Should I buy a Raspberry Pi or a Banana Pi for Android HTPC?

[Markus2014]

The Banana Pi is not a clone or copy of the Raspberry Pi.
The term Pi has become a name for the small form factor adopted by the Raspberry
If you read the website of Banana Pi you can see it is being developed by the community and students from Shenzhen University
Yes a Chinese company makes the boards but a Chinese company also makes the Raspberry Pi, people are making money from both.
The Banana Pi has been developed to fill a demand for a small low power board with more power than the Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Foundation are foolish bullying people into stop selling competitive products. It lowers the reputation of what is meant to be a charity, reduces development by a combined community and stops universal accessories which would sell more Raspberry Pi's.
I am very disappointed with the opinions and responses of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the community.
I supported the Raspberry Pi ideas from the beginning, making computers cheaper again and encouraging people to learn more programming like in the old ZX Spectrum days, but they have gone away from this trying to stop and growth and interest out of their own products. It reminds me of Microsoft buying and stopping any competition trying to dominate the market with only their interests in mind.
Sorry for the rant but I am now selling my Raspberry Pi's as I no longer believe in them.

[DirkS]

If I feel depressed I just go to the Android section of the forum.
Always good for a laugh.

[gkreidl]

If you want to believe in something go to church.

[mahjongg]

several complaints were filed over markus2014's "inflammatory" post, and the OP's subject line, asking to remove, or at least move it to off topic, which I won't do because everybody has the right to his opinion. As far as I can see its just that, not trolling (but maybe i'm naive though).

That said, if you want an android system, buy an android system, there are more than enough of those!

And, also just because the BP was designed by students doesn't mean they had to copy the PI, trying hard to create something that at first glance could pass for one. Seems indicative of a certain mentality. I think the only "reputation damage" that is done they did to themselves by doing that. So yes, no doubt the BP is a copy of a PI, you only have to look at it to realize that. Must have been a blow to them when the new PI came out, which looks a lot less like the BP.

locking the thread now, to avoid further escalation.

[jamesh]

Although this thread is locked there is some information that may be relevant that I can add.

The BPI main problem, is not because of its form factor (it's just a small SBC, although copying the Pi's form factor so closely is a bit rude), but it clearly infringes the Raspberry Pi trademark. i.e. it is taking advantage of the Raspberry Pi's name - in this case the fruity and the Pi bit - for it's own gain. This IS a trademark infringement, and in UK law, if you don't protect your trademark, you will lose it. So the problem is entirely of the BPi's making - had they chosen a different name, there would be much less of a problem.

See here for more details.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/trademark-rules/