Pi Zero order limit?

[ITek]

Hi,

I was just wondering if there will ever be a time I can order more than one raspberry pi zero at a time. I have a project or 2 in mind that sort of work together and require more than one board.

Anyone know if this is slated to happen eventually?

[jamesh]

Yes, once supply catches up with demand. When this will be? Who knows, since the demand is rather unpredictable. AL that can be done is keep supply as high as possible, which is what is being done.

[Demonslayer]

I wonder the same because I have a project that will require at least 200 units pr year. If supply is such a problem I will have to choose another board or design one myself. Please make more Zeros.

If you have problems with production capacity, maybe we can work something out? They can be made in larger numbers if you want to. I really want zeros on a inovative drone for laser topography and the possibilities are almost endless.
If you want your board to pilot a drone through the most hostile enviorments on earth, please contact me. Together we can explore thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions or the deeps of the sea. My drone can do it with your boards onboard.

[fruitoftheloom]

I wonder the same because I have a project that will require at least 200 units pr year. If supply is such a problem I will have to choose another board or design one myself. Please make more Zeros.

If you have problems with production capacity, maybe we can work something out? They can be made in larger numbers if you want to.

In the last blog when EU talked about the RPi Zero he stated the form factor was not in stone, therefore you would be better advised to design around the Compute Module.

[HermannSW]

> to choose another board
>
the very big plus for Pi Zero is the 5$ price tag.

I recently ordered two (much) more powerful 8$ NanoPi Neos (no HDMI, but quad core 1.2GHz A7), have not received the modules yet:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic ... msg2842531

Hermann.

[fruitoftheloom]

> to choose another board
>
the very big plus for Pi Zero is the 5$ price tag.

I recently ordered two (much) more powerful 8$ NanoPi Neos (no HDMI, but quad core 1.2GHz A7), have not received the modules yet:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic ... msg2842531

Hermann.

Though can you get decent community support ??

[ITek]

Well they are 5 GBP right?

Can't they take an order for 100 of them? That is demand lol. Just for one customer.

[Demonslayer]

The zero is perfect for my intended use because it can easily be fitted with a camera and I don't need audio output, ethernet and huge USBs. The zero would fit perfect and is excactly what I need.

[fruitoftheloom]

The zero is perfect for my intended use because it can easily be fitted with a camera and I don't need audio output, ethernet and huge USBs. The zero would fit perfect and is excactly what I need.

Yes but by the time you accumulate say 100 a new version could of been released, it only took s few months to release with the Camera Connector, so who knows what RPT will surprise us with ?

.

[laurent]

I understand that the demand is still too high, but with the production rate increase, why they are keeping the limit at one per purchase ? They could keep a limit but increase it a little bit ? Say 2 per purchase in a first time, then 3, 4...
Why it must be one per purchase or unlimited orders per purchase (when demand will decrease), without steps between ?

[solar3000]

just order another day. there's no hard limit. they don't take your finger print.
I already have over five or 6 or 7 zeros already and I'm still not in jail yet.

[davidcoton]

I'm still not in jail yet.

Your statement has been noted by the Virtual Zero Police Group (not to be confused with the Absolute Zero Police Group, who deal with speeding electrons).

[solar3000]

I'm still not in jail yet.

Your statement has been noted by the Virtual Zero Police Group (not to be confused with the Absolute Zero Police Group, who deal with speeding electrons).

I keep getting you confused with
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/welcome-dave/

[jamesh]

I understand that the demand is still too high, but with the production rate increase, why they are keeping the limit at one per purchase ? They could keep a limit but increase it a little bit ? Say 2 per purchase in a first time, then 3, 4...
Why it must be one per purchase or unlimited orders per purchase (when demand will decrease), without steps between ?

Demand is still higher than supply. Production is as fast as it can sustainable go. Going to be a few more months I suspect before order limits are removed, and I have a suspicion that a few orders of 100 or 200 will soon introduce another limit.


WIth regard to the $5 price point being the big seller, it's a compromise. You want a cheap, high powered board, in large quantities. Right now, you can't. You can have two out of the three, but not all three. Pretty standard engineering principle. It's a bit 'have you cake and eat it too'. You want everything, but right now, you cannot. Either make some compromises, or take the hit. Complaining makes not difference - for some idea of how difficult the problem is to solve, check out all the other people who make high powered, cheap board in large quantities.

