post on Mastodon: https://social.treehouse.systems/@pine64/117111063654864544
Hi everyone! Just a quick reminder that due to the current DRAM/eMMC shortage, there isn’t any plans to continue producing more Linux devices in the near future. Whether production continues or not depends on the pricing situation for those components after mid 2027.
Devices like the PineNote and PineTab2 are currently estimated to run out of stock in three months time. Just pre-warning everyone in case people start asking when things are going to be in stock again.
Meanwhile, devices like the PineTime, PineVoice and Pinecil will continue production as usual!
As for the PineTime Pro, currently the demo firmware has basic drivers for the display, touch, motion, GPS, buttons, heat rate sensor (chip id only), battery charger, motor, microphone and the speaker. Though some issues do need to be ironed out first before a pilot batch begins production.
That’s it for this post, all in all it’s a bit bleak for the Linux devices, but in the meantime PineStore still have a great lineup of MCU powered devices which will continue to expand with more exciting devices.
Alrightttttt, have a great Monday! (or Tuesday, if you’re up that early)
And:
PINE64 isn’t the only Linux-focused hardware provider caught in this price surge.
The Orange Pi Neo, a Linux-first handheld built with Manjaro, has been sitting on ice since earlier this year for the same reason. The project has been in development for two years and still has no launch date, all because DDR5 and SSD prices refuse to come back down.
I halted buying new hardware as well. We are facing a destruction of consumer hardware ecosystem, no less, in favor of mythical data centers. But who will use them once there is no consumer hardware to access them?
Don’t worry, they’ll lease you the hardware for a small monthly subscription fee.
(terms and conditions apply, we own everything created with our equipment and you agreed to the terms saying you can’t sue us.)
Honestly, as bad as it is, there might be one good effect: apps and software will get less bloated and spec-hungry.
It is like replacing an aggressive cancer with a congenital heart issue though. Both are terrible in their own and unique ways and choosing the worse option isn’t all that sensible of an ask.
Governments going Panoptican.
The hardware makers are forced to make warables with most of the computing done at data centers after they steal your data to figure out if the police should report you.