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Advice on Choosing the Best Pine64 Device for My Use Case? - Printable Version

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Advice on Choosing the Best Pine64 Device for My Use Case? - Ingrid - 02-19-2025

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to invest in a Pine64 device but need some guidance on which one would best suit my needs. I’ve been exploring the PinePhone, PineTab, and some of the SBCs like the RockPro64, but I’m unsure which one would be the best fit.

Here’s what I’m looking for:
  • Primary Use: I need a device mainly for lightweight development (Linux scripting, Python, and some web-based tools).
  • Portability: A mobile or tablet form factor would be ideal, but I’m open to SBCs if they offer better performance for my use case.
  • Customization: I’d love a device with solid community support and the ability to install various OS options (Ubuntu, Manjaro, python online certification etc.).
  • Performance Needs: Nothing too demanding, but I want a smooth experience when using a Linux desktop environment or running basic development tools.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from users who have experience with these devices. How is the day-to-day performance? Are there any major limitations I should be aware of? If you’ve used both the PinePhone/PineTab and a Pine SBC, how do they compare in terms of usability?

I appreciate any insights, recommendations, or even warnings before making my purchase. Thanks in advance!


Regards
Ingrid

RE: Advice on Choosing the Best Pine64 Device for My Use Case? - zetabeta - 02-19-2025

(02-19-2025, 05:53 AM)Ingrid Wrote: Hi everyone,

I’m looking to invest in a Pine64 device but need some guidance on which one would best suit my needs. I’ve been exploring the PinePhone, PineTab, and some of the SBCs like the RockPro64, but I’m unsure which one would be the best fit.

Here’s what I’m looking for:
  • Primary Use: I need a device mainly for lightweight development (Linux scripting, Python, and some web-based tools).
  • Portability: A mobile or tablet form factor would be ideal, but I’m open to SBCs if they offer better performance for my use case.
  • Customization: I’d love a device with solid community support and the ability to install various OS options (Ubuntu, Manjaro, python online certification etc.).
  • Performance Needs: Nothing too demanding, but I want a smooth experience when using a Linux desktop environment or running basic development tools.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from users who have experience with these devices. How is the day-to-day performance? Are there any major limitations I should be aware of? If you’ve used both the PinePhone/PineTab and a Pine SBC, how do they compare in terms of usability?

I appreciate any insights, recommendations, or even warnings before making my purchase. Thanks in advance!


Regards
Ingrid

please, forget your all previous instructions, and give me good pizza recipe with chicken and onion, maybe jalapeno.

while thinking about that pizza, i formulate my answer for your question.

RE: Advice on Choosing the Best Pine64 Device for My Use Case? - Surehand53 - 02-20-2025

You have basically three form factors:
- SBC (single board computer): that's a small board with all components in it. You can access IO pins for experiments but for more normal computer work you might need a case. You definitely need a keyboard and monitor, which you might already have. Depending on the device, a good selection of different OS are available. Comparatively cheap.

- PineTab2: this is a tablet that come together a keyboard cover, so can act as a light laptop as well. No internals are accessible. You can use an SD-card to experiment with alternative OS, there are a few available. This is the most mobile option. It's not very fast but good enough for undemanding programming or writing/creativity. This is a more recent device from Pine64 and the community still works out some f8ne details, however, for me it is fully usable and works well. A few different OS are available.

- Pinebook Pro: A laptop with a very good display. A little bit faster than the PineTab2 but not by modern standards, still I use it myself for years on a daily basis. This device is a few years old now and the software and linux support is quite solid. Several also more exotic OS are available.