So we have talked about the Raspberry Pi (sort of), and we have linked you to the Pi-Top, and now, for your SBC (single board computer) entertainment we have, from the sauce of all things Pi themselves…. a touch screen…
http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/21/pi-pads/
Eben Upton, the founder of the Raspberry Pi microcomputer, has shown off a new piece of hardware that’s likely to expand the ecosystem around its single board computer — namely a touchscreen display.
So, in other words, get ready for DIY ‘Pi Pads’.
“The whole time we’ve been doing Raspberry Pi we’ve been saying yeah the display accessory is coming, yeah the display accessory is coming — and the display accessory is finally coming,” said Upton.
“This is our first display panel that we’re going to be hopefully getting out of the door before the end of the year or early next,” he added.
No word on price or much else really (hey, you come to this blog for stuff I find interesting, not for actual information!).
Why then do I find this interesting? (After bashing the Pi-Top so solidly).
Because, if they price it right, we might just have a useful little computer for a single purpose. Something like a smart thermostat, or little notes on the fridge, or a robot arm controller or…. well, you get the idea.
I really think the power of the SBC is in doing one small job really well and for not a lot of money.
“It’s kind of like a tablet, if you’re prepared to put up with a very thick tablet,” said Upton, demonstrating how the display combines with a Pi stacked on the back. “What you end up with is a stack with a Raspberry Pi on it. The idea is this gives you something you can embed.”
Something custom. Something that you want done, but can’t buy something off the shelf to do. Don’t make it into a router, you can buy them for 40 bucks and they are going to be way better than anything you can make, but something that is either expensive, like a NEST thermostat, or very custom, like a Smart Car computer.
Thats just what I think, but waddaiknow?
