News Low Cost Raspberry Pi Alternative RISC-V Board Starts Crowdfunding

[Admin]

A RISC-V CPU sits at the heart of the Nezha, a new low-powered SBC avail via Indiegogo

Low Cost Raspberry Pi Alternative RISC-V Board Starts Crowdfunding : Read more

 

[domih]

Suggestion: do yourself a favor, STOP using the expression "Raspberry Pi Alternative" in your articles.

This RISC board is based on a single-core RISC-V processor @ 1.0 GHz at a $$$ price that is out of whack.

Definitely not the same market and/or target users as Pi 3 or 4.

 

[Ross Archer]

RISC-V, as a license-free open-source hardware architecture, is a natural fit with open source software like Linux and BSD.
The point of this product is to provide "hands on" access to developers interested in furthering open source computing hardware, and perhaps bring in some open source developers into the RISC-V fold.

I'm only going from what I've read (not an insider at all) but:
Calling it a "Raspberry Pi Alternative" does miss that this is a specialty product whose goal's not to "beat" a Pi but to get cheap hardware in developers' hands that they can actually use, to broaden the user base and accelerate penetration of the new architecture. THAT'S the "alternative: License and royalty free vs. proprietary chips. If it catches on, don't be surprised if subsequent models become more competitive with Pi on performance and value, but for today those just aren't as high a priority as just getting affordable hardware into developers' hands.

Open source hardware and open source software together is arguably a beautiful thing. Here's hoping the future has a place for that partnership.