Roger Wolff wrote:

 

For I2C, I expect that there is a kernel driver, and that you can use the standard I2C tools like i2cdetect.

Yep the i2c is all working as far as I can tell.  I tried the RPi camera (latest version) and got that working.

I also tried the RPi Touchscreen display but that isn't working ... yet to  determine why but it does show up on the i2c bus.

Michael Kellett wrote:

 

Thanks for the info - I've just ordered a board but it'll be a while until I can play with it.

 

I'm keen on the 1GB Ethernet done properly on this board so I have some hope of it being useful.

 

MK

The big points for me are the 1G Ethernet, 2G memory and the ability to add a decent WiFi antenna. I am not too bothered about the 4k video at the moment.

Brian

Since he Kickstarter finished, now you can order Pine 64 online:

PINE A64+ 2GB BOARD

$29.00

– 1.2 Ghz Quad-Core ARM Cortex A53 64-Bit Processor. Executes both 64 and 32 Bit for scalable high performance
– Dual I/O expansion slots
– Dual Core Mali 400 MP2 Graphics card
– 2GB DDR3 Memory
– Integrated Display engine with HDMI 1.4a
– 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet Port

This has the 1 Gb Ethernet as well as 2GB DDR memory. I will publish a blog if anyone is interested in these.

Clem

If you fit a line through their pricing, the board (CPU+HDMI+USB+ethernet) costs about $11 and memory costs about $10 per Gb. (similar to what you pay for PC memory).

The above links to software etc no longer work, however, I discovered that they have now put it on their main website here:

https://www.asus.com/supportonly/TInker%20Board2GB/HelpDesk_Download/

You can also register the product too, it comes under motherboards.

Looks like Asus is slowly getting their act together.

Brian

It's not an RPi-killer.  The RPi family is aimed at electronics and science hobbyists with an attractive price.  The ASUS Tinker Board is an entry-level desktop system.  Just the additional 1GB RAM makes a big difference (cuts down on swapping with the painfully slow MicroSD disk).  Of course, the superior graphics and 1GBit NIC are nice plums.  Folks are reporting that besides TinkerOS (derivative of Debian 9), this board runs well with Armbian, a Ubuntu 16.04 port.

Cost: USD 60.00 at https://smile.amazon.com/Tinker-board-RK3288-1-8GHz-Mali-T764/dp/B06VSBVQWS/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encodin…

Watch out for heat.  RK3288 chips generate a lot.  You might need a small cooling system at high performance.

You might think from my previous post that I am dissatisfied with my RPi2; I am not.  Last November: Breathe New Life into that old Raspberry Pi 2

Changing my post-grub system-start and content drive to a USB-connected Seagate drive made all the difference in the world for me.  It is hard to justify upgrading to an RPi3, given my personal desktop requirements.  I even prefer it to my Pine A64+ (64-bit OS).  For anyone with an RPi2/3 being used as a desktop and access to a re-deployable USB drive, I highly recommend doing this as a way of saving $$$ and recycling the drive in a good way.