Post by thread:[OT]Raspberry Pi by Easter perhaps?

According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16.00 (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment. Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off. Colin -- cdb, on 24/12/2011

Looking forward to getting one for myself to tinker with, but no idea what I'll use it for yet. Matt On 23/12/2011 23:22, cdb wrote: {Quote hidden}> According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16.00 > (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into > production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment.. > > Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off. > > Colin > -- > cdb, on 24/12/2011 > > >

I'm really looking forward to these. I'm hoping to be able to pair one with a cheap 7-10" touchscreen and have a cheap kitchen media device for listening to music, movies, recipe lookup, etc. Also thinking about setting one up as an always-on Skype phone in the living room… -Pete On Jan 5, 2012, at 3:32 AM, Matt Rhys-Roberts wrote: {Quote hidden}> Looking forward to getting one for myself to tinker with, but no idea > what I'll use it for yet. > > Matt > > > > On 23/12/2011 23:22, cdb wrote: >> According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16.00 >> (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into >> production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment. >> >> Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off.. >> >> Colin >> -- >> cdb, on 24/12/2011 >> >> >> > > -

I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable at this price point. Does anyone else have an opinion on that matter? MikeH On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM, cdb <spam_OUTcolinTakeThisOuTbtech-online.co.uk> wrote: > According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16.00 > (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into > production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment.. > > Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off. > > Coli

Large volume buying and I believe low or no R&D costs, since it's a volunteer effort and not-for-profit company. Just look at all of the $50 routers on the market, the SBC inside may be similiar but that $50 has to cover a full company, R&D, purchasing, shipping, storing, salaries, retail markup, etc. So $25-35 sounds possible imho. -Josh On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 2:54 PM, Mike Hord <.....mike.hordKILLspam@spam@gmail.com> wrote: {Quote hidden}> I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable at this price > point. > > Does anyone else have an opinion on that matter? > > MikeH > > On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM, cdb <colinKILLspambtech-online.co.uk> wrote: > >> According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16..00 >> (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into >> production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment. >> >> Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off.. >> >> Colin >

MAYBE, but generally, even for a fairly small endeavor, I hear 2.5-3x markup as the point where something is reasonably profitable- enough so to justify the continued effort. I find it hard to imagine that board being produced and on a shipping dock awaiting an order for $8-10, without HUGE (millions) quantities behind it. Maybe I'm thinking in the wrong decade? MikeH On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 1:08 PM, Joshua Shriver <.....jshriverKILLspam.....gmail.com> wrote: {Quote hidden}> Large volume buying and I believe low or no R&D costs, since it's a > volunteer effort and not-for-profit company. Just look at all of the > $50 routers on the market, the SBC inside may be similiar but that $50 > has to cover a full company, R&D, purchasing, shipping, storing, > salaries, retail markup, etc. > > So $25-35 sounds possible imho. > -Josh > > On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 2:54 PM, Mike Hord <EraseMEmike.hordspam_OUTTakeThisOuTgmail.com> wrote: > > I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable at this price > > point. > > > > Does anyone else have an opinion on that matter? > > > > MikeH > > > > On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM, cdb <colinspam_OUTbtech-online.co.uk> wrote: > > > >> According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP > 16.00 > >> (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into > >> production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this > moment. > >> > >> Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned > off. > >> > >> Colin > > --

Mike Hord wrote: > MAYBE, but generally, even for a fairly small endeavor, I hear 2.5-3x markup > as the point where something is reasonably profitable- enough so to justify > the continued effort. All depends on your volume and your goals, a small commercial operation has high overheads compared to turnover and therefore it needs a high markup to both cover those overheads, make a profit for it's owners and cover any projects that go bad. The pi is a different ball game. They are a charity not a company and as such their goal is not to make a profit*. Charities may of course make a profit on some activities but making profit is a means not an end to them. Also they have the support of broadcom. Presumablly from broadcom's point of view this is seen as a combination of general charity and buying mindshare. *As I understand it thier goal is to bring back a computer that kids can program, tinker and generally have fun with. In contrast to the locked down PCs we see in schools and the parents who are fearful of their kids messing up their PC at home that we see today

On Jan 5, 2012, at 11:54 AM, Mike Hord wrote: > I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable Aren't they set up as a non-profit charitable organization? In that case, they don't have to make a profit... Questions about whether it is a good idea for a non-profifit organization to undercut real products are more philosophical. Would it really be a good thing for a $25 Rasberry Pi to put the $30 Arduino out of business? Probably not. (But then, vendors are already trying with their subsidized "evaluation boards.") BillW

I should be clear, when I say "profitable" I mean "make enough money to pay the necessary rents, salaries, and production costs". Perhaps they're depending on donations or subsidy from their non-profit status to sell these things as close to the bone as possible, but I doubt it. Time will tell. I do want to go on the record as saying I'd be *thrilled* to see them succeed and at $25 (or $35 for a networked one) I will almost certainly by one or three. MikeH On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 4:32 PM, William "Chops" Westfield <@spam@westfwKILLspammac.com>wrote: {Quote hidden}> > On Jan 5, 2012, at 11:54 AM, Mike Hord wrote: > > > I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable > > Aren't they set up as a non-profit charitable organization? In that case, > they don't have to make a profit... > > Questions about whether it is a good idea for a non-profifit organization > to undercut real products are more philosophical. Would it really be a > good thing for a $25 Rasberry Pi to put the $30 Arduino out of business? > Probably not. (But then, vendors are already trying with their subsidized > "evaluation boards.") > > BillW > > >

At 20.54 2012.01.05, you wrote: >I remain deeply skeptical of their ability to be profitable at this price >point. > >Does anyone else have an opinion on that matter? They don't want to profit, simple. David Braben is a great guy and a guarantee that things are done the right way, from hardware to software and all the rest he's involved in. {Quote hidden}> >MikeH > >On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM, cdb <KILLspamcolinKILLspambtech-online.co.uk> wrote: > >> According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16316439 the GBP 16.00 >> (non network enabled, GBP 22.00 for enabled) machine is due to go into >> production early in 2012. They are 3 weeks behind schedule at this moment. >> >> Apparently the first 10 boards produced are destined to be auctioned off.. >> >> Colin >

> MAYBE, but generally, even for a fairly small endeavor, I hear 2.5-3x markup as the > point where something is reasonably profitable- enough so to justify the continued > effort. > > I find it hard to imagine that board being produced and on a shipping dock awaiting > an order for $8-10, without HUGE (millions) quantities behind it. > > Maybe I'm thinking in the wrong decade? > > MikeH If you watch the video interview of Tom Osbourne by Steve Leibson on 'How HP got its first Calculators', Tom makes the observation that as engineers they found that multiplying the parts cost by pi gave a pretty good indicator of the sell price. See http://www.viddler.com/explore/sleibson/videos/4/ for the interview. (also check out the interview with the guy who did the software for the calculators). -- Scanned by iCritical.

> > Tom makes the observation that as engineers they found that multiplying the parts > cost by pi gave a pretty good indicator of the sell price. > > If that's Raspberry Pi it's liable to get you in a jam. In his case it was circular pi, but maybe that is going in circles ... ;))) -- Scanned by iCritical.

On Jan 6, 2012, at 3:54 AM, RussellMc wrote: > Tom makes the observation that as engineers they found that multiplying the parts cost by pi gave a pretty good indicator of the sell price. If that's Raspberry Pi it's liable to get you in a jam. Russell Preserve me from your humour. It don't jell with me.