[mattmiller]

Production is as fast as it can sustainable go

What's the limiting factor?

[fruitoftheloom]

Production is as fast as it can sustainable go

What's the limiting factor?

Broadcom BCM2835 SoC and having to produce other Raspberry Pi Models.....

[jamesh]

Production is as fast as it can sustainable go

What's the limiting factor?

As fruit says, but also things like using up the production line for a very low profit (if any item) vs using it for stuff that actually makes enough money to keep the RPF in business. Money has already been spent making the Zero production faster/efficient, but there are limits to how much you might want to spend on a low profit item. And of course, the RPF self funds the Zero, so there may be issues with cash flow there which limit huge manufacturing quantities.

[mattmiller]

but there are limits to how much you might want to spend on a low profit item.

So its probably not (within foreseeable future - like within 12 months) going to be available to buy in even low batch quantities

It would have been better if the Foundation had said this a bit earlier

We were all hoping that they'd either find a magic way to make it profitable (to them and the retail chain) or bump the price up to $10-$15 to make it so

Well , at least we can give up hope now and move on

[RaTTuS]

but there are limits to how much you might want to spend on a low profit item.

So its probably not (within foreseeable future - like within 12 months) going to be available to buy in even low batch quantities

It would have been better if the Foundation had said this a bit earlier

We were all hoping that they'd either find a magic way to make it profitable (to them and the retail chain) or bump the price up to $10-$15 to make it so

Well , at least we can give up hope now and move on

the foundation cannot say how the public will keep on buying ....
but the fact that pimoroni have had stock for the last few days means that there well be removal of restrictions RSN™

but your best bet is to ask pimoroni, pi-hut , pi supply or adafruit http://whereismypizero.com/ speculation here is just speculation

[Heater]

mattmiller,

It would have been better if the Foundation had said this a bit earlier

Ugh, the limited Pi Zero supply situation has been known from day one. It has been discussed here every day, so it seems, since then. Nobody has expected it to magically improve all of a sudden.

[mattmiller]

Nobody has expected it to magically improve all of a sudden.

Some of us are more optimistic than others but even we have to give up now

[mattmiller]

Ugh, the limited Pi Zero supply situation has been known from day one.

Well - not wanting to start an argument but your factually incorrect ...

The situation was NOT known from day one (because Foundation wouldn't say they were frantically making Pi3) and therefore we didn't know that that production was constrained by that

I'm not saying anything out of turn here by saying that the Foundation are notorious for not making situations clear and the PiZero is the most public example of that

[SonOfAMotherlessGoat]

(because Foundation wouldn't say they were frantically making Pi3)

RPF doesn't make Pi3's, the only model made by the RPF is the Zero. We can get pedantic, or we can face the reality of what is going on now. You'll be able to buy bulk Zero's when the distributors (not the RPF) decides they want to sell in bulk. And that changes depending on the distributor. MicroCenter in New York is selling at $0.99 per unit, MicroCenter in Southern California is relaxing the limit if you ask. The RPF will do what the RPF feels is in their best interest and no time sooner. If your business is based around having access to volatile supplies for it's most major component then re-evaluate your business plan. (And 200 Zero's a year is not a large amount, if you really wanted them, you could get them. Not all at once, but then unless there is a plan to sell all of the products made with a Zero at once, the supply side requirements could be relaxed a bit.) Or you lower your expectations.

[fruitoftheloom]

(because Foundation wouldn't say they were frantically making Pi3)

RPF doesn't make Pi3's, the only model made by the RPF is the Zero. We can get pedantic, or we can face the reality of what is going on now. You'll be able to buy bulk Zero's when the distributors (not the RPF) decides they want to sell in bulk. And that changes depending on the distributor. MicroCenter in New York is selling at $0.99 per unit, MicroCenter in Southern California is relaxing the limit if you ask. The RPF will do what the RPF feels is in their best interest and no time sooner. If your business is based around having access to volatile supplies for it's most major component then re-evaluate your business plan. (And 200 Zero's a year is not a large amount, if you really wanted them, you could get them. Not all at once, but then unless there is a plan to sell all of the products made with a Zero at once, the supply side requirements could be relaxed a bit.) Or you lower your expectations.

It is Raspberry Pi Trading who are responsible for the RPi ZERO

[SonOfAMotherlessGoat]

It is Raspberry Pi Trading who are responsible for the RPi ZERO

Touche, but that doesn't change the essentials of my post.