Raspberry Pi GPU doubles iPhone 4S performance

By Richard Leadbetter Published 25 January, 2012

Incredible gaming potential for $25 open source computer.

Raspberry Pi - the $25 credit-card sized computer - features an advanced graphics core that outperforms the GPU in iPhone 4S by a factor of two to one "across a range of content", according to claims made by the manufacturer in a new Digital Foundry interview published today on GamesIndustry.biz.

Discussing the graphical potential of the Broadcom BCM2835 chipset at the heart of the device, executive director Eben Upton describes how it compares to the graphics capabilities of the most popular mobile devices.

"I was on the team that designed the graphics core, so I'm a little biased here, but I genuinely believe we have the best mobile GPU team in the world at Broadcom in Cambridge," Upton says, when asked to confirm rumours that Raspberry Pi comprehensively outperforms NVIDIA's Tegra 2.

"What's really striking is how badly Tegra 2 performs relative even to simple APs using licensed Imagination Technologies (TI and Apple) or ARM Mali (Samsung) graphics. To summarise, BCM2835 has a tile mode architecture - so it kills immediate-mode devices like Tegra on fill-rate - and we've chosen to configure it with a very large amount of shader performance, so it does very well on compute-intensive benchmarks, and should double iPhone 4S performance across a range of content."

Broadcom's approach with the BCM2385 chip is somewhat different in other respects though - while its graphics core is state-of-the-art, its main CPU is a single core 700MHz ARM11: somewhat off the pace compared to high-end mobile devices, but still extremely powerful for a $25 computer. The Raspberry Pi Foundation hopes that the potential and flexibility of the device will bring about a new wave of homebrew coders akin to the programming revolution in the 80s spearheaded by machines like the BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

As the Raspberry Pi is based on an existing mobile part currently being deployed in the Roku2 video streaming player, the device should find favour with media enthusiasts too. Already, the device has been demonstrated running popular open source front-end XBMC. The Broadcom chipset features hardware acceleration that allows for h.264 content at 1080p Blu-ray quality to decode at 30 frames per second - a wonderful 'extra' for a device mostly aimed at boosting interest in programming.

"All the media features are to some extent a bonus, but they've been a part of our thinking ever since I joined Broadcom five years ago (having spent a year trying to build a $25 PC out of openly-available parts like Atmel microcontrollers)," Eben Upton explains.

"I think there's a lot to be said for a device which is useful for something other than programming. The media features provide a 'hook' to draw people to the platform; once we have them hooked, we can trick them into becoming programmers!"

Raspberry Pi will be available in Model A and Model B versions priced at $25 and $35 respectively - the more expensive version features 256MB RAM up against the 128MB of the Model A with the added bonus of an in-built Ethernet port. The first batch of 10,000 units is currently in production and should be on sale shortly.

Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (122) Latest comment 2 weeks ago

  • sir_tripod #1 4 weeks ago

    I wouldn't mind getting a piece of Pi.

  • dsmx #2 4 weeks ago

    mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm pie

  • Sodding_Gamer #3 4 weeks ago

    I can't wait for this to be honest. It's an absolute steal and it would be fun to mess around with, especially at that price. Hurry up and get it on the market!! I'm buying 3 of them at least!

  • Brownstudy #4 4 weeks ago

    Post deleted at 08:40:30 25-01-2012

  • Brownstudy #5 4 weeks ago

    Post deleted at 08:40:25 25-01-2012

  • Brownstudy #6 4 weeks ago

    I'm so excited about this project. Such a fantastic idea, and I desperately hope it's a huge success. Plus, I can't wait to get my hands on one!

  • Brownstudy #7 4 weeks ago

    Sorry about the multiple posts; not sure why that happened

  • Octoroc #8 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy We get the idea.

    It's a nifty little thing though.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 08:45

  • dadrester #9 4 weeks ago

    They should get Chris Evans' ex wife to market the thing. She could be the Pi Piper.

  • sir_tripod #10 4 weeks ago

    There are people who'll be buying several of the £35 models and putting their fingers into the ethernet ports because they like to have their fingers in many Pis.

