jamesh wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 8:25 am

I doubt we would go back to full size hdmi, those connectors are overly massive. Micros work fine, I've never had a problem with them.

The 16gb is a big seller, even at current RAM pricing.

That's the most interesting comment in this thread. Could you give us rough breakdown percentages by memory, or is that 'we could tell you but then we'd have to shoot you' sort of information

gordon77 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 10:16 am

I haven't experienced issues with...

Micro hdmi...
Voltage sag...
Too much ram...
Overheating, l just fit a fan if needed...

I run multiple pi4s and pi5s 24/7 with none of these 'issues'

Ditto!!
Except that I don't bother with the fan, a decent passive heat sink is fine for my overclocked Pi5.

thagrol wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 12:31 pm

bensimmo wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:10 am

AND then we can buy a small cheap USB to 3.5" dongle for the old fashioned people that don't use Bluetooth sound output (maybe improve the BT Audio standards ? to be honest I don't even know what the Pi provides here)

I don't know any that uses a 3.5 inch jack for audio ;)

;)

Olydnad_SWE wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 4:07 pm

thagrol wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 12:31 pm

bensimmo wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:10 am

AND then we can buy a small cheap USB to 3.5" dongle for the old fashioned people that don't use Bluetooth sound output (maybe improve the BT Audio standards ? to be honest I don't even know what the Pi provides here)

I don't know any that uses a 3.5 inch jack for audio

That's a 3.5mm jack socket in the image not a 3.5" (inch) one.

thagrol wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 4:12 pm

Olydnad_SWE wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 4:07 pm

thagrol wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 12:31 pm

I don't know any that uses a 3.5 inch jack for audio ;)

;)

That's a 3.5mm jack socket in the image not a 3.5" (inch) one.

Haha, I probably thought a little wrong!

MartenMario64 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 7:58 am

W. H. Heydt wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 3:51 am

MartenMario64 wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:18 pm

Basiclly, for one I think im gonna say the one everybody will agree on,
JUST HAVE NORMAL HDMI, I mean the Raspberry Pi 5 already erased
the audio socket on the side of the device, so why not bring HDMI back?

All Pis have HDMI output. Now, I do know what you mean... You want a full-sized HDMI connector instead of the micro-HDMI found on the Pi4 and Pi5 class systems. Are you willing to give up having two HDMI outputs to get that? That's what it would take in order to get have a single, large, HDMI port.

For another solution... I understand that there are cases made that have internal cabling to connect the Pis micro-HDMI ports to full-sized HDMI connectors exposed by the case. If you're having that much trouble with the micro-HDMI ports, why not get yourself such a case (or cases), as needed?

Also, Theres a reason I pointed out the audio socket...
just have two. two hdmi sockets, one that is where the audio socket once was.

So.... Now you want to get rid of the CSI/DSI ports in order to have two full-sized HDMI ports? Is the GPIO block next on your list of disposable connectors?

W. H. Heydt wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 6:05 pm

MartenMario64 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 7:58 am

W. H. Heydt wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 3:51 am

All Pis have HDMI output. Now, I do know what you mean... You want a full-sized HDMI connector instead of the micro-HDMI found on the Pi4 and Pi5 class systems. Are you willing to give up having two HDMI outputs to get that? That's what it would take in order to get have a single, large, HDMI port.

For another solution... I understand that there are cases made that have internal cabling to connect the Pis micro-HDMI ports to full-sized HDMI connectors exposed by the case. If you're having that much trouble with the micro-HDMI ports, why not get yourself such a case (or cases), as needed?

Also, Theres a reason I pointed out the audio socket...
just have two. two hdmi sockets, one that is where the audio socket once was.

So.... Now you want to get rid of the CSI/DSI ports in order to have two full-sized HDMI ports? Is the GPIO block next on your list of disposable connectors?

According to Scratchy, the Feline Commission just passed a new directive mandating all ports on all future single-board computers be USB-C. Since those kittens are still banned from the Internet due to lack of age bracket signals in Linux, it's possible the commission is out of touch with reality.

In my opinion, it should be possible for a person to describe features they would like in a single board computer without speculating about a Pi 6. It's also possible political directives don't accelerate technological innovation any more than customer feedback. On the other hand, all I want is 16GB sold at last year's prices and 1GB in a super small form factor. Oh ... and a pony.

Different people sometimes want different things.

ejolson wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:30 pm

According to Scratchy, the Feline Commission just passed a new directive mandating all ports on all future single-board computers be USB-C. Since those kittens are still banned from the Internet due to lack of age bracket signals in Linux, it's possible the commission is out of touch with reality.

In my opinion, it should be possible for a person to describe features they would like in a single board computer without speculating about a Pi 6. It's also possible political directives don't accelerate technological innovation any more than customer feedback. On the other hand, all I want is 16GB sold at last year's prices and 1GB in a super small form factor. Oh ... and a pony.

Different people sometimes want different things.

Well... There is a way that customer feedback will have a strong effect on what is sold. If no one buys the product it will go off the market. If enough of a given company's products suffer that fate, the company will disappear by going out of business.

As for what you want... No wheels or sandwich?

ejolson wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:30 pm

According to Scratchy, the Feline Commission just passed a new directive mandating all ports on all future single-board computers be USB-C.

All USB C? No thanks. I don't want to have to choose between video out and USB. Or to have to buy an active adapter/USB hub combo.

thagrol wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 11:13 pm

ejolson wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 9:30 pm

According to Scratchy, the Feline Commission just passed a new directive mandating all ports on all future single-board computers be USB-C.

