Pizero or Omega2 - help me decide!

Pi Zero is a more powerful device for a lower price and shorter waiting period.

Another option to consider would be C.H.I.P. which has more features and still in the $10 range.

Depends on WHAT you plan on doing. For example, if you want a networking project, the Omega 2/2 plus is an Atheros chip which is embedded in many routers. Otherwise Raspberry Pi Zero is being employed more and more like face recognition projects since the addition of a camera interface.

Clem

To be honest, Omega2 sounds nice by a technology point of view, but I bet it will be less reliable for at least the first series. Then - this is the reason that IMHO I will move to the Pi zero - Omega2 is more like a toy, the approach of the few things that can be saw as tutorials, components etc. So I will choose the Pi zero.

BTW: at this so low and super-affordable prices, why not starting with the Pi Zero (dougw is true, more powerful and shorter waiting period) then make a comparison with a preordered omega 2 ?

Enrico

I agree w/ CM, in that it Depends upon what you want to do w/ the Equipment? Whatever one you choose. BUT another consideration is Support. Not from the Manufacturer/Distributor. ( I have gotten Spec Sheets in Chinese and I am an Chinese-American [2nd Generation]). AAR I am talking about Support here at this elements14 site. Comment(ers) like CM, shabaz(sp?), etc are INVALUABLE. Correct me if I am wrong, but I see more support for RaspPi (and it's ILK) than Omega2 (A variant of Arduino?)?

USCDADNYC (NY NY USA)

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I'll do a bit more research in to pizero but I have backed the Omega2 as well. Looks like the onion guys got featured on techcrunch which is pretty cool https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/13/the-onion-omega2-lets-you-add-linux-to-your-hardware-projects/

The thing that annoys me about the omega2 guys is that they send out regular updates... (good)... but with little information about THEIR project, but mostly an add: check out this other kickstarter project....

I am not a shill for Mathworks' Matlab/Simulink BUT this s/w product has support for (a) Arduino, (b) RaspPi, and (c) Lego. I don't believing in "reinventing the Wheel". For a hobbyist like myself, I don't have time to research every new board that comes out. Physical size, low-power consumption, Wireless communications are a Low-Priority for me. Newly proposed/actual-realized boards will always tout the three aforementioned attributes. If you are a hobbyist, you have to make a Stand. And choose a board (or family of) then stick w/ that choice. Otherwise you will be a "Jack of all Trades. Master of None."

USCDADNYC (NY NY USA)

Definitely Pizero !

Omega2 is an unfinished project on its way to the grave. It is a pity !

Helo Jeremiah,

I add my opinion. I think that the choice should be on Pi Zero for some pragmatic reasons that should condition your choice. You want to start - no matter your current skill level - putting your feet into this (you say). Ok so the choice is implicit, Pi Zero. Let me explain. I think you are almost prepared to be in front of a sort of a new personal challenge: understanding how the embedded works, make experiments, experience languages and Linux on embedded devices and hopefully meet other users in this community (but not only) who shares their knowledge that is the most valuable  value for your goals.

With these premises your initial post shows the clear evidence that you will start from something stable and reliable, having no problems to decide if the bugs you meet (expect to meet bugs and problems anyway ) depends on the board or your mistakes. By one side there is Pi Zero, a stable machine that has already its own history with previous versions born by the experience of thousand of units already sold and - extremely important - it is the most recent child derived by a project developed by a good team of engineers on the market with 10 millions of devices by some years.

By the other side there is a recent project, without great advantages that accordingly with stiriac it is almost uncomplete. To this add the fact that the Omega project has its own form factor, its own standard and a dramatically reduced number of options to buy accessories with a very low level of compatibility with other (including the PI, obviously) embedded boards.

Last but not least, in this scenario pricing has no influence as it is essentially the same.

Enrico

Let me explain a bit more in detail.

1. Raspberry-Pi and the family is based on a finished, reliable Linux platform which is the Raspbian (https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian/

Raspbian is based on Debian and here I do not need to insist more on the solidity of the OS-platform.

2. Omega and family is run by WRT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD-WRT ), which is, also Linux-based. Problem wit WRT and family (Open-Wrt. LEDE,...) is the maintainers are contaminated with the "Not discovered here!" virus. I mean everything good in the Linux/GNU ecosystem has been touched to the extend you no longer recognize it. It is highly unreliable and confusing.

In conclusion: going Pizero will spare you endless hours of trying obscure/undocumented shell commands letting you focus on your project. The WEB is full of examples and help for Raspbian and roughly, none for WRT.

It is a PITY! because Omega is a very interesting hardware platform for IOT. It runs, as opposite of ESP8266/32. But what a waste being disabled by the choice of supporting software.