  • Whitster #11 4 weeks ago

    I'm buying one just to support the concept.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #12 4 weeks ago

    Cant wait to order one of these, only 10,000 in the first batch think there will be alot of disapointed people pre ordering.

  • Jonny5Alive7 #13 4 weeks ago

    If it genuinely can play 1080p videos then I'm very interested.

  • frod. #14 4 weeks ago

    so a $35 machine can probably match the Vita.

  • StooMonster #15 4 weeks ago

    It's the 21st century Speccy

  • Brownstudy #16 4 weeks ago

    And it's British.

    Gawd bless it!

  • crofty13 #17 4 weeks ago

    You what would make the video even more awesome.

    A tripod ;)

  • scoop #18 4 weeks ago

    They've done an amazing job with this thing. And unlike when a typical console manufacturer releases "specs", I believe every word they're saying.

    Also, it has to be the first computer where the cables cost more than the hardware :)

  • Timotei #19 4 weeks ago

    You need to find a new cable supplier.

  • tomjoadsghost #20 4 weeks ago

    just.let.me.buy.it.already.

  • telboy007 #21 4 weeks ago

    This is the perfect size for a PC to plug into the TV... perfect size to be incorporated into a TV.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 09:49

  • beroscoe #22 4 weeks ago

    Is it just me thinking that still looks like a half finished job?

    The success of the BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum was down to the fact that you turned them on and you immediately had BASIC to play with... what's on the Pi?

    Its great that I can get the board for $35, but i'd rather it was in some of case that was designed not to overheat, and supplied with at least a power supply and input device... (the spectrum was!) get me that for £50 and i'll buy one...

  • Brownstudy #23 4 weeks ago

    Sorry to keep harping on but there's something wonderfully British about this. Usable, unassuming tech for the masses which also happens to be pretty powerful. Looks like a stroke of genius to me.

    I'm not very patriotic but I do love it when we manage this sort of thing and it feels like it's been a while.

  • Brownstudy #24 4 weeks ago

    @beroscoe

    I'm going to make a case out of fish and chips, or Yorkshire pudding or something.

  • kingmancheng #25 4 weeks ago

    This is damn good performance especially for the price, this and the incentive of getting kids to follow their passion and make games is a good step forward!

  • Toothball #26 4 weeks ago

    They sound cool, but I probably leave it until I can think of what I might do with one. Obviously the possibilities are endless, but I have enough hobbies for the moment. That and it might be easier to get one later.

  • Timotei #27 4 weeks ago

    @beroscoe Doesn't bother me in the slightest. Linux distros are free and SDHC cards are cheap. There's an excellent prototype Lego case someone has designed on their forums and I wouldn't mind a bash at building one out of wood.

  • local_celebrity #28 4 weeks ago

    Can they not put a cover on that thing? Looks a bit cheap.

  • ShiftyGeezer #29 4 weeks ago

    @beroscoe : It has a USB port to use USB keyboards and mice and anything else. If the drivers are up to snuff, you can plug in a cheap £10 PC 'starter set' or a top-of-the-range Logitech wireless keyboard. Or you can use your existing PC devices when you want to play with it.

    The bare-bones idea is ideal. Pi only supplies what is essential to the project. Everything else is there for the user to modify. I'm sure we'll see an accessories trade for cases and the like if the thing is popular. Until then, make a case out of cardboard or a biscuit tin or whatever. The case only needs keep the dust out.

  • KujiGhost #30 4 weeks ago

    As a 35 year old man, I'd love to get one of these and learn a bit of programming. I have fond memories of my Dad and I learning basic programming by typing out (and then resolving countless 'SYNTAX ERRORS' afterwards!) simple little games on our Vic20 :)

  • wayn3h #31 4 weeks ago

    @local_celebrity

    It is cheap though. That's the point. Cheap, powerful and versatile hardware that you make your own.

    You could make an awesome little media box, onlive streaming, emulator etc.. with this that you could hide away behind the TV. The possibilities are literally endless.

  • jetsetwillie #32 4 weeks ago

    stuff like this reminds me why i love technology so much.

