Pi Zero W & SBC Update

Raspberry Pi Zero W (wireless) review, plus an update on the Asus Tinker Board (including statements provided to me from Asus sales and marketing/PR on 10 March 2017). Also information on future ExplainingComputers single board computer videos. A positive SBC fest! :)
You can see me build the Pi Zumo Robot shown in the video in this playlist: • Raspberry Pi Robotics
The Pimoroni Pibow Zero W case shown in the video is here: shop.pimoroni....
My Asus Tinker Board review and setup video is here: • Asus Tinker Board
The new Asus Tinker Board website is here: www.asus.com/u...
The Tinkerboarding forum is here: tinkerboarding....
And the Tinker Board is/was for sale from Currys PC World in the UK in March 2017 here: www.currys.co.u...
Phew!
More videos on computing-related topics can be found at: / explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: / explainingthefuture

[@angusmac1056]

Your channel is a nice change of pace compared to the virtually every other channel in which only focus on extreme performance and gaming. You're a very clever dude.

[@xxsonofadamxx]

Your way of explaining things is very appealing for a novice. Best tech channel on YT.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks. :)

[@negrojones69er40]

ExplainingComputers y

[@lucius1976]

Your haircut makes it so much more nerdy and trustworthy :-)

[@y2ksw1]

You have a surprisingly consistent quality through all your releases!

[@edwin3928ohd]

Christopher! Thank you for another video. I first heard about the Pi W last night and I thought you might release a video about it, and here it is! Thanks for the hard work. I may not get a gold, silver, or bronze medal because I am 16 minutes late, but I do get an informative video! You are still the #1 channel in my book. BY FAR!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks.

[@merlixon4777]

One of the best tech channels on youtube. I think your work deserves more subscribers. P.S : Great job on this video.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks.

[@MrIlvis]

You look like a real programmer - at the same time You are telling everything in interesting ways. ;) Thanks for great reviews! :)

[@dan4932001]

it is not Sunday without the crinkle crinkle of a new SBC format. thumbs up.

[@VladPolarexplorer]

Exciting new addition to the Raspberry Pi line up. Thanks for the great video Chris!

[@L.Scott_Music]

What a great time to grow up. When I was a kid I taught myself BASIC on a TRS-80 and played with transistors, flip flops, and 555s. I think I still have an 8080a in a box somewhere. But I would have forgot all that to play with a Raspberry Pi. (Well, at the time so would the rest of the world!)

[@freeelectron8261]

Same here! :)

[@DRSDavidSoft]

3:29 Wow, that's really cool! L298N + Pi Zero + WiFi Dongle + Switches + Gears I really look forward for the update video regarding that!

[@spikekent]

Fantastic vid as always Christopher, with plenty of info. Looking forward to all your upcoming videos, especially those on the Zumo. I already brought a Pi Zero W, though I haven't got a project for it yet :-) Sounds like the Zumo could well be it. Keep up the great work, all your efforts are greatly appreciated.

[@CrazyCoupleDIY]

I like the way you explain things on your channel, really nice and easy

[@HS-eq3gk]

I think that the pi zero will have many future revisions, anyone agree? Also Great video Chris, as usual.

[@djdrwatson]

Thanks for the Tinkerboard update. Raspberry Pi will have to pull out all the stops on the next Pi to fight off the threat of the Tinkerboard. I was pleased to see that they're got a major distributor in the UK (PC World/Currys). I'm looking forward to your future (whenever that is) Raspberry Pi vs Tinkerboard vs Orange Pi vs 'whatever' single board computer shoot-out review!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, a multi-way shoot-out is a great idea. Noted for a video! :)

[@thevirtua1771]

And vs Banana Pi M3.

[@mikebolton2388]

+Thevirtua potato pi too

[@deldarel]

The raspberry pi zero W is really what the raspberry pi zero should have been to begin with. It's the ultimate DIY embedded computer now.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I totally agree -- it so needed the wireless networking.

[@Inaflap]

The more basic design allowed them to give away the first batch. It has the distinction of being the first computer to be given away... or maybe it was hidden in the £6 cover cost. Anyway, I'm waiting to see who will be first to include a computer for free inside a box of corn flakes.

