Search
  • Videos
  • Enterprise Software
  • Windows 10
  • Cloud
  • AI
  • Security
  • TR Premium
  • more
    • 5G Guide
    • Build a Website
    • Hardware
    • Innovation
    • Best Smartphones
    • Executive Guides
    • Best VPN Services
    • Web Hosting
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
  • Newsletters
  • All Writers
    • Preferences
    • Community
    • Newsletters
    • Log Out
  • Menu
    • Videos
    • Enterprise Software
    • Windows 10
    • Cloud
    • AI
    • Security
    • TR Premium
    • 5G Guide
    • Build a Website
    • Hardware
    • Innovation
    • Best Smartphones
    • Executive Guides
    • Best VPN Services
    • Web Hosting
    • See All Topics
    • White Papers
    • Downloads
    • Reviews
    • Galleries
    • Videos
    • TechRepublic Forums
      • Preferences
      • Community
      • Newsletters
      • Log Out
  • us
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • India
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • ZDNet around the globe:
    • ZDNet China
    • ZDNet France
    • ZDNet Germany
    • ZDNet Korea
    • ZDNet Japan

Six clicks: Single board computers: Banana Pi, Raspberry Pi, and more

1 of 6 NEXT PREV
  • In the beginning, the Raspberry Pi

    In the beginning, the Raspberry Pi

    There were many single-board computers (SBC) before the Raspberry Pi showed up , but its combination of price, power, and community made it the poster-child for the do-it-yourself generation of makers who want nothing more than see just how much they could do with a SBC. Popular as the $35 Raspberry Pi is, there are many other worthwhile SBCs out there for the maker who wants to go a little farther out.

    Previous on six clicks:

    Six Clicks: Linux Mint tips and tricks

    Six clicks: Great tips and tricks for Android

    Six Clicks: 2014's top Linux desktops

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

  • Intel MinnowBoard Max

    Intel MinnowBoard Max

    While far from being as cheap as the Raspberry Pi, for $99 Intel's forthcoming MinnorBoard Max looks pretty sweet.

    This SBC, which will appear in June 2014, is powered by either an Intel Atom E3815 (single-core, 1.46 GHz) or the $129 E3825 (dual-core, 1.33 GHz)a 64-bit Intel Atom system on a chip (SoC). It also comes with 1GB of RAM; 8MBs of Flash RAM for on-board storage and a Micro SD card for additional storage; and built-in HD graphics.

    For ports, it comes with USB 2.0, USB 3.0, SATA and Gigabit Ethernet. At 99 x 74mm (2.9 x 3.9in), it's credit-card sized. And, as usual for SBCs, it supports Linux. In particular, it will come ready to run with Debian Linux, Yocto embedded Linux, and Android 4.4 System.

    I can see makers doing a lot with this high-end, as SBCs go x86 compatible card.

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

  • UDOO

    UDOO

    UDOO, pronounced You Do, was one of the first Raspberry Pi rivals.

    This SBC is built around a Freescale i.MX 6 ARM Cortex-A9 CPU Dual/Quad core running at 1GHz. For an SBC that's a lot of processor and to take care of its resulting heat it includes large heat sinks. That makes it, by SBC standards, much bulker than most such computers.

    On the other hand, the $134.99 UDOO also comes with three separate graphics accelerators for 2D, OpenGL ES2.0 3D and OpenVG. To get those graphics to the world the UDOO uses HDMI. For programming room, it has 1 GB of RAM, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 ports, and it uses a Micro SD card for booting and storage.

    Finally, for operating systems, the UDOO supports Linaro Ubuntu, Android 4.3, Debian, and Yocto.

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

  • BeagleBone Black

    BeagleBone Black

    A more affordable SBC, the $45 BeagleBone Black is powered by a Texas Instruments AM335x 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor. It also comes with a 3D graphics accelerator, and a NEON floating-point accelerator. For memory and storage it has 512MBs of RAM and 2GBs of on-board flash storage. As for secondary storage and booting it uses the usual micro-SD card. For networking it uses 10/100MB Ethernet and graphics output is done by both S-Video and HDMI.

    The BeagleBone family runs Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, and Android. In addition, the BeagleBone has its own Linux distribution: Angstrom. It also comes with a great deal of support and several books on how to get the most from this SBC. This makes it, to my mind, one of the best SBCs for beginners.

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

  • Banana Pi

    Banana Pi

    The Banana Pi, despite the name, is not a next-generation Raspberry Pi. Instead it's more of a Raspberry Pi clone. Like many similar SBCs from Chinese manufacturers, it's essentially a more powerful Raspberry Pi with, of course, a higher price tag.

