Most single board computers from a wide variety of manufacturers, including the Raspberry Pi, have one thing in common. This is an ARM processor. But these boards are not suitable for all developers and DIY electronics lovers.
The other day, the Hackboard 2 single board PC went on sale, which solves this problem. Its creators equipped the device with an x86 processor. ARM chips allow boards to be made smaller, inexpensive and power efficient. But x86 increases the compatibility of the single board with other systems. What is Hackboard 2?
This single board is designed as a low-cost alternative to similar Intel-based PCs such as the ODYSSEY - X86J4105800, which costs $ 218.
The cost of Hackboard 2 is $ 99. The dimensions of the board are 120 * 80 mm, its basis is a 64-bit Intel Celeron N4020. Operating frequency - 2.8 GHz, cache - 4 MB. In addition, the board is equipped with 4GB DDR4 RAM, 64GB eMMC and two NVMe M.2 slots, which allow for SSDs up to 4TB.
In terms of audio and video, the board is equipped with Intel UHD Graphics 600 with 4K HDMI 2.1 output. Plus there is a standard audio jack for headphones. There are also wireless modules: the board is equipped with an Intel dual-band AC95060 Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth 5.1, Gigabit Ethernet and optional 4G and 5G communication modules.
The board also has three USB 3.0 ports, USB 2.0 and a 40-pin interface for connecting additional modules.
The developers have created several additional devices for the board. For example, the Hackboard 2 Starter Kit includes Hackboard 2 with Windows 10 Pro, power supply, heat sink, webcam, wireless keyboard with built-in touchpad. The Hackboard 2 Complete Kit also includes a 13.3 "IPS 1080p HD display with built-in speakers.
What else? The board supports both Windows and Linux. As far as Windows is concerned, the board comes with Python pre-installed. There is also a variant of the board with Ubuntu Linux. The board has a traditional BIOS menu that allows you to easily configure the boot and configure some other parameters.
So far, the board is only available on Crowd Supply . For $ 99 you can get the starter kit with Linux, for $ 140 - the same with Windows 10. Obviously, you can buy the cheapest version and install Windows on it if necessary. Well, different variants of the board sets and additional modules for it will cost even more.
