Re: Note : Pi 2 Zero W Now RIP-OFF Price on Amazon

On 8/5/26 02:03, rbowman wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:47:56 -0400, c186282 wrote:
> 
>>     These prices will alienate US customers rather badly - 300 million of
>>     them. PIs are no longer an 'affordable' path to anything.
> 
> I have no idea how many Pi users aren't doing anything with the GPIO
> capabilities and are using the Pi as a cheap board for PiHole, a NAS
> server, or other things that only need a Linux box. As the article I
> posted points out when you can buy a cheap mini that will do the job and
> comes with a case, heat sink, fan, and standard HDMI/USB connections the
> Pi loses it's shine.
> 
> I am using the Pi to read a DHT11 sensor but I could certainly use one of
> the Linux boxes with a Pico hung off a USB port.
> 
> It's interesting the Arduino Uno Q formalizes that architecture with the
> MCU soldered to the bottom and a Cortex-A MPU on top.

   PIs *used* to be a good/cheap fix for MANY
   issues. But at THESE prices .......

   And nobody in the USA makes good clone.

   And 'consumer' PCs and such - you can't GET
   mem/storage any more - ALL the mem production
   has been redirected to "AI".

   This is BAD.

   I got kinda lucky, got a new main lap and
   upgraded a few older, but OK, laps and
   such LAST year. NOW I could not DO it
   without being horribly ripped-off.

   Just gonna have to stand pat ... maybe
   things will improve - but not THIS year
   fer sure.

   Note - USING the "AIs" requires a moderantly
   decent lap or whatever. If you can't AFFORD
   those due to mem issues then you can't use
   the "AI'. Interesting, eh ?