[@deldarel]

oh, I'm not saying that the original pi zero is a mistake. Far from it. It's just way less practical without the bluetooth and wifi for DIY projects. That first pi zero was good to test the market and as proof of concept for 'extremely cheap computers'. Much like the Raspberry Pi A against the Raspberry Pi B+ where the B+ is the far more practical version of the A but we wouldn't have gotten to the B+ if it wasn't for the A first.

[@EquinoxTheGryph]

yes, indeed! now it only needs proper audio pins and then its a complete package!

[@Inaflap]

I'm not arguing...Mr Sanzot (?) This is a welcome update, and well worth the extra fiver. The radio wotsit obviates the purchase of a USB hub.

[@rvanwaay]

Thanks from Enschede NL.. I lover your channel, I learned a lot from out my wheelchair, faster then I did it myself before my accident :)

[@irfanaslam5859]

Really looking forward to the next pi robotics video Can't WAIT!!!!

[@avro549B]

Whenever a minimal device is introduced, somebody always starts demanding more. In this case, it would be nice if the Pi 0W had more memory; 512's a bit of a limitation. (It's also a pity that it's not possible to add memory to the Pi. (Swap can help, if you don't mind the performance hit,)

[@pparado]

Looking forward to more of the LattePanda. I wish you would be able to show in full detail a typical setup for use as a standalone desktop PC for some online work. I would like to get one rather than buying a regular "tower PC". Most of the tools I use for work are online apps like Zendesk, and docs I save in the HD are later uploaded after editing, so they get deleted at the end of the day. Great show! Very informative!

[@ExplainingComputers]

I will be doing exactly what you ask in my LattePanda week video -- fairly soon! :)

[@mrworld5883]

ExplainingComputers When we will be able to get Tinker Board??

[@2006Whippet]

As far as the Tinkerboard, I just left Micro Center in Denver and they had plenty of them on the shelf for $54.99.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Excellent news -- thanks greatly for sharing it for others here! :)

[@MrFiver1111]

I'm really looking forward to see the next videos, your channel content is always great!

[@freeelectron8261]

Your channel is so slick it could be on Netflix ;)

[@jimwg1]

Great series! Learned a lot! Only wish I could magically stuff this thing into my trusty Palm TX and I'd the perfect true pocket PC!! Keep up the great work!

[@JapaneseHeavymetal]

I can imagine smart home techniques would be quite easy to DIY with this. Automatic Toilet: Here i come!

[@CrazyCoupleDIY]

Its already there mate

[@tonya9614]

I continue to love this channel and the mannerisms.

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@FlowUrbanFlow]

I hope they keep updating the Zero line as well as the standard line. I feel like the main drawback of the Pi Zero was lack of wireless since it already lacked a lot of connectivity out of the box. Now that they've integrated Wi-Fi, I'm probably gonna get to tinkering!

[@winthornguyen]

Pi zero w is a wet dream come true for those guy want to make a retro pi boy

[@thomascott7425]

Mister Barnett, a very excellent video as is your others. I like the pi and I am watching the continuing development of the Latte Panda as well as other boards. Please keep up the good work and your high standards. Tom

[@Vontux]

The charge and battery management hardware on the chip is pretty valuable actually.

[@elvinmustafov7313]

great videos keep it in the same way

[@DLiberator78]

I gave up on buying the original Pi Zero. I could never get hold of one as they seem to be constantly out of stock. This new wireless variety looks interesting though that is if we ever get to purchase it. Great review as always. Look forward to the Orange Pi review.

[@TheCimbrianBull]

Great video! I just ordered my Raspberri Pi Zero W and I'm looking forward to getting started. Keep up the good work. :-)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Enjoy your Pi Zero W. :)

[@TheCimbrianBull]

Thank you very much. :-)

[@papinkelman7695]

very informative, I think I going to play with the pi w.

[@paulgascoigne5343]

it's actually tempting to build my own wireless home heating controller now, without having to fork out several hundred quid for a Hive.

[@scottwatschke4192]

Wireless on the board makes a brilliant improvement.

[@ki4gmx]

Concerning the ASUS Tinkerboard, Christopher Barnatt does better IT journalism than many paid journalists.

[@ayab96]

I love this channel!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks.

