| If I don't want surprises!?! I had to throw away, literally, a Gigabyte BRIX, because its firmware did not recognised any distro I throwed at it from internal drives, only if connected externally over USB. The experiements with various kinds of SSD modules, Linux distros, and UEFI booting partitions, end up killing the motherboard in someway due to me manipulating it all the time, whatever. Raspberry PIs are the only NUCs I can buy in something like Conrad Electronic, and be assured it actually works without me going through it as if I had just bough Linux Unleashed in 1995's Summer. |
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| ▲ | joe_mamba 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Luckily, the X86 NUC ecosystem is not defined by your unfortunate experience with a Gigabyte BRIX. Exceptions don't define the norm. | | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Which physical stores sell X86 NUCs with OEM supported Linux distributions pre-installed? | | |
| ▲ | joe_mamba 2 days ago | parent | next [-] | | IDK, why does this matter? What if there's no retail stores close to me? I haven't been into a retail electronics store in years, when online ordering and easy returns makes it so much more convenient, especially for cases like yours with the Gigabyte Brix not working properly. So what were you trying to prove with this because I'm confused as you keep own-goaling yourself. The thing is, for such a niche use-cases it's expected it's not gonna have major retailer availability since it's not something the general consumer is gonna be knowledgeable enough for it to sell in high volumes to be wort for retail stores wherever you may live to stock up shelves on NUCs with Linux preinstalled just to cater to your limited demographic who refuses to order online for some reason, is a very tall order and not really a good faith argument for anything. The market for people who are like "ah shit, I need to spontaneously go out to the store and pick up a NUC right fucking now, and it has to have Linux preinstalled, because I can't wait a couple of days till it arrives online or know how to install Linux myself", is really REALLY small. | | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent [-] | | It does, because I get to punch someone if it doesn't work, instead of looking hopless to an online form. On a more serious note, how do you want normies to get introduced to the Year of Desktop Linux, outside WebOS LG TVs, Android/Linux and ChromeOS, instead of getting Mac minis and Neos at said stores? I guess it is buying SteamDecks to play Windows games. /s Raspeberry PIs are the few devices that normies can buy with GNU/Linux pre-installed. | | |
| ▲ | joe_mamba 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Now I'm certain I don't want to deal(even on the internet) with people who consider punching low wage workers in retail sector, as the acceptable resolution for their issues with product defects of manufacturer. Especially given this is what free returns of online orders is good for, makes it even more looney. LE to your reply from below here: Excuse me but a form of expression for what? The spec sheet of that Gigabyte Brix explicitly lists only Windows 11 as the supported OS, not Linux. You tried to install an unsupported OS, and you broke it in the process. What exactly do you expect the retail store workers to do to fix the issue you yourself caused via using the product in a way it wasn't advertised? You can contact the manufacturer for warranty or return it via the online return window, but the fuckup is still on your end and not the issue of retail workers. | | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent [-] | | It was a form of expression, and yeah, whatever dude. |
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| ▲ | dspillett 2 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | How many physical stores sell the alternatives at all? IIRC there is one in Cambridge specifically selling Pi kit and related stuff, but that is about it. | | |
| ▲ | ssl-3 a day ago | parent | next [-] | | I almost never shop at Target. It's not near to me, and it's not on my list of destinations when I'm away from home. But I was in Target one day anyway, and they had a Raspberry Pi 3 kit for sale on the shelf. IIRC, it was one of the Google DIY smart speaker kits. I thought that was neat to see. My usual source for Raspberry Pi stuff is Microcenter. That's also not near to me, but it's a viable destination that's worth a trip all on its own. At this Microcenter, they move enough Pi hardware that they don't even have them on the shelves anymore. They're instead stocked at each checkout register, and priced at or below MSRP. They're right there alongside a wide assortment of minimally-packaged house-brand SD cards and USB keys and other geek fodder. It's quick and easy to walk in and grab a couple of spools of printer filament, some 22AWG solid wire for breadboarding, a card of LR44 batteries for the digital calipers, and a Raspberry Pi. (Well, it can be quick. Last time I went, I got sucked into the mechanical keyboard department for an embarrassingly long time.) Anyway, they also have NUC-shaped computers there if someone wants go that direction instead. Just pick one out, pay for it, and take it home. | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | I gave a German example. | | |
| ▲ | dspillett 2 days ago | parent [-] | | So “how many” is two. That and the one in Cambridge? | | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Greater than the zero for x86 NUCs. | | |
| ▲ | dspillett 2 days ago | parent [-] | | True. But a lot less significant looked at that way, hardly worth stating as a challenge… | | |
| ▲ | pjmlp 2 days ago | parent [-] | | Yeah, the Year of Desktop Linux for normies on x86 NUCs is right around the corner. | | |
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