Asus have developed and released their own credit card sized single-board computer to compete with the market leaders, Raspberry Pi. The Tainwanese company has created a single-board PC which they have dubbed the ‘Tinker Board’.
The PC has many of the features that the latest model of Raspberry Pi has, including BlueTooth, Wi-Fi, 4x USB ports and a HDMI 2.0 port, but it also comes fitted with a more powerful processor that is capable of allowing 4K video and 24-bit audio. The Tinker Board also comes with 2GB of RAM, trumping the Pi’s 1GB.
The British-made Raspberry Pi was designed as a learning tool for younger people to help them get interested in coding and computer science, but quickly found an audience with hobbyists who have used them to create everything from R2-D2 replicas to games consoles.
The Tinker Board is available now in the UK and could become the better choice in terms of features, but what attracts many people to the Raspberry Pi is its low price. While the latest model of Pi – the 3 Model B – costs $35, the Tinker Board will set you back £55 (roughly $68).
User-friendliness is another reason why the Pi is so beloved, but only time will tell if the Tinker Board is easier to code and mod than the Raspberry Pi is.
