Personal computing discussed

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whm1974
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What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 5:03 am

Looking around the Web, I found this:
https://endlessm.com/

I'm temped to get the 32GB Endless Mini to check it out. But the question that rises is just what can I do with this to justify spending $100? Other then giving one to somebody who doesn't already own a computer, I can't see anything I could use it for.

Now if this had an X86 CPU instead of the ARM SoC.....
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 5:32 am

Not sure why you're even tempted by this. It's a special-purpose device with a very specific (and small, IMO) niche. If you want a hackable ARM device get a Raspberry Pi.
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 5:44 am

whm1974 wrote:
if this had an X86 CPU instead of the ARM SoC.....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6883722001

(ahh heh out of stock now...still.)
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whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 5:48 am

Savyg wrote:
whm1974 wrote:
if this had an X86 CPU instead of the ARM SoC.....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6883722001

(ahh heh out of stock now...still.)

Yeah a x86 based Mini-PC would be better deal.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 6:10 am

If you want a small, $100ish x86 computer, check out the various Chinese import sites(banggood, gearbest ect). There are plenty of Bay & Cherry Trail based Mini-PCs for around $100. Or for that matter, you can get an 8" Full HD tablet, running Windows 10 and/or Android for the same price.
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 8:43 am

Savyg wrote:
whm1974 wrote:
if this had an X86 CPU instead of the ARM SoC.....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6883722001

(ahh heh out of stock now...still.)

That is seriously cool (and something like this might be the next MomBox that I deploy in 4-5 years).
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 9:08 am

just brew it! wrote:
Not sure why you're even tempted by this. It's a special-purpose device with a very specific (and small, IMO) niche. If you want a hackable ARM device get a Raspberry Pi.



Exactly. I see these devices as best suitable for educational systems with low tech budgets. But even for that I would urge either getting Pis and teaching the children how to build them and install the OS, or applying for the google educational programs (can't recall the name off the top of my head but I know they provide chromebooks at reasonable prices plus free drive storage and educational apps).
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 10:22 am

That thing looks like a cute "pet" but after awhile you'll want to be able to do other things with it. The question that comes up when looking at this is how easy would it be to replace/fix. The 2nd question is what do you plan on doing with this? There was a time when I would have jumped at something like this to play with it. But I guess I've gotten older. OH boy, I have gotten older. LOL. arghhhhhh.
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 11:48 am

Intel's Compute Stick or all their knockoff's?
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whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 4:10 pm

I just checked again. The Endless PC uses the Celeron N2807 while the Endless Mini use an ARM SoC.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 8:43 pm

They have Tony Robbins onboard as an "advisor". I would not touch their products with a 10 foot pole.

It looks like a skin on Ubuntu.
 
whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 9:34 pm

So the Endless PC and Mini are meant for those who don't have reliable internet connections then. I have been there a few times.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 10:53 pm

whm1974 wrote:
So the Endless PC and Mini are meant for those who don't have reliable internet connections then. I have been there a few times.

If all you care about doing on the PC is playing their bundled games or reading their crappy built-in encyclopedia, then yeah I suppose you could say it "helps" with lack of a reliable Internet connection...

Edit: Their web site also says it "opens Microsoft Office"... yet all of the screen shots of office productivity apps show Libre Office. :lol:
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whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 10:58 pm

just brew it! wrote:
whm1974 wrote:
So the Endless PC and Mini are meant for those who don't have reliable internet connections then. I have been there a few times.

If all you care about doing on the PC is playing their bundled games or reading their crappy built-in encyclopedia, then yeah I suppose you could say it "helps" with lack of a reliable Internet connection...

And don't forget that LibreOffice is installed as well.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 11:21 pm

whm1974 wrote:
And don't forget that LibreOffice is installed as well.

Yeah, but that doesn't help with not having an Internet connection, unless you were solely dependent on Google Docs or Office 365 and are incapable of installing LibreOffice yourself.

Riddle me this: Once you add the cost of a display, keyboard, and mouse, this thing will end up costing about as much as a bottom-of-the-line laptop (e.g. Acer Aspire One). At the end of the day, you've got a custom device running a custom fork of Ubuntu for ARM that is completely dependent on a company that may not exist tomorrow for updates. So what's the attraction/advantage?
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whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Mon May 09, 2016 11:44 pm

just brew it! wrote:
whm1974 wrote:
And don't forget that LibreOffice is installed as well.

Yeah, but that doesn't help with not having an Internet connection, unless you were solely dependent on Google Docs or Office 365 and are incapable of installing LibreOffice yourself.

Riddle me this: Once you add the cost of a display, keyboard, and mouse, this thing will end up costing about as much as a bottom-of-the-line laptop (e.g. Acer Aspire One). At the end of the day, you've got a custom device running a custom fork of Ubuntu for ARM that is completely dependent on a company that may not exist tomorrow for updates. So what's the attraction/advantage?

For me none. I did forget that I can buy a cheap X86 based computer for the same price range the Endless Mini goes for.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Tue May 10, 2016 12:01 am

I'm on the fence regarding whether there's a valid use case for this thing, or if it is merely a way to separate gullible people from their cash.

I think it will end up being too limited for most people, and it is too expensive to be a solution for people in third-world countries.
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whm1974
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Tue May 10, 2016 12:07 am

I know what you mean.
 
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Tue May 10, 2016 2:27 pm

End User wrote:
They have Tony Robbins onboard as an "advisor". I would not touch their products with a 10 foot pole.


After googling Tony Robbins I'm now getting retargeted with ad banners for him. Ick.
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Re: What can we do with a $100 computer?

Tue May 10, 2016 2:52 pm

Redocbew wrote:
End User wrote:
They have Tony Robbins onboard as an "advisor". I would not touch their products with a 10 foot pole.


After googling Tony Robbins I'm now getting retargeted with ad banners for him. Ick.

I used DuckDuckGo to search who Tony Robbins was so far no targeted ads.
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