4 GB RAM limit

[Arwen]

Actually, I liked @chessie's post.
It was both interesting and does clarify some issues. People who really need, (or think they need), more memory are also likely to be disapointed with the speed of the processor used in the Pinebook Pro. (The CPU may be one of the better SoCs on the market. However, no where near what you can get for x64 laptops.)

But, as for my credentials, I've been in the "biz" for longer than some in forum have been alive... (At least I think so.) And some of that work has been truly hardcore software and hardware development, (Scientific research support and embedded products).

Now that my "bragging" is over, one of my goals was to learn more about ARM64 usage. For example, it appears that the Rockchip RK3399 supports virtual machines. So, testing software builds might work better in VM. More memory can help in that regard. Both for the actual VM, and file system cache.

One other comment about the Pinebook Pro. When I researched the regular Pinebooks early last year, I determined that they just did not have enough features I wanted. Basically these things;

- At least 1 USB 3 port
- At least 3 USB ports, (which includes any combo of USB 2 & 3, as long as at least 1 is USB 3).
- A little more umph in the processor department
- Second drive bay, (preferably M.2, but mSATA or second eMMC is okay)

[chessie]

Actually, I liked @chessie's post.
It was both interesting and does clarify some issues. People who really need, (or think they need), more memory are also likely to be disapointed with the speed of the processor used in the Pinebook Pro. (The CPU may be one of the better SoCs on the market. However, no where near what you can get for x64 laptops.)

But, as for my credentials, I've been in the "biz" for longer than some in forum have been alive... (At least I think so.) And some of that work has been truly hardcore software and hardware development, (Scientific research support and embedded products).

Now that my "bragging" is over, one of my goals was to learn more about ARM64 usage. For example, it appears that the Rockchip RK3399 supports virtual machines. So, testing software builds might work better in VM. More memory can help in that regard. Both for the actual VM, and file system cache.

One other comment about the Pinebook Pro. When I researched the regular Pinebooks early last year, I determined that they just did not have enough features I wanted. Basically these things;

- At least 1 USB 3 port
- At least 3 USB ports, (which includes any combo of USB 2 & 3, as long as at least 1 is USB 3).
- A little more umph in the processor department
- Second drive bay, (preferably M.2, but mSATA or second eMMC is okay)

First of all: thank you. It seems as though your experience and mine track closely. It also seems as though you may find the posturing of those who complain about good product, be it hardware or software--before it's even out--as tiresome as I do.

The only thing about my original post I'd change is this: "...with specifications that were the stuff of dreams ten years ago...".

After writing the comment, something didn't feel right...and then it occurred to me what the problem is: I'm "...selling the Pinebook Pro short..."; WAY too short.
That statement should read, "...with specifications that were the stuff of dreams right up until the Pinebook Pro was introduced this past month...".

There.  As one of my professors used to say: "...That's more better..."

..

[Kochise]

30 years ago I've got an Atari ST 1040 with a Motorola 68000 32 bits processor running at 8 MHz and 1 MiB of RAM with the OS in ROM that weighted just 192 KiB yet featured a full blown graphical environment. That quickly set my requirement level because, man, how much could be done already on such "low tech" spec machines.

Now considering the Pinebook Pro's specs, what have we to complain about ?

[chessie]

Unbelievable; absolutely unbelievable...this forum is being taken over by adults.

---

30 years ago I've got an Atari ST 1040 with a Motorola 68000 32 bits processor running at 8 MHz and 1 MiB of RAM with the OS in ROM that weighted just 192 KiB yet featured a full blown graphical environment. That quickly set my requirement level because, man, how much could be done already on such "low tech" spec machines.

Now considering the Pinebook Pro's specs, what have we to complain about ?

"...Now considering the Pinebook Pro's specs, what have we to complain about ? "

Weeeell, how about...

0) It costs only $200.00--a real downer when it comes to bragging. Now, those 'smartphone' people, with their $2000 'smartphones', really understand what it takes to provide me with REAL bluster and swagger (doesn't matter that I don't have a clue as to how to actually use their stuff...and never have);
1) It doesn't have 16 cores;
2) It's black;
3) It doesn't run Windows;
4) The processor doesn't run at 4 GHz;
5) The Pine Group takes too long to get their product out the door; nobody else, these days, wastes any of MY valuable bragging time performing validation testing and actual QA on their product before shoveling it out the door--I can have most things NOW, to show everyone how technologically 'with-it' and how absolutely brilliant I am;
6) It can only support--for now--128 GB of eMMC (I don't want to hear about the 2 TB of m.2 SSD)
7) It doesn't come in a magnesium-alloy case. Oh, wait...

