Would the Raspberry Pi model B 512mb suit me?

Question

currently i use low end android tablet as a desktop (yes a desktop!, with the mouse and keyboard and connected through a usb hub via OTG cable. this android tablet is has dual core 1.5ghz max ARM processor with 512mb ram, but it's miserable to use android as a desktop , what I do most : internet browsing(random browsing,youtube,facebook,gmail), Word/Powerpoint, some programming in python and watching movies. What makes it so horrible is the copy paste feature is a hit and miss also it doesnt support right click(i can hold left click to replace right click but seriously i have to hold it, i understand its designed for touch and all but...) yes you can multitask,but the alt tabbing is really poor(and if its out of memory it will just end other apps running in the background. I understand that the Raspberry PI model B 512mb has a single core and 1ghz max means it would be slower but would the full desktop functionality be worth it for the slight sacrifice in performance?

Answer 1

If you are actually trying to do "real work" (including school work), a Pi does not really have the oomph necessary to make it easy and fast. But you are absolutely right, Raspbian on a Pi is a far better experience for "real work" than low end Android.



Linux Mint XFCE edition would go pretty fast even on an oldish laptop (that's what I have on my 6-year-old HP 6910p), and it makes a fast smooth working experience. And Mint is the grandchild of Debian, so everything you want to run on an R-Pi will run on that laptop.

Answer 2

To be honest I would suggest you buy a PC. Raspberry Pi should be for a dedicated use, so if you want to use it for programming then you should keep it that way, it is however good and easy to use and the size is very practical.



Your tablet and the raspberry pi are good but can never be as useful as the dedicated PC



To conclude a raspberry Pi would suit you if you weren't using it for much or if you want to dedicate it for a certain use such as movies and or programming but if you have more money, then buy a desktop or a laptop which is much more powerful and can calculate faster and hold more space

Answer 3

It can definitely do all that just at a much slower speed and with out the GUI hardware accelertor out yet things apear a little laggy... as an owner of a Pi i'd say definitely give it a go!

Answer 4

The Raspberry Pi is not designed as a consumer product like an Android tablet or iPad. It is intended to be a teaching aid.



You'll be severely disappointed with a Raspberry Pi when compared to a tablet.



You'd be better off buying a laptop!