  • amiganorm #33 4 weeks ago

    Looking forward to this!!

    By the way the first batch is model "B" only

  • DozyKipper #34 4 weeks ago

    What operating system does this run?

  • DrStrangelove #35 4 weeks ago

    Wonder what happens when the first one manages to make a super-console with eight of these.

    edit: I just figured the answer: it would become the Pii, obviously.

    I'll just buy one because it's cool, not because I actually had any idea what I'd do with it.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 10:53

  • CatWeazle #36 4 weeks ago

    A brilliant visionary idea, and lets hope it fulfils its ambition of creating a new generation of bedroom coders - and in some way counters the British government's disregard for its homegrown talent. I'll certainly be getting one & contributing what I can to the community.

  • Timotei #37 4 weeks ago

    @DozyKipper The only "supported" ones so far are Debian, Fedora and ArchLinux with support for other distros down the line. Win 8 Arm & early Android OS' are possible if ported by 3rd parties, but will run in to low memory difficulties.

  • miseryguts #38 4 weeks ago

    Only in the UK could something like this have emerged.. it has that unique wtf particularly British air of the absurd (but pretty damn awesome too!) about it.
    Thank the lord there are still some crazy mofo's like Mr Braben around, now all we need is a Magnus Pyke (anyone else here remember him?) to promote it.
    Edited by 2 at 25/01/12 @ 10:43

  • barchetta #39 4 weeks ago

    From what I gather - various flavours of Linux.

    I'm keen on getting hold of one and a simple BASIC interpreter and get my kids into messing around as I did with the c64/BBC back in the day.

    They aren't taking preorders/depsits but a mailing list is amassing and once ready I think it will be first come-first served, 1 per address/user.

  • StooMonster #40 4 weeks ago

    @sir_tripod they like to have their fingers in many Pis

    They are calling a cluster of Raspberry Pi devices a bramble.

  • StooMonster #41 4 weeks ago

    @barchetta I'm keen on getting hold of one and a simple BASIC interpreter and get my kids into messing around as I did with the c64/BBC back in the day.

    From the interviews I've read, they are trying to get official BBC Basic on it. Which would be absolutely fantastic.

  • richarddavies #42 4 weeks ago

    *does best cat impression off red dwarf*

    "WHAT IS IT?"

  • goldbug #43 4 weeks ago

    The Pi is a li.

  • frod. #44 4 weeks ago

    Sorry to keep harping on but there's something wonderfully British about this. Usable, unassuming tech for the masses which also happens to be pretty powerful.
    lol wat
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 10:55

  • Brownstudy #45 4 weeks ago

    @frod.

    Good point well made. Sorry.

  • Ranger101 #46 4 weeks ago

    Hmm... I'm thinkin a Pi can become the heart of a very bite-sized MAME Cabinet.

  • Gecks #47 4 weeks ago

    it's got sdram so lets not get carried away with the graphical performance. the gpu might have tonnes of fillrate, but it's not going to be able to use any of it when it's coupled with 1990s ram, unless i'm missing something!

    looking forward to some cool demo-scene stuff from it, though. bottlenecks be damned!

  • jonfon #48 4 weeks ago

    @local_celebrity
    It *is* cheap, that's the point.

    They probably will offer cases, pre-loaded OSes and the like going forward. At the moment the main concern is keeping the price down and getting them into peoples hands to see what they do with them.

    Once they've sold this batch then it's likely they'll look into possibly expanding both the board itself (wifi has been mentioned as a possibility by the Pi moderators & developers in the future for example) and providing a more "complete" machine with a case and other peripherals.

  • DrStrangelove #49 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy
    Sorry to keep harping on but there's something wonderfully British about this. Usable, unassuming tech for the masses which also happens to be pretty powerful. Looks like a stroke of genius to me.

    I'm not very patriotic but I do love it when we manage this sort of thing and it feels like it's been a while.
    Seconded.

    As a German, the first thing that struck me was: What, no casing, no cooling? It could set your house on fire! Silly reflexes lol.

    If we made that, we'd probably make it fallout- and sunstorm-proof, raising the cost to 500 pounds... creating an impressive, but utterly useless piece of engineering. We do that quite a lot, actually.

