The author's points are valid. However, there's no recognition of the tremendous marketing, documentation, training, community & ecosystem surrounding the platform.<p>These things are real, they are as real as any code that's written. They are as real as any hardware.<p>So yes, the Raspberry Pi is a great, fantastic introduction into this IOT world. The security problems are real, that should be the first thing attended to.<p>And then yes, once you get the basics down it should be easy to move to a better platform/device/doohicky.
"Don’t Spend $40 to Flash an LED Over the Web"<p>The new Pi Zero W's are $9 and the include wifi. I used to use arduinios or MSPs for things because i didnt want to "waste" a full pi. But I mean, $4 savings with these NodeMCUs? vs. the platform I already know how to use that's a normal computer that happens to have trivially easy to use IO pins? For one-off type projects i just don't see how it's worth it for me. I'd rather spend the four bucks and skip ahead to the interesting part of the project.<p>Imho the better thing to consider w/ pi is that even the Pi Zero W consumes a decent amount of power. So for some projects, that really matters.
"To start with, it runs Linux, which has a steep learning curve associated with it and isn’t suited to beginners."<p>I couldn't take the article seriously after this. "Beginners" click icons and run applications. This works under Linux like any other OS. Anything more complex than that isn't going to be done by a "beginner" no matter what OS you're using.
This article referenced the ESP8266 (specifically NodeMCU configuration) as a cheap alternative for WiFi IOT projects that don't warrant the Pi's complexity. I've played with this chip and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get it working. The bare chips can be had for a couple of dollars, or $15 for a development board which supports USB flashing.<p>Don't cheap out on the dev board, the cheapest ones use a shitty USB-serial chip and it was a headache to get the drivers working. The adafruit one worked out of the box.
The hardware limitations and the "danger of server maintenance" points are valid. Only that<p>>That ever-so-slight delay between hitting a key and having it appear on screen will eventually wear you down.<p>You don't need to run a full blown desktop. TTY is snappy enough on my model 2B.<p>It's a great "learn to hack stuff on a cheap small computer" platform for my nephew (if I had a nephew [1]), and that's how it is advertised.<p>[1] On the other hand, I wonder how many RasPi users buy the thing because they wish they would have had it when they were of the age to be someone's nephew.
> It’s Dangerously Insecure (In the Wrong Hands)<p>Just like any other programmable internet connected device.<p>> A Mini-PC or Tablet Would Probably Be Better<p>How does this solve the security problem mentioned above? IMHO it actually makes it worse, because you are now connecting an even more powerful machine.<p>> Never open your Pi as a public facing server.<p>What if the purpose of my Pi is to be a public facing server?<p>> This is true of every website regardless of where it’s hosted, but it’s particularly problematic for the Raspberry Pi, which tends to be set up by hobbyists who aren’t intimately familiar with best security practices.<p>It is easier to install a web server and misconfigure security on a typical desktop machine than it is on a Raspberry. It feels that the author has a condescending view on raspberry hobbyists that is not backed up by any facts.
One point that caught my eye is:<p>"Linux enthusiasts perpetually claim that this year is the year that Linux will finally make headway into the desktop for the everyday user — but it never has and never will."<p>I guess the author has a (much coveted) crystal ball.
Using an RPi for <i>everything</i> is indeed not a good idea! It's a poor choice for e.g a HPC server of a 10G router.<p>Not using RPi for <i>anything</i> is not a good idea either, it seems.<p>The RPi (and C.H.I.P., Arduino, etc) have a rather well-defined sweet spot: small-scale hobby projects and study. At this niche, they are a good value for the money (because tools, books, community, etc).
#1 is an interesting point. Use a $5 nodemcu instead of a $9 pi. Not only do you save $4, but you get a free introduction to the world of horrible ssl implementations!