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Comment by skelpmargyar | Hacker News Reader

It never made sense to use Raspberry Pi's for an overwhelming majority of projects that are entirely software based. They're a hobbyist prototyping and learning tool. If you're not using GPIO and if space/energy is not a requirement, why bother with them? They're slow, take an abundance of accessories and life support extensions such as RTC, fans, PCIe, HDMI adapters, and even sound cards to be comparable in functionality to any old business Goodwill PC. Also, they're not upgradable.

That being said, I have used them on several hobbyist projects and enjoy how they're exceptionally easy to use and their abundant documentation. But I feel like people VASTLY overuse them in place of other solutions.

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The reason I don't use an old, general-purpose PCBs for the types of projects you describe is because they're generally very poor in the terms of performance-to-power ratio.

SBCs like the raspi are much more power efficient, but I absolutely agree that they're not the only option.

Another great option for certain types of projects are used smartphones. You'll need to put thought into the specific models that will support your needs, but many android phones can be readily converted into low-power Linux machines and—with the right adapter—can be used with a wired ethernet adapter without losing charging.

If you want to host a simple web service, something that draws only a few watts and has a built-in UPS (its a cellphone, after all, and has a battery) can be pretty compelling.

Add to that the fact that you can often pick up a reasonably powerful, used android phone for less than the cost of an SBC if the screen is cracked.

> ...Another great option for certain types of projects are used smartphones...

This is exactly what i am about to embark on! I have a couple of used (but no longer using) smart phones....and instead of playing with a raspberry pi, wanted to see what i can do with these devices. The 2 first iodeas i have are:

1. a ready-to-go, backup device. Much like a Go Bag, set up a smart phone to be a hot backup destination...so if something drastic happens - like house fire, etc. - i can just pull the phone, and have a backup literal;ly in my hands, etc. (And, no i won't be doing away with my offsite backup...Remember the 3-2-1 backup strategy is still valid!)

2. a mobile ssh/bastion accessing device. Basically setup a little server to use to ssh, jump to oither servers. This use-case is really not necessary for me; more of just playing. But i can imagine if someoine lives in an area where their mobile access is steady and their mains internet access gets not so dependable....this coiuld be a way to still be able to access other servers (via mobiel data connection of course)....and this doesn't need superfast 5G type of connection, since its only ssh-type of jump connection.

Obviously, there are tons of other use cases....so you so right about thinking about using devices like smart phones....esepcially sinc it also helps avoid these devices going to the trash! :-)

That last bit is a big thing for me.

Using something like a cellphone as a web application server is obviously going to come with unique challenges and it's going to be a compromise in some ways.

For me, one of the biggest drivers for re-using technology like that is to extend their lifespan and reduce waste.

I tried the thin-client thing and there are definitely pros and cons.

Second hand thin clients are indeed often cheaper, have more ports, are upgradable. However, if you're buying a $5 computer off ebay, you can't always find everything you want, and you might find that the hardware isn't ideal for what you're doing.

The nice thing about a raspberry pi is you know exactly what hardware you're going to get, what dimensions its going to have, etc, at a reasonable price point.

(Another advantage: when it breaks, you can get a drop-in replacement).

Can't collect Goodwill PCs in a drawer :p

Running whole home synchronized audio on thin clients would use a lot more power, and likely be more expensive or about the same than my setup with Pi Zeros with PoE and a USB DAC.

For my use cases, space and energy are very much part of the consideration. If I'm going to run something 24/7, then I want to be sure it draws as little power and uses up as little space in my flat as possible.

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