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On 09/08/14 19:33, Gordon Henderson wrote: > On Sat, 9 Aug 2014, bad apple wrote: > >> Ok, another request for recommendations (this one will probably be best >> answered by Gordon I suspect). >> >> I'm only a few years late, but I finally need to buy myself a couple of >> Pis for various hackjobs and overdue projects. Believe it or not, I >> still haven't even seen one yet, let alone hacked on one. >> >> Not wanting to waste time or money, I'm keen to avoid arseing about with >> random flaky power supplies, dodgy SD cards or unsupported USB hubs and >> I don't mind paying extra to get that flawless, no hassle "everything >> works out of the box" experience. I want a Pi (or 5) with: >> >> # a nice little case, although I don't mind ordering this separately >> # decent compatible SD card, at least 16Gb >> # USB hub that will work immediately >> # no hassle PSU that will drive everything correctly >> >> I'm only interested in model B's which I understand have just been >> refreshed, so I don't want the old model. Recommendations for suitable >> USB wifi dongles that play nicely with Pis would be appreciated too, >> although most of them will probably be wired. > > You want (and will get) the model B+. > > It's not possible to get a Revision 1 or 2 Model B right now (well, not > from most dealers - you'll have to look really hard!) Model B/2's will > be available again, but really - you do not want them - they're (now) > only for industrial/embedded users who have platforms that need the B/2 > physical form factor - and only until they re-tool to accept the B+ or > build a compute-module solution. > > The B+ has 4 USB sockets, capable of a total current source of 1.2 amps. > (So you may not need a USB hub at all). > > If 8GB is enough, then this bundle is fine: > > http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/raspberry-pi-model-b-with-pibow > > However if you really need 16+GB then you'll need to shop around. You > want to look for a good brand name from a reputable dealer. > > The SD in that bundle will come pre-installed with "Noobs" - either boot > it up with keyboard & screen and install Raspbian, or re-flash with > Raspbian directly. > > Raspbian is Debian Wheezy compiled specifically for the Pi's ARMv6 > architecture. The current Pi kernel is 3.12.x. All the foundation > patches are open source, so if you want to build your own ... > > First thing you do is remove mathematica to free-up some 800MB of SD > card space... > > Wireless: > > http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/wireless-n-nano-usb-adaptor > > PSU: > > http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/power-adaptor-uk-5v-1a-dc > > the Official foundation PSU is this: > > http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/raspberry-pi-universal-power-supply > > Personally, I'd choose the first one as it's £1 cheaper and you get a > choice of cable colours. > > USB Hub (if needed): > > http://shop.pimoroni.com/products/pihub > >> Is there any possibility of driving these things with PoE by the way? >> I've got a bunch of expensive PoE 24 port gigabit switches that so far >> are only driving a couple of Cisco VOIP phones. > > Not directly. You can buy PoE -> 5v adapters, but they cost as much as > the Pi. > >> * In case anyone is wondering, yes, I am home alone, the missus is away >> and unusually I have the credit card, hence the shopping spree :] I'm >> also looking at 3D printers, but that is one highly confusing field... >> Anyone got one yet? > > Think: What is more useful to you - a 3D printer or a lasercutter... > > I thought about that a while back and I now have a lasercutter. > > Gordon Now this is exactly why I asked here: thanks Gordon, that's extremely helpful. On second thoughts, 8Gb will be absolutely fine initially so I'm going to order a couple of those recommended kits. They look perfect for my needs. The software isn't going to be an issue - believe it or not, I've got well ahead of myself and have a cross-compiler set up already: I'll probably be building a lot of my own software for these boards for fun and profit (bit mostly fun!). It's weird that PoE isn't more mainsteam for these boards, it seems like a natural fit to me. Working with wifi APs, VOIP phones and security cams a lot I'm really used to just plugging stuff into PoE switches, VLANing it off and calling it a day but if they're that expensive, well, I'll just do it normally. Again, glad I remembered to ask. And you're not wrong - I don't really want (let alone *need*) a 3D printer as I know they're actually pretty crap unless you're made of money. I'm much more interested in a garage full of industrial strength CNC machines, routers, etc - relatively speaking, SOHO 3D printers are crappy toys. I probably DO actually want a laser cutter. What one did you get? Awesome reply, thanks again. Cheers -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq