A customisation I'd like to see is a low(er) profile RPi2:

• 2x 1 USB port iso 2x 2ports
• GPIO pins at 90° angle
• no ethernet port

(In short, a Raspberry Pi 2 Model A ...)

Unfortunately, as I'm not a business (and do not require 3000 units) I'll just heat up my soldering iron ...

A customisation I'd like to see is a low(er) profile RPi2:

• 2x 1 USB port iso 2x 2ports
• GPIO pins at 90° angle
• no ethernet port

(In short, a Raspberry Pi 2 Model A ...)

Unfortunately, as I'm not a business (and do not require 3000 units) I'll just heat up my soldering iron ...

Frederick Vandenbosch wrote:

 

A customisation I'd like to see is a low(er) profile RPi2:

• 2x 1 USB port iso 2x 2ports
• GPIO pins at 90° angle
• no ethernet port

(In short, a Raspberry Pi 2 Model A ...)

 

Unfortunately, as I'm not a business (and do not require 3000 units) I'll just heat up my soldering iron ...

Sounds like you could do all of that with a chunky pair of pliers.

Save the electricity.

Thinking seriously to your idea is: why remove pieces to a device that you have paid anyway for the full pieces? As a matter of fact, it has sense - IMHO - that a certain company for its own project needs to pay less than a Raspi but loves it for its technical projects. So ask to build 3000 pcs (at least) with parts removed, that I think will cost less, to embed this custom version in its own project. But if you already have a full PI, why remove what you don't need ? It does not saves money nor time as well. Or I have misunderstood something ?

Enrico

I suppose there could be an issue of reduced form factor and/or power consumption?

Interesting point though. It could be that very few people who employ the customization service will actually remove features, due to the economics you pointed out; it might be primarily used to add features, rather than take them away.

I've seen enough requests on the raspberry Pi forum for a reduced height Pi to think it would be possible to sell a low profile Pi, maybe nobody will want to buy 3000 of them  but perhaps a bulk purchase kickstarter could finance this type of modification.

Doug,

my doubt is that for a medium average company 3000 pieces (also for a kickstarter production) is a small number and totally affordable for a production. Or I am wrong and my selling of 10 pieces in two months is alot ?

Enrico

Enrico,

I don't think 3000 units is an achievable amount for a small company to turnover, however it is clear in the video of the press conference that some customers buy tens of thousands of units in a single transaction, therefore there will likely be some demand for this service.

I've only seen a few requests for "barebones Pi" but there may be enough demand for a run of 3000 of them. Possibly a stripped down version of the Pi would be possible in smaller quantities as no redesign works would be required, just a re-program of the pick and place to omit some of the components.

I look forwards to seeing a plethora of kickstarters offering subtle variants on the Pi theme.

Some other likely possibilities (Likely in some combination):

+RTC

+Arduino

+ADC

+DAC

+ motor driver

+ relays

+ Power switching (true powerdown rather than standby)

Doug Jefferies wrote:

 

+RTC

 

Not thats a good suggestion!

Thank you Doug,

I don't think 3000 units is an achievable amount for a small company to turnover

This is the detail I am not aware. Frankly I was prepending to thing that 100.000$ was the minimal investment for a company gong on the market marketing a custom device... So, considered your assertion, they are orienting this service just to the very big companies.

Good ideas the customisation options you suggest, obviously

Enrico,

I have no experience as a salesperson or involved in distribution from a company on any scale.

I am primarily a hobbyist user of this type of device (although my profession is semi-related to computing and micro-controllers).

I think it would depend on exactly what the company is trying to do and how much of their service is supply and fit Verses how much is maintain and service.

Several Kickstarter business models manage to achieve in excess of 3000 units, the nature of global access to new products. Other ideas fall far short of this goal.

Unfortunately without an idea of the costs & timescales involved with having your Pi design modified by the Element 14 team it would be hard to design a kickstarter around this plan.

Many of the Pi based Kickstarters I have seen have had between 100 and 1000 backers, far short of the quantities needed to meet the minimum requirements for this program.

You are right Doug,

making two counts I have just supposed that the customisation costs was part of the final product but probably it is not. So, maybe that the 3000 pieces is just a number but by a marketing point of view it is far from the break even point to grant a decent return per unit sold. I am not a marketing man at all nor salseparson too, but I was just thinking on how much sense can have this premises... There is a lack of information to make a complete and trustable scenario.

Enrico