Introduce yourself!

Hi! My name is Sergey Krikunov I'm from Russia Siberia live near Lake Baikal, interested in computers from the age of twelve, but the first computer purchased only when became a student, I now have four of them including those assembled for my parents and I'm not going to dwell on it ;) I very interested in the project RaspberryPi and have already appeared idea how to use it in my home.

P.S. Sorry for my English

Howdy, I'm Ed Mercer from Brazil, I'm a 32 yrs-old lost soul who dabbled with programming for over 15 years, tried for some time to graduate in engineering (first electrical, then robotics), wrote arcade games for a living and then decided to get a degree in Industrial Design (just got my degree, not five days ago). My final dissertation was on cheap, portable computing devices for third world countries (it specifically cites the Raspberry Pi somewhere around page 36, you can find it in Brazilian Portuguese at http://mercer.ind.br/acesso.pdf). The RasPi interests me professionally, personally and philosophically, I dare say.

Hello I am Richard I have been working with computers since the late 1970's me and my twin brother constructed a Timex/Sinclair ZX81 back there sometime. I am a Correctional Officer in California USA. Nearing retirement! I am a fan of wearables even though that category has been run over by the mobile phone market (I have an iPhone4). This obsession with wearables is the fault of MIT. As only a high school graduate with some college I am not the most schooled of this lot, but don't count me out, as I am not afraid to pick up a soldering iron and sling some solder! I already have experience with Linux, mostly Ubuntu, under my belt. I have been building computers almost since the beginning. And understand the technology advance possible with double floating gate transistors. I have overclocked a number of systems in my time.

I'm an Australian (actually an ex-pat Brit) who as has worked in IT for nearly 30 years and was in the 1st cohort to take A level computing in 1980. I have two children and so an interest in the intersection of IT and education.

For education my 'hot' buttons are Python, Arduino and the Khan Academy; and I think RaspPi fits well into that list. As a geek I use Perl, Linux, SQLite, git and other open source tools. If you want to see my day job just look me up on LinkedIn.

Twitter: @alecthegeek
GitHub: alecthegeek
G+:alecclews@gmail.com

I am Lorand Kedves, 38 years old senior software architect (dare to say) from Hungary.

I have worked on a country wide error reporting system when we had to transfer the tickets in emails through a dial up modem connection; data mining and decision support systems at Cygron Ltd http://cygron.com/PressRelease.....91118.html; at Ulyssys Ltd. we worked on the greatest Hungarian agricultural information systems for the government; and as a Sun (rip) consultant worked for the Hungarian Telekom.

Along the years I had the vision that we seriously miss a point in programming; all my experiences added something to this image and a concept that I call dust framework. My current (on hold) "sandbox" is here: https://github.com/MondoAurora/DustFramework, but I am afraid it is hard to understand at this stage.

I am here because this device is one of my fondest dreams, I called it Maya perhaps five years ago: a transportable "CPU" with standard connections to any environment, without any unnecessary stuff built in. Being programmer for twenty years I KNOW what the numbers in the R-Pi specification mean. This is really enough for anyone to be part of the global information system, use any strong or weak hardware around. And you don't even have to forget real entertainment - if you don't want to count the hair in Shrek's eyebrows. But to achieve this, I think we should go under OS level, and harvest the true potentials of this gadget - this is where my pet-project comes in.

If I have the time, I will certainly give it a try.

Hello, my name is Gabriel , I'm a 15 year old french boy. Sorry for making mistakes : I'm in High Scool ;)
I love this project because I'm very interested in computer science and I discovered the amazing concept wich is Linux ! Moreover I hope that this project will make everyone able to have a computer.
Now I'm learning to use Linux (I tried Ubuntu but I prefer Debian) and I will buy a raspi model B in order to make a server which I'll try to lead with SSH from my eepc 1015PEM (yes I like low cost AND efficient devices ;) )

A last thing : we will need a low-cost screen although I suppose it will be harder : there is less possibilities (unlike a lot of possibilities of processor-gpu-memory) isn't it ?

[liz]

Hi Gabriel! In the UK, at least, it's very easy to get hold of an old television cheaply; you can just plug the Raspi into the HDMI or composite ports of a TV, and use that as a display device.

Yes of course in France too but would this solution works for users in developing countrys ?
I can be wrong : if an user can run a Raspberry Pi he must have electricity, and so a TV...

[liz]

Remarkably, yes; it turns out there are a huge number of TVs kicking around in the developing world too. As for areas where there's no electricity - it's something we're discussing with some other charities, but that's for a later phase in the project.

Okay , thanks for answers :)

[abishur]

Welcome to the forum Gabriel! I'm much older than 15 and can't speak anything other than English (I call it monolingual, I believe most other countries call it... being "American" :P ) so don't sweat any mistakes! (Honestly if you hadn't specifically apologized for making mistakes I would have thought you were a native speaker, you're writing much better than most 15 year olds I know!)

Quote from liz on August 10, 2011, 21:47
Remarkably, yes; it turns out there are a huge number of TVs kicking around in the developing world too. As for areas where there's no electricity - it's something we're discussing with some other charities, but that's for a later phase in the project.

don´t forget solar power ;-)
if you add around 7-10 pound maybe even less (end user prices... companys should get better ones),you can run the raspi with that option. only requirement is sunlight.. and sun is almost in every developing country aviable.

[ukscone]

Quote from AmyS3 on August 10, 2011, 23:43
only requirement is sunlight.. and sun is almost in every developing country aviable.

so that counts out using a solar powered R-Pi in the uk then.