[cmeerw]

Oh dear, looks like the fanboiz have taken over now...

[Kochise]

You don't have to be sarcastic either, buddy. There are a load of silent people out there that knows how much of a great deal the Pinebook Pro is already , but we focus our attention on the most vocal moaners. I sure voiced my own opinion and requirements, but these were more for a mate screen and backlit keyboard than having an Intel i9 based comparable ultrabook. You still have to get your expectations right considering the amount of money you're going to pour into such a project.

It's already great to have such an opportunity to have an hackable ARM based laptop for a great price, compared to the Raspberry Pi based offering that mostly provides an empty plastic shell with a keyboard and a screen for about $300 and you still have to provide the Raspberry. So there are people that knows and just focus on the details, not expecting to run the latest AAA games, model and compute the next Pixar's movie or administrate a server farm from their Pinebook Pro.

And being from a third world country is not a valid excuse to request all (great performance, multiple dedicated ports, ...) for nothing (what ? $200 ? that's too expensive for me, how could I feed my family ? I've just heard/registered and cannot get a 128 eMMC for free as a "long time supporter" ?). As said, get your priority straight and stop bragging about the Pinebook Pro not being the latest Apple's flagship ultrabook. This is not doing the Pine64 staff any good.

[cmeerw]

You guys completely miss the point by making up things about flagship ultrabooks no one has asked about. All I was doing was confirming a hard memory limit of the SoC used. This has been confirmed and my conclusion from earlier replies is that it is unlikely that we will see an upgraded model with more memory anytime soon as that would require a completely different SoC (for whatever price). If it was simply a design decision or an economic decision to only put 4 GB of memory on the board, things would be different.

[Kochise]

This limitation have been addressed by the Pine64 staff long ago. The chip used can't access more than 4 GiB or RAM, period. "Long time supporters" already knew that. And I don't see the use of 8 GiB or more in such kind of laptop. Really. It's not running Windows so there won't be any valid justification. I'm not sayin 640 KiB is everything people needs, but for what the Pinebook Pro is purposed for, it's quite enough. Raspberry Pis just offers 4 GiB now. As an option.

[chessie]

@ 10; @ 15 --

Ever heard of the Dunning-Kruger Effect? Here it is, summarized--

"...incompetent people do not recognize--scratch that, cannot recognize--just how incompetent they are..."--David Dunning.
**************************


Why is it that the people who are positive rely on facts to make their point, while the complainers rely only on screaming "fanbois! fanbois!"
I've been waiting a long, long time for the naysayers to rely on objective points; on facts. It's looking more and more as if that's never going to happen.

Here's a challenge for all you PBP detractors and malcontents--

You REALLY would be doing a service to all if you would do this one, very simple thing:
register your valid, objective complaints regarding the Pinebook Pro. List as many as you can think of. Then we can, at least have the benefit of what you consider to be all the PBP's negatives, and you can have the benefit of logically, rationally, making your point(s).
You need to be aware that there may be some PBP apologists who will respond with the same type of fervor and (perceived) irrationality with which you attack those who obviously like the PBP and all the Pine Group's efforts; you need to be prepared to not take this personally, and simply 'stick to your the facts'.


"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."--Mark Twain

"I am not one of those who, in expressing opinions, confine themselves to facts."--Mark Twain

[z4v4l]

to chessie, man, you are the only one here moaning, complaining and calling everybody incompetent, diletant and so on. maybe you just calm down? we got it, you are teh most competentest one ever and you seem to to have a lot of time to waste to talk about it, but why you need to start flame out of nothing? i just read your posts here and can't undrerstand why? why you decide to start bickering, where none said anything bad about pinebook pro, none were moaning, until you showed up and started it, the moaning. if you are so good and skilled, compared to all those, maybe you could help people really, look, there is a lot of "help me" posts, this is a howto forum mostly after all. maybe you'd be better off to direct your enthusiasm there, instead of posting smartass quotes about how other people are stupid. nobody cares about this, the only effect it makes - you look like a crackpot.