[@MalinCruceru]

try this,hook up a monitor and run the OS and use a flash to light the wireless chip.i think since is not potted it will loose connection due to the light

[@yumri4]

i think the respberry pi zeron W will make for a good single board general purpose machine too with most of the stuff connected via wireless instead of USB like with the Raspberry pi 3

[@thecaptain2281]

Excellent video! Looking forward to the LattePanda, OrangePi video's as well as more info on the Tinker Board. Info on a stateside release would be great! I do hope someone[Asus?] does a version of Android for the Tinker as the RK3288 was originally made with Android as the primary OS implementation.

[@UpcycleElectronics]

I was under the impression that the original Pi Zero targeted integrated hardware more than the beginner "Hello World" community. I see a lot of simple projects like gaming, Kody, and basic radio controlled toys, but where are the advanced projects? I'm curious about real time audio processing with FFT, electrical engineering lab hardware/tools, robotics with complex degrees of freedom, or prototype automation. Is there a place that guides people through these types of projects?

[@davilescano]

Great video as always. I find very interesting the design of the raspberry pi 0 w Wi-Fi antenna. A video talking about that and a comparison with the raspberry pi 3 wifi antenna would be awesome. keep the good work up! :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, the cavity antenna used on the Zero W is very interesting. May indeed be worth a comparison video! :)

[@davilescano]

ExplainingComputers thanks for the quick replay. looking forward for that video:)!!

[@jesperberg8817]

ExplainingComputers have you seen seytonics video about changing The antenna to a bigger?

[@KISSbestfan]

Hello sir. I have an opportunity to get an Orange Pi Lite computer. Im not sure if you came across this one, but apparently its like Raspberry 2, which also supports Android. Would it be a good choice for a first touch with micro computing, or would you rather suggest spare some more money and get the new Raspberry Zero ?

[@andljoy]

I did not know this had come out , thank you. I am going to use it to convert my Wyse serial terminal ( or glass teletype if your older :P) to a SSH terminal.

[@n0ukf]

$10 would be a good price but I haven't been able to find it in stock yet for less than $20.

[@Neflyte49]

This environment of single board computers its exiting, remember the time where atari, amiga and apple release their computers in the 80's? Now is similar. And more open for experimenting.

[@Shane-Singleton]

I think it may be finally time to build a NES RetroCart using the Pi Zero W.

[@nguyenho4010]

hello i don't know raspberry pi zero can run web server with nginx and php7 with request can increase 200 in 1 sec, can tell raspberry pi zero can run?

[@eigentensor]

Hi, fantastic channel! There seems to be almost no information at all on the net about the thermal properties of the Tinker Board, and I would love to see something like your monster heatsink video for the Tinker Board, or please just a quick comment about what kind of temps you see under full load. Thanks very much!

[@ExplainingComputers]

I plan on returning to the Tinker Board soon, looking at media playback (there is a new version of the OS now), and also cooling.

[@TheNZJester]

Is there an option to clip on something like a SMA to U.FL lead for adding a bigger wifi antenna? People could buy one of those dummy CCTV cameras and install the new Pi Zero in it with camera attachment. Turn the dummy camera into a smart IP camera either fixed or with some servos to allow it to look around.

[@bonnome2]

A tip: download and Install armbian on the orange pi instead of the official distros!

[@JAY_K423]

Hello Chris.. Would you be able too do a video of you shouldering the GPIO pins onto the PI and using them or a soldering tutorial? Thanks

[@tonydonnelly]

I wish you good luck with the Orange Pi. I have two; the Orange Pi One and the Orange Pi Lite. The hardware is well made, but the software is definitely lacking. I had good luck with Armbian, which is not listed on the Orange Pi site.

[@garycox8107]

Takes me back to 'Tomorrow's World' which offered a no nonsense approach to new tech etc, you would have been a perfect presenter.

[@DanA-st2ed]

Great video! Do you think it could run mint playing KZbin 1080p60fps?

[@ExplainingComputers]

In theory the Pi Zero (W) can play 1080p 60fps. In practice I doubt that it would (always) work. KZbin in particular I think would struggle at that resolution due to the lack of RAM for buffering.

[@MrAwwwwYeahhhh]

But can it run Crysis?

[@DanA-st2ed]

Thanks for the reply. I have heard about this tech where you can stream games from a more powerful rig. I am wondering if I could use the zeroW to stream linux steam games to over wifi and use the HDMI to drive the display @ 1080/60fps.

