Solder rot

As I said, I'm probably OK to leave a 1 lb. reel or two of proper solder in my last will and testament, but I do have a bit of concern for future generations. Unless somebody in the future 'discovers' a form of solder which uses lead and tin...

Reply to
Frank Erskine
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Neither are what you'd call electronics suppliers. Won't be long before Maplin specialises in soft furnishings...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

What indeed? Perhaps H&S in the factories making things? Although most are automated these days. And plenty other stuff uses lead - like say car batteries.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I don't think it gives you the real experience, although of course it's fine if you just want to play the games.

I'm not sure if emulators will ever be as good as the real thing - there's no way to emulate the feel of the keys, for instance.

cheers

Jules

Reply to
Jules Richardson

BTW, has this been mentioned here;

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Reply to
Huge

At PyCon in September there was a lot of excitement about it.

But, unless it's taken up as part of some larger programme, as the BBC Micro was 30 years ago, I am not sure exactly what niche it will find outside a core nerd audience with a need for a small inexpensive computer - I don't think it's going to be wildly successful.

The schools - who ought to be leaping at it - are too dull and unadventurous to buy into it. Most people already have a big expensive computer that can do anything this small inexpensive computer can do.

Maybe it will find traction in other parts of the world.

It's not what I actually want for myself, because it's still just a small inexpensive PC, and there's nothing exciting about a PC to me. It has a pretty standard hardware and software architecture; it's a GNU/Linux box.

FIGnition - much less powerful, harder to use and much less standard - is more to my taste as far as having fun and learning about computers goes.

Daniele

Reply to
D.M. Procida

Don't worry, their last computer was (highly recommended by the way) so they are used to these dreadful hardships, as if they deserved any better anyway.

Daniele

Reply to
D.M. Procida

They could upgrade to:

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Reply to
John Rumm

Reply to
John Rumm

I can see it getting snapped up to be a component in something... set top box, media streamer etc.

Reply to
John Rumm

I agree - that is sadly likely.

A tiny linux box that presents I2C, SPI and a few raw GPIO pins whilst at the same time sporting 10/100 ethernet and HDMI that can drive a movie at

1080p - for £30-mumble quid. I'm hugely excited - it's a great bit of engineering if it lives up to the videos. The potential for hacking is massive.

I'm going to buy one for the kids to replace some 8 year old broken laptops. They have access to a Samsung "TV" that is really a monitor (ie good resolution) with HDMI inputs. Just need a keyboard with a few USB ports on an internal hub and the job's jobbed.

Reply to
Tim Watts

It lacks suitable IO to be really useful doesn't it? Adding an i2c bus and a plug in format would make it a suitable card. Someone will copy it and do so, making a successful card and killing the original.

Reply to
dennis

ASDA were selling 16.5" HD ready TVs earlier this week for £50, they had HDMI so would make a nice monitor.

Reply to
dennis

It already has I2C, SPI, 8 GPIO pins and USB

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Reply to
Tim Watts

Ah, dennis, once again the boundaries of your ignorance and ineptitude extend into another field.

As well as what Tim describes below, there's an addon IO board, which you would have known had you bothered reading before opening your trap and allowing the customary shit to drool out.

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Reply to
Huge

T'was ever thus.

Reply to
Huge

But, but, it's a bit ... crap, isn't it?

Reply to
Huge

I don't think it may be copied - it's not an open source design, is it?

It has as mostly as much I/O connectivity as a small computer needs - USB and Ethernet. No wireless though.

Daniele

Reply to
D.M. Procida
[raspberry pi]

Agreed. If needed you can easily connect to WiFi or Bluetooth via a USB dongle, or even to WiFi via Ethernet to an external access point.

If they were going to add any extra ports, I'd have thought a VGA would be more useful, to allow use with old monitors kicking around, rather than a TV or HDMI/DVI equipped monitor.

Reply to
Andy Burns

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needs the format sorting then. 8-) I didn't find any proper specs for the board.

Reply to
dennis

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