The british summer was a week last wednesday so we've missed it until next year and hmmm what with the riots and everything i'm not sure if it counts as a developed (or developing) country any more. :)

[liz]

Tell me about it. There are problems out there that you need a much bigger instrument than a teeny computer to solve.

[ukscone]

Quote from liz on August 11, 2011, 00:18
Tell me about it. There are problems out there that you need a much bigger instrument than a teeny computer to solve.

yes we'd need a computer the size of er say the earth and hopefully no vogons around to blow it up before it had finished it's calculations

just give everybody on the world a raspi and let them work together as a hyper cluster.. that should do the trick XD
and to fight off the vogons, send a towel (with a raspi logo) with each raspi..

Quote from abishur on August 10, 2011, 22:24
Welcome to the forum Gabriel! I'm much older than 15 and can't speak anything other than English (I call it monolingual, I believe most other countries call it... being "American" :P ) so don't sweat any mistakes! (Honestly if you hadn't specifically apologized for making mistakes I would have thought you were a native speaker, you're writing much better than most 15 year olds I know!)

Well... thank you abishur :)

Quote from AmyS3 on August 10, 2011, 23:43

Quote from liz on August 10, 2011, 21:47
Remarkably, yes; it turns out there are a huge number of TVs kicking around in the developing world too. As for areas where there's no electricity - it's something we're discussing with some other charities, but that's for a later phase in the project.

don´t forget solar power ;-)
if you add around 7-10 pound maybe even less (end user prices... companys should get better ones),you can run the raspi with that option. only requirement is sunlight.. and sun is almost in every developing country aviable.

So this solar panel would have to produce enought electricity to run a TV + a raspi ?

[abishur]

well... it would be enough to at least charge / maybe run the r-pi itself theoretically, but unless a tribe in Africa wanted to have solar panels on the tops of all their huts.... A smaller screen running on 5V usb shipped with the raspi would work better for a solar environment (those old tube TVs were power HOGS!).

.. right.
but would be more expensive.. maybe a small lcd display..? like the old nokia ones in b/w.. you get them real cheap and they use very little power. so a small solar module which provides 5V and ~ 250-300mAh would suffice.

would be a nice idea for marketing as well.. : raspberry pi - true sunpower..
or raspberry pi - powered by sun (not the company XD)

[liz]

I'm wondering about low-power e-ink displays for this sort of application further down the line, when they're a) in colour and b) cheaper. But this is getting wildly off-topic - let's keep this thread to introductions please!

[Jongoleur]

Hi there!

I've fiddled with "small" computers since the ZX81 and currently do undemanding software development work involving horrid databases in a number of disgusting languages. (don't ask!) :-)

I lke things that make life fun.

Hi,

I'm Andy from Cambridge, England but currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I work as a freelance programmer. I love the r-pii because it takes me back to my childhood playing Elite on the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, as well as programming and generally being excited about computers and gadgets.

I'd like to see a strong emphasis on programming skills and my favorite language is Python. I'm interested to get involved with some teaching so I can secretly relive my childhood all over again ;-)

When I saw the r-pii on the BBC news website I was filled with nostalgia.. I think David should publish Elite in Python and we can use this as a project for learning. What a way to get kids into Maths! They'd love it! So will I ha ha

I'm Derek. 32 in Scotland.

Used to dally with the ZX/CPC464 way back in the day, simple maze games and the like. Haven't looked into programming or anything since I was 17 after a disastrous college course where they removed all the C+ programming modules 2 weeks after joining.

Hearing of the R-Pi has brought back good memories and is certainly something I want to teach/pass on to my children, 2 and 11 at the moment. Compared to most I expect to be one of the less tech savvy, although working for Virgin Media (no I can't get you free cable ;) ) I am usually popular when things need fixing within our Customer Service department!

Usually found under the moniker Dezcore, have taken to Hordecore after spending a lot of time playing WOW. <3 Tauren. Expect to see me lurking in the Forums a LOT looking to brush up on my knowledge.

Hi There

I'm Mike 38 in London.

Another old codger! Also I am a nerd. No two ways!

Allow me to share my glorious memories of the good old days!
I can always remember hearing Pac Man on Xmas Day on the Atari 2600. That sound of him gobbling pills on the 2600 will always be with me. I think the youngsters describe those sounds today as 'low fi' or 'bit crushed'!

I also grew up with my BBC Micro and my wicked Acorn Archimedes.
I remember seeing AMX Superart and holding a mouse for the first time. Cor! What a marvel.
I used to do old skool teletext animations for myself as well. They were rubbish but so much fun!

I remember seeing Fred Harris wibble King Tut around on screen on his Amiga on Micro Live in 1986. That really did it for me. That was like ...so cool! It was totally amazing.
Then later on seeing Zarch runing on the Archie. Wow. 3D dude!

So here I am today still plugging away with my little projects.
Rasberry Pi is a great idea. Bring back some fun! Computers in education looks a bit dull today. Let's hope you can get everyone to create new and exciting wacky projects.
I've got some plans of my own for the platform. I am a little scared as I only did BBC Basic and a bit of 6502 so we shall see! I want to build a musical instrument.....a keyboard. I also wanna build another retro Imac and have it making lava lamp type animations!

I really want to be the person to design your logo and win the competition. What an honour. It would be like winning the design of the Acorn logo or something.

I love the name of your the RPI cat Mooncake. What a rad name!

Best of luck to you all peeps. It would be great to see this project spread all over the world.
Mike

Hey guys i´m Marius.
Just wanted to get a look in the forum, but i think maybe i can write some usefull things too. ;)
I am interested in programming and lowbudget hardware and independent nerd-stuff. :D
Btw im from germany and 15, so please be patient with my not that good english. ;)
Yussuf

ah and i really dont know why i often use this nickname... :D