Re: [GTALUG] Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

[Howard Gibson via talk]

On Fri, 7 Aug 2020 18:49:37 -0400
Aruna Hewapathirane via talk  wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I stumbled across this recently:
> https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/
> 
> I can use some guidance and advice from folks who have experience
> with Raspberry Pi's. What I read so far looks good but I have questions.
> 
> If 'you' were to use a Raspberry Pi as a desktop replacement which one
> would you recommend?

Aruna,

   What do you want to accomplish?

   I have three computers that I use extensively.  I have a proper desktop with 
a fairly old motherboard which I have just upgraded this week from 8GB RAM to 
24GB.  I have a fairly old Lenovo L440 laptop, which I have just upgraded from 
4GB RAM to 10GB.  I have an Acer Extensa desktop.  The Extensa is a small 
desktop with what I assume is a laptop motherboard, which I have connected to 
my TV.  I use it primarily to watch YouTube, Netflix and CBC Gem.  It has 4GB 
RAM, and it seems to work fine.  My other two machines are running way better 
now with the extra RAM.  I think my laptop was getting into swap space, and it 
has stopped doing this, and I am very, very happy.  I am an abusive user, 
scattering all sorts of applications all over my virtual windows, and opening 
all sorts of interesting tabs in all my browers.  I like to play with Flight 
Gear when I am bored. 

   I believe that Raspbery Pis are used a lot for video streaming on people's 
TVs.  This seems to be a manageable use of fairly low powered computers.  How 
hard are you going to run this thing.  I am not familiar with Raspberry Pis.  
They are on my ToDo list.

-- 
Howard Gibson 
hgib...@eol.ca
jhowardgib...@gmail.com
http://home.eol.ca/~hgibson
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Re: [GTALUG] Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

[mwilson--- via talk]

> Hello,
>
> I stumbled across this recently:
> https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/
>
> I can use some guidance and advice from folks who have experience
> with Raspberry Pi's. What I read so far looks good but I have questions.
>
> If 'you' were to use a Raspberry Pi as a desktop replacement which one
> would you recommend?
>
> Is there a major difference in response times between the 4Gb and 8Gb
> models ?
>
> How hot does the unit become ? Does it require an add on fan shim ? Or
> will work fine without one ?

I started with a 4GByte kit from ABRA in Montreal.  It did adequately
replacing my old 1-core I386 desktop, mostly running Firefox and Gnu Image
Manipulation Program.  GIMP seemed to encounter strange crashes with many
images open, so I lately upgraded to an 8GByte kit from CanaKit in BC, as
soon as they announced the 8GB.  It is also working well, with occasional
GIMP crashes.  I don't have anything like benchmark results to tell you.

Both kits came with a fan.  The ABRA case+fan had an annoying resonant
buzz that built up, until I replaced the steel bolts that held the fan
with nylon.  The CanaKit fan is a press fit onto studs molded into the
case, so it was noisy from the get-go, with no chance for modification.  I
left the fan off.  The 8GB board is running fine with the supplied
aluminum heat sinks venting straight up through the opening in the case, 
Air coming out of the case is barely warmer than ambient, so under my
workload, the fan seems totally optional.
Besides my big 2 apps, the usual Linux/GNU stuff just works: networking,
rsync, ssh, apt-get, etc.
I went with packaged kits, just to save my own time, and to be able to get
to work as soon as the parcel arrived.  I don't think I'd change.
I sprang for a 128GB SD card, the medium size Raspbian image takes up 5%
space, 2% inodes.
>
> How easy or difficult would it be to boot off an external hard disk as
> compared
> to the SD card that comes with the Pi ?
>
> Any other things to watch out for and be aware of before I purchase ?
> Instead of buying
> the kit would it be cheaper to buy each item separately from different
> vendors ?
>
> Thanks - Aruna
> ---
> Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
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>


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Re: [GTALUG] The truth is paywalled (was Re: Looks like IBM is planning to eliminate RHEL)

[Dave Collier-Brown via talk]

Hmmn, Reuters and Associated Press are middlemen, while NPR, ABC, CBS and the Conversation 
are "leaf" sites, as are the highly opinionated sites like NYT, WaPo, G, 
NatPo and Toronto Sta.

