sould look else where…..
it does XBMC really quite well, i have an original Model B with 256mb of RAM and it runs wuite well on that, let alone the 512mb versions