Is the Raspberry Pi Mini Box Also a Computer?

We have long been accustomed to using desktop computers running the Windows operating system, which are quite large, with a CPU on the motherboard, often accompanied by a fan or heat sink. Inside the case, there is a power supply roughly the size of a large tissue box. When the computer is turned on, the fan inside the power supply whirs loudly, stirring up dust all around. In fact, this type of computer was originally designed based on the IBM PC, and later models are called IBM-compatible machines.

Then came laptop computers, still using Intel CPUs, which are somewhat different from desktops, consuming less power, but still based on the Intel x86 architecture. Laptops can also reach very high temperatures during operation. They offer similar performance but are more expensive than desktops. Some laptops get particularly hot, prompting users to buy laptop stands with large fans to cool them down.

In the past decade, we have seen many small TV boxes that are palm-sized, with functionalities similar to smartphones, which are even smaller and packed with features. Are these TV boxes and smartphones also computers? The answer is definitely yes!

They contain CPUs and memory, and the key point is that they can perform the same tasks as traditional desktops. The most obvious benefit of being able to do the same work as a desktop is energy savings, as these computers do not have noisy fans.

In the printing workshop of a newspaper printing factory, there are many servers and desktops, all based on x86 architecture, with the constant noise of whirring fans and high energy consumption. If many of these were replaced with computers like TV boxes or tablets, how much energy could be saved! It would also significantly reduce noise. Is this possible?

Smartphones use a different architecture than Intel; their CPUs are based on ARM architecture, and their operating systems are not Microsoft Windows but rather iOS or Linux. Previously, the application software we developed for the printing factory was mostly built on Windows, meaning it could only run on x86-based desktops or mini PCs. Although mini PCs are more compact than desktops, their structure is still similar and they still consume power. To use ARM-based small box computers, application software must be developed on Linux. The good news is that Beijing Dong Zeqin Printing Technology Co., Ltd. has developed satellite printing software that runs on Linux! This means that small box computers can replace traditional desktops.

There is a computer similar to a TV box called the Raspberry Pi, which can also be shaped like a keyboard. I can tell you that a keyboard-like computer can replace the old desktop to perform satellite printing tasks, and many people may still not believe it. The Raspberry Pi has many advantages, but just in terms of energy savings, it can save thousands of yuan in electricity costs each year. And yet, the price of the Raspberry Pi is less than a thousand yuan.

Recently, Zhongwen Fuzhou Printing Company established a new station to receive the Workers’ Daily, equipped with two Raspberry Pi computers (forming a backup) to replace desktops. The price of two Raspberry Pis is equivalent to that of one desktop, and the power consumption of two Raspberry Pi computers is less than half that of a desktop!

The People’s Daily printing factory has long used this method to receive the China Youth Daily; the small Raspberry Pi computer can also perform the satellite printing tasks that large desktops can do!

Our clients can purchase a Raspberry Pi computer for a few hundred yuan and place it next to their previous desktop. They can unplug the keyboard and monitor from the desktop and connect them to the Raspberry Pi main unit. We provide satellite reception software and installation assistance for free, allowing the Raspberry Pi to replace the desktop computer and still perform the satellite station’s reception tasks. In case the Raspberry Pi fails, they can simply unplug the monitor, keyboard, and mouse and reconnect them to the desktop to reactivate it. This way, the annual savings in electricity costs would be enough to cover the cost of the Raspberry Pi computer.

We are willing to help our clients with this for free; we do it without profit because our vision is to create value for our clients. Helping clients save energy and innovate together is certainly creating value for them! Energy saving and low carbon is a common vision for humanity!

Many years ago, Director Rao from the Southern Daily Technology Department introduced me to the Raspberry Pi computer, and I was completely clueless at that time. Years later, we finally found applications for the Raspberry Pi in satellite printing. Thank you to our client friends!

Written by Qin Zheng on October 25, 2023