  • skuzzbag #50 4 weeks ago

    "From the interviews I've read, they are trying to get official BBC Basic on it. Which would be absolutely fantastic. "

    Wow! I was sold before but if that happens I'M SOLD IN CAPITAL LETTERS AND MAGENTA AND GREEN FLASHING MODE 7 TEXT"

  • funkateer #51 4 weeks ago

    It's a cute project, and a wonderful idea.

    As a gaming platform, I wouldn't expect too much from this and I seriously doubt this is faster than the iPhone 4S. For example someone had Quake3 running on it, and performance was disappointing.

    Nevertheless, I hope this will attract lots of hobbyist programmers!

  • Timotei #52 4 weeks ago

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=e_mDuJuvZjI

    I don't think that's disappointing for a credit card sized, $25 unit. Performance has also been improved since that video was made. All I want to do with it is emulation which it has more than enough grunt for.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 12:03

  • Ranger101 #53 4 weeks ago

    @funkateer You mean this video?


    Are you kidding me? That's Quake 3 running at 1080p with 4x Anti-Aliasing and max-everything, getting 25fps??

    From a device that costs $35?

    And you don't think it could compete?
    Edited by 2 at 25/01/12 @ 12:05

  • weebl #54 4 weeks ago

    @beroscoe I would also like a case in the final commercially available version (and I believe they are working on this), but you have to put some perspective on this. The Spectrum cost a heck of a lot of money back in the day and this costs as much as an average keyboard.

  • peasoup #55 4 weeks ago

    Isn't pairing a fast GPU with the Arm11 pretty strange? Its much slower than the Arm cortex a8/9 the dual core a9 in the iphone 4s would trounce this.

    I will get one though looks awesome, $35!!

  • murphy1978 #56 4 weeks ago

    @StooMonster Man, when I was at school I made some awesome games on BBC Basic...if I could just remember any of it I could have so much fun!

  • George-Roper #57 4 weeks ago

    This is just simply wonderful.

  • Gecks #58 4 weeks ago

    @Ranger101 of course that's very impressive, but q3 is an old game with next to no texture mapping, or CPU. it's no surprise that the pi can cope with lots of resolution and AA/AF, given the fillrate, but you chuck anything that requires CPU or memory (like something that would tax an iphone 4s), and you'll see those bottlenecks show.

    great hardware for next-to-no money, but it's not more powerful than a 4s as a gaming platform, unless you're using some pretty specific metrics.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 12:29

  • chiz #59 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy I've already started making this: http:/ /www.koenigs.dk/mame/eng/stepweecade.htm

  • Po1ymorph #60 4 weeks ago

    This whole project is just fantastic!

    Praise to the people that put this thing together. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

  • woodyrulesok #61 4 weeks ago

    def comment():
    print "Sweet, a little Linux box to practice my Python on at home!"

    comment()

  • Brownstudy #62 4 weeks ago

    @ chiz

    That looks bloody impressive! Might commission you to make my Pi case.

    What's a mame though?

  • Timotei #63 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.

  • Brownstudy #64 4 weeks ago

    I think comparisons to a 4s are pretty daft to be honest; look at the price difference!

    The point of this little miracle is to make it as cheap and easy for everyone, kids and adults, to have a go a programming. There'll be people out there who'll figure out how to make the Pi do some amazing things; some will make their first games; some will develop a lifelong love of coding, and in the end, we'll all benefit.

    Even better than the device itself though is the message it sends out: in this age of marketing bullshit, slick corporate 'lifestyle' products, x-factor, and Heat Magazine, there are people out there that want to help everyone actually, you know, create stuff.

    The Pi is most definitely not an iPhone; and personally, I'm very excited about that.
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 12:52

  • chiz #65 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy Oh no, I didn't make that mate. I'm working off their plans to recreate my own one.

  • Brownstudy #66 4 weeks ago

    @chiz

    Well, best of luck to you anyway!

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #67 4 weeks ago

    I've got the themetune to Magnum P.I. in my head now.

    I like that..

