Raspberry Pi Zero - Your First Impressions

I've got over a dozen PIs in service today and every one needs networking. I hope someone comes out with a microUSB wifi dongle.

I've got over a dozen PIs in service today and every one needs networking. I hope someone comes out with a microUSB wifi dongle.

Such a shame that RiPi people won't listen to users and just chuck stuff at the wall see if it sticks !

The zero needs WiFi or Ethernet (or better still both) but of course it's based on a brain dead Broadcom chip with no Ethernet interface. What I can't understand is why, one way or another, they don't address that - I'm sure B could do an Ethernet interface and I'm equally sure that it would be possible to tightly couple a WiFi chip to the existing processor.

But they go on abusing USB .........

MK

I've got a product that up till now integrated a model A, without using any USB.... Perfect job for a "zero". I need to redesign the board, so that instead of putting the board on the 'pi, now the 'pi will go on the board. (the 'pi being smaller....)

For microUSB-wifi you simply need: An USB WIFI dongle and a micro USB cable. Total cost around $5. Ok doubles the cost, but would have cost a similar amount if you'd integrate it on the PCB.

Michael, the idea of the raspberry pi and especially the 'zero is that the CPU is a cheap one. And it is so cheap because it is "re-purposed". It was intended as a media processor. Like in a phone or something like that. Anyway, in that setting Ethernet wasn't important and they left it out. So the processor does not have ethernet. And the only "reasonable speed" general purpose connection is simply USB.

But if you want to go ahead and design & market a different product based on a different CPU... feel free!

I agree with you guys that often a network connection is THE reason to chose a 'pi over say an arduino. So having it integrated would've been useful. But it also makes sense to say:  "its so very cheap, you can easily add it yourself". 

I could design and build the board you want. But because I can't get the volumes that the raspberry pi gets, I'd have to ask for WAY more than 'zero or  even the model-A.

Broadcom just have a funny attitude - they obviously like the Pi business but they won't make the effort to really push at it - they could easily do a version of the chip with Ethernet (maybe they already do but they are so secretive that I don't know).  The Pi zero is like the other Pis in that it goes headlong for lowest ticket price but you then end up needing a load of other stuff to get it do anything.

People are buying them, but it seems to me that the RPi org. always just misses the "Insanely great" that Steve Jobs sometimes actually hit.

MK