    This sized SBC costs just over $74 after shipping. It comes with a dual-core, Cortex-A7-based Allwinner A20 system-on-chip running at 1GHz. The Banana Pi also has 1GB of RAM and built-in Gigabit Ethernet. It also also includes a SATA port, a micro-USB port, and a Display Serial Interface (DSI) for graphics.

    For operating systems, the Banana Pi supports Android 4.4, Ubuntu, Debian, Raspberry Pi Image, and the Cubieboard Image. If you like the Raspberry Pi a lot, but crave more power, then the Banana Pi is worth a look.

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

  • PandaBoard ES

    PandaBoard ES

    The PandaBoard ES is the latest in a series of SBCs. This latest and greatest model powers up with Dual-core ARM Corte-A9 MPCore running at 1.2 GHz For graphics, it uses the Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX540 graphics core. To supply those graphics to monitors the PandaBoard supports both HDMI and DVI-D

    As usual with late model SBCs it comes with 1 GB of RAM. For storage, as you would expect it uses a micro-SD card. For network and other connectivity it uses 10/100Mbps Ethernet and 3 USB 2.0 ports.

    For operating systems, it supports BeagleBoard's Angstrom, Android, Ubuntu and Linaro.

    This board is meant primarily for Open OMAP 4 mobile software developers rather than enthusiasts. It's a very nice board from all reports, but finding one, even at its suggested price of $182, isn't easy.

    Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

    Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

1 of 6 NEXT PREV
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Linux and Open Source | May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT) | Topic: Hardware

  • In the beginning, the Raspberry Pi
  • Intel MinnowBoard Max
  • UDOO
  • BeagleBone Black
  • Banana Pi
  • PandaBoard ES

We all know about the Raspberry Pi, but it's far from the only single-board computer out there that makers might find both useful and affordable.

Read More Read Less

In the beginning, the Raspberry Pi

There were many single-board computers (SBC) before the Raspberry Pi showed up , but its combination of price, power, and community made it the poster-child for the do-it-yourself generation of makers who want nothing more than see just how much they could do with a SBC. Popular as the $35 Raspberry Pi is, there are many other worthwhile SBCs out there for the maker who wants to go a little farther out.

Previous on six clicks:

Six Clicks: Linux Mint tips and tricks

Six clicks: Great tips and tricks for Android

Six Clicks: 2014's top Linux desktops

Published: May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT)

Caption by: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

1 of 6 NEXT PREV

Related Topics:

Hardware Linux PCs Servers Storage Networking
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Linux and Open Source | May 2, 2014 -- 12:42 GMT (05:42 PDT) | Topic: Hardware

Show Comments
LOG IN TO COMMENT
  • My Profile
  • Log Out
| Community Guidelines

Join Discussion

Add Your Comment
Add Your Comment

Related Galleries

  • 1 of 3
  • A brief history of Apple iPad models 2010-2019 (Gallery)

    Apple's iPad exploded into the consumer tech market in April of 2010, months ahead of the first Android-powered tablet, and since then the company has sold some 400 million units. ...

  • Tech turkeys: Apple and Google dominate the year's menu of failures

    In the spirit of Festivus here is our full list of the worst technology products and services of the year.

  • 20-pin USB-C magnetic breakaway connector

    Miss the old MagSafe connector on the MacBook? Wish you could have a similar connector on your USB-C laptop? You now can, and for under $30.

  • Volta XL magnetic USB-C breakaway cable

    Do you worry that one day you'll pull on your charging cable and drag your expensive laptop to the floor, causing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of damage? The Volta XL ...

  • Doubling down: How dual-screen devices have unfolded over the years

    Dual screens have been added to smartphones, tablets, and laptops through the years with some promising advantages. However, beyond a certain portable game console line, none have ...

  • Samsung Galaxy Fold, Google Pixel 4, OnePlus 7T, Apple Watch Series 5, and more: Reviews round-up

    From folding smartphones to Google's new devices and the latest e-readers, here's the hardware we tested in October.

  • The Zendure SuperTank

    The Zendure SuperTank is an absolute beast. It can fully charge a MacBook Pro in 90 minutes, and can double your battery life. If you have a smartphone such as the iPhone XS, then you can ...

ZDNet
Connect with us

© 2019 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Cookies | Ad Choice | Advertise | Terms of Use | Mobile User Agreement

  • Topics
  • All Authors
  • Galleries
  • Videos
  • Sponsored Narratives
  • About ZDNet
  • Meet The Team
  • Site Map
  • RSS Feeds
  • Reprint Policy
  • Manage | Log Out
  • Join | Log In | Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Site Assistance
  • ZDNet Academy
  • TechRepublic Forums