  • Bander #68 4 weeks ago

    You know what other devices combine ARM11 CPUs with Broadcom GPUs, and have been said to be able to graphically outperform iPhones?

    Nokia phones running Symbian^3

    Yet still games developers and press continued to ignore them. The early ones from 2010 had a graphics memory limitation that proved to be a nuisance, but the HD output and video encoding/decoding were real.

    I hear the QT development kit that Symbian now uses is also good for Raspberry Pi programming. It'll be interesting to see what this hardware combination can really do, when not running lazy iOS ports.

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=_f0LZrflA34
    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7IJLIIs2c

    As for the ARM11, it's going to be rubbish for things like emulators and web pages with lots of JavaScript, but fine for anything coded with it in mind. Daytona USA shifted 40 cars with a 25MHz processor in 1993 after all.

  • Casserole #69 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy 3 hours ago

    Sorry to use reality for a moment, but usable unassuming tech for the masses have been available from the Far East for decades. Thus why everyone is buying it. Even the Raspberry Pi.

  • Mindstorm #70 4 weeks ago

    @Brownstudy

    yeah it's cool, but not as cool as Arduino

    /is Italian

  • Zapatero #71 4 weeks ago

    Looking forward to buying first issues of Pi User, Your Pi and, eventually, Pi Gamer.

  • vizzini #72 4 weeks ago

    The amount of memory to run a proper dev tool chain still worries me. But if they can get the online documentation right for using tools, and/or get a simplified Eclipse CDT toolchain ported for it(maybe simplified Gimp and Blender too), then this could really kickstart another development revolution.

    Sadly I suspect a lack of instant MPEG2/MP3 Codec or Flash support out of the box will make it any more appealing than linux to kids/teenagers.

    Having thought about it for some time, I think the device's biggest hurdle is that they don't do one with KVM capabilities built in, as PS2/PS3 linux both struggled not by size of the console, but the redundancy of needing a 2nd keyboard and mouse on your desk, or an extra device hanging out to provide KVM switching.

  • Brownstudy #73 4 weeks ago

    @Casserole

    I know what you mean but I'm referring to the fact that it's a programmable computer for less than 30. It seems a bit churlish to trivialise that.

  • kupocake #74 4 weeks ago

    @CHAZBIGPOTATO Yup. All you people reading it 'Raspberry Pie' have got it wrong. Raspberry PI is a spin-off series featuring plucky young Raspberry, Magnum's daughter.

  • Ptarmigandalf #75 4 weeks ago

    @DozyKipper You're supposed to write your own.

  • Lunatic4ever #76 4 weeks ago

    Where can I order it? Anyone got a link?

  • alexbulluk #77 4 weeks ago

    This looks great!

    I honestly believe that the reason we have so many great developers now is because of systems like the C64 that let people experiment with programming when they were young. Well, this is like that for a whole new generation, and that's really exciting.

    No doubt some of the big names in game development in the future will say how they started programming on the Raspberry Pi!

  • Timotei #78 4 weeks ago

    @Lunatic4ever You can't yet, it's not going to pre-order.

  • Smoped #79 4 weeks ago

    Now throw in a vintage rubber keyboard and I'm interested...

  • Brownstudy #80 4 weeks ago

    @goldbug

    'the Pi is a li.'

    Nearly 80 posts later and I've just got that. Yes, I'm a card carrying moron.

  • mukki #81 4 weeks ago

    nice...
    and with xbmc even nicer...

  • orangpelupa #82 4 weeks ago

    soo... this "mini PC" is sold to public or not?

    it will be awesome as HTPC :) :)

  • orangpelupa #83 4 weeks ago

    @bender

    i dont know why but all mass media ignore symbian as smartphone.

    most of them just mention "WP, iOS, Android". Symbian never mentioned, except on symbian specific article.

    and symbian OOBE is many levels above the competitors. The multitaskting ability also run great even in device with small ram and slow CPU.

    too bad so little games released on Symbian... And symbian run java games badly...

  • Ryze #84 4 weeks ago

    Absolutely fantastic, and I want to buy several of these.

