More of a thought exercise/game than anything else. I saw the news that 486 support was getting cut from linux, and I was curious just how cheaply someone could replace a desktop 486 system with something new (provided the device had all the connectivity they needed).
Rules:
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Device must be able to run linux.
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Device should be cheap as possible. A good starting point is probably sub 40usd.
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The device must in someway support a mouse, keyboard, display, and the internet. If adapters are necessary for this connectivity, that cost should be included.
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Power supply should be included in the cost of the device. (in the case of most SBCs this is just the cost of a USB cable and wall wart)
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The device must be new & still in production. I know used devices like laptops would probably have been king here, but I don’t think that would be nearly as interesting.
I suspect that SBCs and other arm devices will be the most common suggestions.
I personally know about the Raspberry Pi Zero which can be had for ~$10, and with all the added accessories necessary to make it a full computer (usb splitters, usb power, usb to rj45, storage) it costs around ~$35. Not bad at all but I’m pretty sure we can do even better!
There’s an SBC called Le Potato that usually goes for around $40.
Drop the requirement for new and you can get plenty of good stuff for free.
Especially Win10 computers :-)
I have a bunch of old macs here with different distros onthem, mostly Mint, that I have been trying to give away to locals (without being obligated to provide support, which is the stickler apparently). They all run great. One could dumpster dive or curb cruise, or around here, lurk at Recycling.
Not NEW, but, check out local auctions. Local universities and govt offices are frequently selling lots of newish laptops (5ish yrs old) for $10-$50 apiece.
Watch for thin clients too. You can install Linux on some of them and use them as a normal PC. They will have more processing power than a cheap SBC.
along those same lines, used Chromebooks – Google ends support after only a couple years so school districts all over the place are generally stuck with palettes of e-waste
I believe I saw some other single board computers with some cheap Rockchip CPU /Allwinner and regular HDMI and two USB and an Ethernet port for around $10 on Aliexpress. You wouldn’t need the adapters from the Pi Zero with those. And there are some generic Android TV-Boxes for $8-15…
This seems like the most interesting suggestion so far. I’ll look into those!
Minisforum Refurb, or an SoC that’s cheaper than RPi
Those cheap emulator handhelds run linux out of the box with built in screens, batteries, and controller inputs
I’ve got a shitty little android one I impulse bought a while back, I should play around with it
I didn’t even think about those. That might be a good bet!
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