The new Raspberry Pi, designated as the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, is out (though it’s not that easy getting your hands on one right now) and it looks pretty darn fantastic. For the same $35 as the Model B+ of the original Raspberry Pis, it packs in some significant upgrades, superseding its predecessors completely.
Most notably, it now has a 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, which, based on benchmarking test runs, increases processing speeds by up to 6x, depending on the application. Compare this with the 700MHz single-core CPU of the first generation of Models. It also comes with 1 GB RAM, doubling that of its precursors.
The new and improved processor means that it can now run the complete range of ARM GNU/Linux operating systems. Not only that, but it also supports Windows 10, which users will get free of charge.
In terms of design and hardware, its form factor is about identical to the B+, with the 4 USB 2.0 ports, 40 GPIO pins, and better alignment of ports. It also offers more power, at 4.5 watts, compared to the 2.5-3.5 of older versions. It’s completely backwards-compatible with the Raspberry Pi 1, though older Raspberry Pi 1 Models such as the A+, B, and B+ will still continue to be sold, especially for industrial consumers not needing the change.
Following the launch, the company has been asking users and hobbyists to assist in benchmarking their new devices, with both qualitative and quantitative results steadily flowing in to establish just how much better it is. It has been tentatively determined, for example, that a Minecraft server can be more than comfortably run on these new computers, and creating new worlds takes about half the time that it does on the B+. When booting the computers, the efficiency was also about double. Some other processes saw an even greater difference, resulting in the “up to 6x faster” claim.
One thing to note though: some users have determined that the computer is a bit “camera-shy.” When taking photos of their devices with flash, they tended to respond by freezing, then rebooting. This applies specifically to Xenon flash bulbs; LEDs seem to be okay. Just one thing to note if you’re Instagramming it, as it seems like the chip is light-sensitive.
This is a fantastic device that does a remarkable job showing what small, cheap, single-board computers can be capable of. It will be a welcome upgrade for hobbyists, also opening doors for users in developing countries. With a diverse and varied developing community, some pretty awesome things are sure to be done with this computer.
Leave a Reply