  • Fruit-Salad #85 4 weeks ago

    Post deleted at 01:35:51 08-02-2012

  • ukslim #86 4 weeks ago

    They already have BBC BASIC running on it. But for heaven's sake don't use it. Python's a better learning/teaching language, a better tinkering language and a better getting-things-done language, and it's what the Pi people are getting behind.

  • Dylbot #87 4 weeks ago

    Can't wait for the race to Ben Heck-ify one of these into a portable emulation station.

  • X201 #88 4 weeks ago

    They'll also be doing a Buy-one-Give-one" scheme.

    You pay for two, have one yourself and the other is donated to a worthy cause.

  • Ryze #89 4 weeks ago

    Nice.

    I hope I'll make the time to really get to know this hardware.

    I think this is absolutely fantastic, and if they can really continue to supply this hardware to the masses at these prices, then this is the tip of the iceberg.

    I can't wait to start trying to build things with this.

    I think that robotics fanatics may find this thing can transform what they do.

    Just having access to several of these small things, and being able to run certain small programs almost anywhere.

    All being well, I'll be loving this thing. Can't wait to see what I can do, learn, and get running...

  • Ryze #90 4 weeks ago

    @ukslim

    TBH, I want to see one running a full blown BBC emulator!

    Hopefully someone will 'Ben Heck'-ify an old BBC Micro, turning it into a dock which the Pi slots into, giving access to a 'floppy drive' (external storage), keyboard, audio etc...

  • Scimarad #91 4 weeks ago

    @Fruit-Salad

    Dammit, now I'm going to have to watch the whole thing again!

  • StooMonster #92 4 weeks ago

    @ukslim But for heaven's sake don't use it.

    Burn the heretic!

    I know they have BBC Basic running, but the problem with not giving it away with the Pi is licensing. Apparently that TLA is proving to be a challenge.

  • cak #93 4 weeks ago

    an advanced graphics core that outperforms the GPU in iPhone 4S by a factor of two to one "across a range of content"

    The devil is in the detail...

  • FortysixterUK #94 4 weeks ago

    I'd love to see a return to the C64 days of development, excellent games coded in someones garage and sold nice 'n cheap. Of course, those games today will have to have HD graphics and 5.1 sound....other than that I'd like remakes of:-

    Paradroid
    Uridium
    Gribbly's day out
    Hero
    Pitall 1 & 2
    The Eidolon
    Nebulous
    ...but with flash graphics...
    ...of course, I've probably got hold of the wrong end of the stick entirely...but I don't care....I'm off to find a c64 emulator....

  • funkateer #95 4 weeks ago

    @Ranger101
    "Are you kidding me? That's Quake 3 running at 1080p with 4x Anti-Aliasing and max-everything, getting 25fps??"

    I stand corrected :)
    If that's what the demo was running at, I have to agree that's amazing.
    The 'disappointing' thing was mainly because in the video I've seen (probably the same one, I didn't check) they said themselves that they thought it was slightly disappointing, but of course being able to run Q3 at all on a 25$ device is really cool no matter what.

  • funkateer #96 4 weeks ago

    "i dont know why but all mass media ignore symbian as smartphone."

    Probably because it's almost dead since Nokia jumped to WP7.

    But although I thought (having done some Symbian C++ development in the past) Symbian is pretty badly designed and developer unfriendly in some ways, it's also true that it's very efficient and flexible: There are things you can do with Symbian that simply aren't possible on iOS, Android and WP7 (telephony interaction comes to mind).
    I personally think that the developer unfriendlyness of Symbian and lack of 'flashy' features made it difficult for them to compete in these days.

  • siro #97 4 weeks ago

    They should stick this in TV sets to get better smart tv functionality. I'm considering to get one for TV surfing and XBMC. :)

  • SavageEvil #98 4 weeks ago

    Tegra 2? Didn't Asus just release a tablet powered by Tegra 3? Talk about old news, come again next week. Not one mention of Tegra 3 anywhere in this entire piece, but they can talk about how it outperforms Tegra 2.

    Now on to the real idea, what applications can the average techie find to utilize this in? Nice cheap GPU power, but I am stumped as to where I can leverage this sort of thing. Now a CPU that I can use to enhance and do something with audio, I'm all over that.

