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

On 05/08/2026 07:03, 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.
> 
Yes. I do drive relays with one of of my zeros. The others drive quality 
D to A converters for use as audio servers.
They are (or were) simply the lowest cost Linux servers you can get. 
Perfect.

When it comes to NAS my trial PI is not doing well. It cannot 
consistently drive twin SSDs. I may got to a Pi5 with SATA hat...

> 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.
> 
I use Picos as well for their A to D capabilities and I/O and wireless comms

> It's interesting the Arduino Uno Q formalizes that architecture with the
> MCU soldered to the bottom and a Cortex-A MPU on top.

The point is that people select what is going to work for them in their 
application that is within their code skills.

I picked PIs because they were less than half the price of an Arduino 
and were very well supported

If they cease to be that, I wont buy them

-- 
Renewable energy: Expensive solutions that don't work to a problem that 
doesn't exist instituted by self legalising protection rackets that 
don't protect,  masquerading as public servants who don't serve the public.