[@D00MLOORD]

I really doubt that. I've been using Steam In-Home Streaming, and it works excellent on pretty much anything, as long as it got a good connection over ethernet or wifi, AND hardware h.264 decoding. Therin lies the problem. The Pi 3 can make it work, but only at 1080p30 or 720p60, which sadly makes the Zero a complete no go. Maybe next generation ;)

[@D00MLOORD]

But if you want the best Stream-box you really should go with the Tinker Board, since it have a significantly stronger GPU and both hardware decoding for h.264 and h.265, both capable of 4k rather than 1080p on the Pi 3, AND gigabit ethernet.

[@mattz788]

my camera says check connections especiialy the sunny one. But the connections are all fine!!! Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

[@philipcooper8297]

Does it still handle 1080P video though?

[@TwistedD85]

Huh, looks like they bothered to include a complete pad for a u.fl connector on the Zero W unlike the half pad on the Pi3, nifty! Could actually install a decent little external antenna on your project if you liked. I hope some day in the future they come out with a full fledged Pi2/3 in a similar form factor, that could make for some interestingly tiny Retropie/HTPC builds. But I figure they want to keep it flat on the back like they have for a reason. Edit: Unless Asus or somebody provides drivers for the Tinkerboard's GPU it'll be doomed to so-so support like the Odroid, those Mali GPUs always keep these "Pi-Killers" from actually doing decently.

[@liam9097]

Chris, check out some Chuwi branded tablets.

[@bryantfloyd7471]

Could a Raspberry Pi be made to run on a battery like a laptop can???

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, you can just plug a Raspberry Pi into a USB power bank and it will run fine. If you look at the robot in this video, you can see the power bank that runs it goes down the middle.

[@lasse085]

When do you think we will get the Raspberry Pi 4?

[@MichaelFlatman]

Hmm, Cortex A17 sounds weird, I would've thought that they would use Cortex A57s or A72s

[@goofypotatoe]

Thanks for the research and information ,

[@leroy87532]

Any idea where an individual can buy multiple quantities of the Raspberry Pi Zero W? Tried the big authorized distributors like Newark but seems like they are only available in limited quantity of 1 in kits only at this time.

[@ptxforces5963]

Could you put this on top of a pi 3 ???

[@chiragdeshmukh325]

Can you make a handheld gaming console with it?

[@avejst]

thanks for your time to share your knowledge 👍😀

[@graemecollin]

Has the state of the Pound gotten so bad, that it's now the same value as the Dollar, or do the Americans get the new RPi0W cheaper? If the latter is the case, then it's not good that a British company have to sell their products in their home, domestic market, than in foreign markets. Still, excited about the RPi0W. On an aside, are Beagle Board still kicking around?

[@ExplainingComputers]

I think the pound has got close enough to the dollar that they've given up and opted for parity in their pricing!

[@Inaflap]

V.A.T.

[@antoniocarniero5138]

when do you think you will make a new video for the zumo robot with camera?

[@ExplainingComputers]

In about 3 hours I'm releasing a new video in which I fit a camera to my later Devastator robot -- but the principle and code will work fine for the Zumo.

[@brandansimon9527]

has there been any release date slated in the USA for the tinker board yet? I've been keeping my eye on it since u mentioned it 2 weeks ago and I'm really curiois about how the retropie OS will perform on this SBC

[@sickvic3909]

20" snow coming here, spring?

[@lkkl6158]

Very good presentation of the product and excelant information about the tinker board. Nice job. BTW : Any new "Embracing Linux week " ?

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. I am just starting to film a LattePanda week. But you are right, I must get back to Linux . . .

[@lkkl6158]

I would sugest Deepin Linux. It is not very known but is one of the best in the estetic and simple section, in my opinion ofcourse.

[@creation_nono]

hey I am still waiting for my lattepanda nas/storage/torrent benchmarks using sata.

[@ArielQuezadatriceratoons]

Do you have to purchase every mini pc for tasting or do you get it for free???

[@scriptorium-in-candelight]

oh darling ! that is so fantastic !!! maybe we can make a cell phone booster with raspberry pi ! that would be splendid accomplishment !!! :)

[@rahulchamoli1060]

From where yout bought it in 10$

[@ExplainingComputers]

In stock for $10 here: www.adafruit.com/product/3400

[@ThichModGame]

Gread video! Best channel

[@AZ_Gizmo]

Links to buy???