  • funkateer #99 4 weeks ago

    "Burn the heretic!"

    You're probably being all tongue-in-cheek, but who really wants to use Basic in any form? Even modern forms of Basic (VB.NET) are quite pointless in this context.
    As someone mentioned, Python would be fun on this as a high-level easy-as-pie (but very rich) development platform.

    But really, this is an open-source platform, so if this catches on you will be able to play around using any language you want! From ASM to C to C++ to Java to .NET to scripting (javascript, python, PHP etc).

  • funkateer #100 4 weeks ago

    "Now a CPU that I can use to enhance and do something with audio, I'm all over that."

    The 700MHz CPU in this can still do really interesting things with audio. Many high-profile music albums were made using less CPU power.

  • vizzini #101 4 weeks ago

    @funkateer

    I think with the amount of memory we are talking about(256MB) Java development on the device with or without an IDE like Eclipse or Netbeans isn't likely to be possible. But Mono (the open standard branch of .net) that has similar syntax to Java and apparently the language for new Playstation Suite apps is likely to be a suited to the device.

  • Billy_Sastard #102 4 weeks ago

    I'm tempted to have a mess about with one, I'd turn it into a media centre then I could fuck off the PS3 finally.

    Someone is going to be rich supplying custom cases for these. ;)

  • 1Dgaf #103 4 weeks ago

    If something 'doubles' performance, it improves it. If something is 'double' the performance, it's twice as much.

    Headline made me think they'd combined raspberry pi with an iphone and found out the resulting monstrosity was twice as fast.

  • StooMonster #104 4 weeks ago

    @funkateer tongue-in-cheek

    Obviously! But BBC Basic is fondly remembered by many, especially for neat features such as in-line assembly language … where you could share variables between the Basic interpreter and machine code.

  • killuminati2911 #105 4 weeks ago

    @chiz Gratz m8! looks fantastic!

  • Hamhock #106 4 weeks ago

    @DrStrangelove I love how you're German and your nick is "DrStranglove". Good stuff!

  • Baleoce #107 4 weeks ago

    If there was an open source planet, I would move there.

  • funkateer #108 4 weeks ago

    @vizzini
    "I think with the amount of memory we are talking about(256MB) Java development on the device with or without an IDE like Eclipse or Netbeans isn't likely to be possible. But Mono (the open standard branch of .net) that has similar syntax to Java and apparently the language for new Playstation Suite apps is likely to be a suited to the device."

    I've developed Java with Eclipse on an 128MB laptop, no problem.

    To be pedantic, .NET (or MONO if you will) isn't a language, so you probably mean C#, which is essentially MS's re-imagined version of Java for the .NET framwork, and indeed very close in syntax and concept.
    There are no real differences between .NET/C# and Java when it comes to memory use or performance, because it's really almost the same.

  • Uncompetative #109 4 weeks ago

    Raspberry Pi should get involved with The Viewpoints Research Institute:

    http://www.vpri.org/

    Essentially, they seek to create an entirely new and comprehensible computing environment that is ideal for the purposes of an education in I.T. because its open source is several orders of magnitude smaller than the Millions of lines of code in something like Linux, or Windows.

  • vizzini #110 4 weeks ago

    @funkateer

    I was aware that J++, J#, DCOM were precursors to .net/C# that mono is a subset spinoff, but I also thought it has a lower memory footprint and typically yields better performance on lower memory device than Java.

    And I've also used Java on an old Pentium120 with little memory back in the day, but running it effectively on the PS3 OtherOS with the current state of Java in the 256MB(and pagefile) just didn't respond well, and was awful when trying to use Eclipse or netbeans; which was why I don't think it is suited to this platform. But would be happily proved wrong.

  • funkateer #111 4 weeks ago

    @vizzini

    "but I also thought it has a lower memory footprint and typically yields better performance on lower memory device than Java."

    It all depends on which JVM you use and how you configure it. Some things perform slightly better on a JVM, some things perform slightly better on the CLR.
    In the end, there's not much of a difference between the 2; performance can be great on both.
    For example there is a java-port of Quake 2 that can even outperform the native original (I've tested that and it's actually not a false claim).