I wonder if there is a relationship to the "paywallness"?

--dave

On 2020-08-07 12:48 a.m., Evan Leibovitch via talk wrote:

As someone much smarter than me recently wrote, "The Truth is Paywalled but the Lies 
are Free".

I call absolute bullshit on this assertion, which I have seen in meme form at a 
number of locations.

It's provably wrong.


--
David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify
System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest
dave.collier-br...@indexexchange.com
 |  -- Mark Twain



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Re: [GTALUG] Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

[Scott Sullivan via talk]

On 8/7/20 6:49 PM, Aruna Hewapathirane via talk wrote:

Hello,

I stumbled across this recently:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/

I can use some guidance and advice from folks who have experience
with Raspberry Pi's. What I read so far looks good but I have questions.

If 'you' were to use a Raspberry Pi as a desktop replacement which one
would you recommend?


Hello Aruna, I'll try to answer your questions in-line below.


Is there a major difference in response times between the 4Gb and 8Gb
models ?


The amount of RAM does make a difference for performance. The software 
is able to keep more of the active data cached in RAM for faster access 
and more applications (or web browser tabs) can be kept open and 
actively used. As the ram is not upgradable, going for more RAM is 
advisable.



How hot does the unit become ? Does it require an add on fan shim ? Or
will work fine without one ?


Rather Hot. There a lot options, including some very effective all 
aluminum cases that act as passive heat sinks.


I recommend going through some of the reviews by ETAPRIME.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ETAPRIME/search?query=heatsink

How easy or difficult would it be to boot off an external hard disk as 
compared

to the SD card that comes with the Pi ?


Typically, the Pi does not come with an SD card or any accessories. 
Which is why you will often see is bundles with an SD card, case and 
power supply.


But to answer your question. SD cards are the default way to boot. While 
support for USB boot was recently introduced. It may require you to 
update the firmware first, and doesn't look like it 'just works'. 
Caveat, I've not tried it myself yet.


https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/boot-raspberry-pi-4-usb
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/booteeprom.md
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/bcm2711_bootloader_config.md

Any other things to watch out for and be aware of before I purchase ? 
Instead of buying
the kit would it be cheaper to buy each item separately from different 
vendors ?


I would certainly shop around. The case options are considerable, and 
getting either an aluminum case or one with a Fan is strongly recommended.


- https://elmwoodelectronics.ca/collections/raspberry-pi
- https://www.creatroninc.com/category/raspberry-pi/
- https://www.buyapi.ca/



That being said, I will give one further thing to consider.

A Raspberry Pi 4 - 8GB is going to run you around $100 Canadian, + 
$30-50 for a good case, $15 for PSU, $30-80 for SD card or other 
storage. That's $200 or more. Well with in the lower ends of the used or 
refurbished desktop and laptops.


- https://www.freegeektoronto.org/shop/
- https://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?cPath=7_158_1934=3a
- https://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?cPath=710_374=3a

Can you tell us more about how you expect to use the computer?
That would let us help narrow down your options more.

--
Scott Sullivan
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[GTALUG] Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit

[Aruna Hewapathirane via talk]

Hello,

I stumbled across this recently:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/

I can use some guidance and advice from folks who have experience
with Raspberry Pi's. What I read so far looks good but I have questions.

If 'you' were to use a Raspberry Pi as a desktop replacement which one
would you recommend?

Is there a major difference in response times between the 4Gb and 8Gb
models ?

How hot does the unit become ? Does it require an add on fan shim ? Or
will work fine without one ?

How easy or difficult would it be to boot off an external hard disk as
compared
to the SD card that comes with the Pi ?

Any other things to watch out for and be aware of before I purchase ?
Instead of buying
the kit would it be cheaper to buy each item separately from different
vendors ?

Thanks - Aruna
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