[@ExplainingComputers]

Try www.adafruit.com/ (US) or shop.pimoroni.com/ (UK)

[@mostafasherif2663]

i saw older vids and i just subscribed

[@ExplainingComputers]

Excellent. Welcome abroad, and thanks for the sub. :)

[@mostafasherif2663]

ExplainingComputers wlx and i like computers much and mostly all of fhe new tech but i can't afford 😂😂

[@mclaine33]

When you compared the Zero W against the CHIP, it's obvious the Zero W is the better computer. The CHIP launching without HDMI is a major downside in my opinion and it's not worth the extra $10-$15 cost for the HDMI add on. Plus you have to use ALL the GPIO pins (yes I know you can solder on more pins on the HDMI attachment, but you shouldn't have to do that).

[@miguelalt1]

Christopher did you know a board called Pine 64? She doesn't have a review made by someone who really knows about it, if you do ot its gona be awesome (sorry about the bad english)

[@spacemandan5906]

Just go to order 2 or 3 right now.

[@Laziter73]

I've got to get me one of those RPi Zero W. It would make a great printer server.

[@rmcellig]

What SBC would you recommend not only for everyday use but also watching KZbin videos and also using audacity to record/edit audio? Nice video BTW!! 😀

[@ExplainingComputers]

I would say a Tinker Board, or a Latter Panda. Or, at a higher price point, one of the UDOOx86 boards.

[@gregroberts6339]

Thank you for your excellent videos good sir!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks. :)

[@justindouglas1744]

Thank you for making videos

[@thortylash]

Can you help with program for a Raspberry Pi 3B, to have a single push button that activated the pi camera and record the video and also motion sensor that can trigger the camera to record.

[@macdonalds1972]

Who are you going to spy on?

[@thortylash]

Its a doorbell,

[@Hypernerdwithcam]

could you do a review of the banana pi router?

[@treguard1982]

Is the video a bit jittery for anyone else, or is it just me? Thanks for the comparison and update on the other board :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Hopefully video jitters are just for you! I've watched it back with no issues. Anybody else had problems?

[@mikeottonahrgang8456]

At the beginning it is stuttering

[@forevercomputing]

25fps maybe? When you're a gamer - sub 60 is not ideal. >100 is glorious

[@aaronmicalowe]

No stuttering whatsoever on a Core 2 Duo 1.5Mhz laptop with onboard graphics.

[@metalheadmalta]

Yes a stutter here and there, some frame drops...

[@monstercat2994]

lucky for me Im getting my hands on one after a 2 month wait!

[@zerocool6452]

Will the Tinker Board be compatible with any of the Raspberry Pi cases?

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, the Tinker Board will fit most Raspberry Pi cases. The only issue is that the Tinker Board's SoC and its heatsink are far larger than the SoC on the Pi, so any case that does not have space there will be a problem.

[@LOTPOR0402]

Where do u find this for a tenner in the uk 10 dollars usually means 20/25 quid by the time it gets here, doesnt it ?

[@macdonalds1972]

It's made in South Wales...

[@nikobellic570]

I'm now off to eat some juicy fruit. All this talk of raspberries and oranges making me parched!

[@jean-michelb7290]

where can i get that for 10$ ? its 50$ everywhere..

[@ExplainingComputers]

Adafruit have it for $10 -- www.adafruit.com/product/3400 -- but would rather sell you a "starter kit" with lots of extras for $50. :)

[@eLJaybud]

I was hoping for a pi 4 with significantly more memory.

[@Ollyypop]

I don't know a lot of things on computer, but I'm really interested to know more about it. I know that SSD loads faster than HDD, but I have a question: If I use SSD as my main DriveC/boot drive, and use my HDD as my secondary storage, would it still be fast when I open files/games in secondary hard drive (HDD)? or those files/games have to be stored in SSD? Hope you understand my question :(

[@ExplainingComputers]

You will get some speed improvements by running your OS from an SSD and loading games/etc from the HDD. But the biggest speed improvement will be to have the games load from the SSD too.

[@Ollyypop]

Oh i see, thank you so much :D I love your videos, well explained.

[@TheNZJester]

This side of the globe as you head into Summer I will be heading into winter.

[@evilfluff6634]

If the ssd goes bad it can be replaced on the pi but not the chip.

[@vublayancanavar]

its about 40 dollars in my country