    "...and was awful when trying to use Eclipse or netbeans; which was why I don't think it is suited to this platform. But would be happily proved wrong."

    Well, when I used Eclipse on this 128MB laptop, it was one of the early versions of Eclipse. More modern versions are more feature rich and thus also use more memory so I'm not sure how that would perform on so little memory.
    I could also imagine that (especially when it comes to GUIs and graphics acceleration) java on something like the PS3 is not as well optimized as on for example Windows.
    I can also imagine that NetBeans will especially suffer with little memory since that's built on Swing.
    But you'd probably want to write java-games using OpenGL though, and then this is a non-issue.

  • Toodle122 #112 4 weeks ago

    Shut up and take my money!!

  • beroscoe #113 4 weeks ago

    @weebl I do agree, but I hate the comparisons being raised by reviewers that this is going to be the next Spectrum or C64. Its not quite there yet to hit consumers who would say pick one up on Firebox and be able to use the thing straight away...

  • Toaster05 #114 4 weeks ago

    I'll be selling this little beauty soon. My company is down to be a vendor for this fine product.

  • hesido #115 4 weeks ago

    What's so awesome about it, is that you can turn your TV into a Smart TV that functions WAY better than a Smart TV, for as little as 25 dollars, and maybe add some wireless keyboard / mouse combo, which could ironically cost more than the device itself.

    I'm glad I didn't pay that extra to get limited connectivity on my TV :)

    edit: And if this thing doesn't sell like hotcakes at that price, there's no justice on Earth.
    Edited by 2 at 27/01/12 @ 21:10

  • Nismo400R84 #116 4 weeks ago

    i kept seeing this story on the EG homepage and saw iPhone 4s in the title and was like not interested,then i decided to have a read and now fook me with a burnt chip ....i was reduced to a geek and like I want want want1!!!!!! been to there site shame you cant pre-order this little bobby dazzler

  • BonzoBanana #117 3 weeks ago

    What is the speed of the gpu part of the chip, is it running at 700mhz?, I can imagine if its a simplified gpu you might be able to run it at very high speed and get your performance from it by its high speed. I so want one of these to configure as a Risc OS computer.

  • DivideAndCombo #118 3 weeks ago

    I think the fact that this article has so many comments, and has been read but so may ppl is a great thing for the pi, and also great for the ripple-effect. As a fan of xbmc, I'm happy to see that haven't heard of it xbmc before, now have.

    Comparing it to an iphone4S.. I can only assume this has happened because they are of comparable size, and that it's an item a high volume of people own, so it's an easy comparison for them to understand.

    But.. is there anyway this tech/board will become a phone? Is that something being looked into? (someone fill me in if this is so).

    Personally, as an xbmc fan, I've always been keen to have a nice portable media player (with the ease of use of an ipad, but without the video format restrictions). It would be so cool if someone could manufacture this device with a killer 7" screen but I can't see it happening.

    And yes, I know the ipad ios5 ipad2 is now jailbreakable and can run xbmc through cydia. But the ipad2 is still ~£400 :p

  • Snufkin #119 3 weeks ago

    I know cock-all about programming or anything else computer-y, despite having a BBC in the house when I was a nipper (I remember coding one game but not how I did it!). But even I can see the VAST potential in this. I truly think this could change the face of technology in the next decade.

    And, most importantly, its affordability could mean computing power will have a real chance of reaching the impoverished parts of the world. Once infrastructure catches up, the dawn of a new, completely connected world could happen.

    Could we be looking at a watershed moment for humanity here?

  • SYGUY7 #120 3 weeks ago

    @Ranger101 just one word on that video....WOW

  • canIdoyabombsforya #121 3 weeks ago

    Somebody has to write a cool program and make it only available as a listing in a magazine ;)

  • Laminator #122 2 weeks ago

    I'm just waiting for someone to drop it in a vat of liquid nitrogen and overclock it to Skynet levels. You know it will happen... hell they even made doom run on a Spectrum.