Raspberry Pi

as technology grows more advanced, most manufacturers have been obsessed with shrinking the size of the tech as much as possible. whilst, for the most part, this still tends to be the case - in some areas we are seeing a reversal of this initial trend. the last time i upgraded my GPU,  i had to modify my gaming case by way of repositioning the lower drive bay so i could fit my newer graphics card into the PC. mobile devices have also seen a reversal in the "smaller is better" trend - each generation of the Galaxy S has grown larger in screen size, as has the iPhone and other mobile devices. big screen TVs are another example of modern tech out sizing old.

obviously, not all technology fits this trend. the raspberry pi (and other alternatives) are not only shrinking the footprint of working tech, they are reshaping the way we look at potential future-tech roll outs or real-world applications. whilst not all are a powerhouse of computing brilliance, these SBC's or single board computers, are starting to emerge as viable replacements for traditional computers. 

my raspberry pi (running the wheezy distro)

while these systems (such as the raspberry pi, oval elephant and other open source SBC's) offer the basic computer requirements (word processing, emails, web, networking etc) - these tiny computers are capable of 1080p video - making them ideal for cheap HTPC setups. these tiny computers are not only whisper quiet, they can run off a low-voltage adaptor or even be powered by a modern day LCD TV or screen with a USB port. add an external hard drive (powered either through a hub or independently via adaptor) and you have a networked HTPC that can run as a media centre or even act as a second computer. 

The raspberry pi has the addition of a 26-pin GPIO connection, which allows some external IO options - which means that like the arduino boards available on the market, you can add switches, sensors and a host of other goodies - all of which can be powered from a low-voltage DC option (such as battery packs) or from just about any modern day USB or DC adaptors. at the moment, i have the Linux distro wheezy loaded on the SD card and have a bunch of programs Ive pre-loaded over the network. the cost of a raspberry pi? AU$38.

more powerful SBC's are available - such as the dual-core oval elephant - however, some of these do not offer any sort of GPIO and are more akin to the cheap 7" android tablets and mobile devices that can be had on ebay for <$100, just without any sort of screen or touch interface. however, such is the case of the oval elephant and its dual-core tech, some are just as powerful as a cutting edge smart phone, albeit on a SBC instead of a phone. while i still have every intention of exploring more of the arduino world when i have a chance, i think this is as good a start as any to work with prototyping some unique devices and hacks.

i bought my raspberry pi from element14, although there are several authorised distributors listed on the pi's website - just be sure to select a local distributor to ensure prompt postage :)