All USB C? No thanks. I don't want to have to choose between video out and USB. Or to have to buy an active adapter/USB hub combo.

Quite a few monitors have video over USB-C inputs now. But agreed it's not a very good idea. I do wonder though why RPL chose two small HDMI sockets side by side rather than a stacked standard size HDMI double socket as they've always done with USB. There's only a few cents difference in the BOM cost.

MikeDB wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 3:30 am

Quite a few monitors have video over USB-C inputs now. But agreed it's not a very good idea. I do wonder though why RPL chose two small HDMI sockets side by side rather than a stacked standard size HDMI double socket as they've always done with USB. There's only a few cents difference in the BOM cost.

AFAIK USB ports have been stacked before the Pi existed on PC motherboards. That has an effect on cable/connector manufactures, if too much bulk plastic around them, it won't fit. I think the risk is lower for HDMI as originally for TV/media domain where there is less space constraints. So I have seen more thick/rounded HDMI connectors then USB ones. But maybe it is just me. At least I needed to cut some plastic from 1 side of a HDMI cable for my NanoPi-R6C else you cannot fit all connectors at the same time, if they are not slim enough. The comment for that 1 was already that people has wished for vertical one like for ROCK5B and several others. That seems to be the proven way, but the thing will be higher then I think. And that it looks the same seems to be a holy constraint. The NanoPi-R6C is sold as router platform with OpenWRT flavor pre-installed on eMMC and has a dedicated extra USB-C port for serial console, so people maybe will never really use the HDMI connector.

I think extra depth and mainly having to have larger anchor point to stop them ripping off the board.


And yes USB-C all the way, it's the modern thing. Laptops and phones all use monitors via USB-C now... In fact they have been for 6 or 7 years., my old and new phone certainly has, both my old laptops do as does my equally old work laptop.

Ok, so the laptops are old enough to have HDMI either in full or mini (or even a mini DP too). But USB-C monitors are the thing, hook up get charged and see the screen, etc. (or a dock of course for older fuddy duddy large HDMI things.. , or stuck in their ways TVs).
We all know everyone the majority will want it.

It does make life a lot easier. You don't need to decide, most the screens act as a dock and have usb for your mice/keyboard and even 1Gb ethernet too.

Raspberry Pi could then fleece sell us a Pi branded dock too. Customisable via a new RP4 chip of course.
And a one cable monitor to for the Pi600C+
Just one C connector on the 600C+, everything else is in the monitor.

USB-C to displayport is how I use my Mac Mini. There are multiple USB-C ports available so I don’t lose anything. I expect HDMI will slowly become obsolete and the USB-C form take over. The full size hdmi does seem a bit clumsy on tiny SBCs and increasingly so for USB A.

Adapters are available for legacy kit, so I would be disappointed if a future Pi still used USB A or hdmi in any form.

Aside from the digital side of things, looking at my desktop Pi5 sitting on its shelf and the photos of various people's projects, there must be a tradeoff between how well a socket can be anchored to the board, the physical size of the plug and the flexibility of good quality cables. Nice small computer needing a square foot of bench/wall space to install.

requires dedicated HW in the SoC which the 2712 or earlier does not have

How long can Raspberry Pi sweat out the BCM 2* SoC?

I'm aware of the very high cost of developing silicon devices, but design is constrained by the limitations of the Broadcom SoC, meanwhile the world moves on. Eventually something has to give.

jamesh wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 9:31 am

I have to say I am enjoying the thread title, it always amazes me that people write stuff like that. Like we don't actually think about products before we spend $10M developing them.

Well, OP is only 11...

jamesh wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 9:31 am

MikeDB wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 3:30 am

I do wonder though why RPL chose two small HDMI sockets side by side rather than a stacked standard size HDMI double socket as they've always done with USB. There's only a few cents difference in the BOM cost.

5cents, multiplied by 5M or more, is a lot of cents. I'm not saying that is the reason, but you do need to consider the volume of stuff being manufactured. Getting the BOM price down as far as possible is vital to keep overall prices down.

I think most Pi owners would have willingly paid 5 cents more to have two full-size HDMI sockets and be able to use existing and cheap cables rather than have to pay multiple dollars for new cables. When Raspberry Pi first introduced Mini-HDMI many places were selling those cables at a price higher than the Pi cost. Then, having bought Mini-HDMI cables, Raspberry Pi switched to Micro-HDMI cables and many people had to go out and buy those.

It would be interesting to know why Raspberry Pi did this rather than go for stacked HDMI. It may have saved Raspberry Pi a few cents but it cost many users a whole lot more.

jamesh wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 9:31 am

5cents, multiplied by 5M or more, is a lot of cents. I'm not saying that is the reason, but you do need to consider the volume of stuff being manufactured. Getting the BOM price down as far as possible is vital to keep overall prices down.

Yes of course. But the actual cost of ownership of a Pi is higher to the end user as they have to buy special cables or convertors. Almost every house has spare full size HDMI cables lying around, but not micro-HDMI.

dom wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:05 am

MikeDB wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 3:30 am

Quite a few monitors have video over USB-C inputs now. But agreed it's not a very good idea. I do wonder though why RPL chose two small HDMI sockets side by side rather than a stacked standard size HDMI double socket as they've always done with USB. There's only a few cents difference in the BOM cost.

USB plugs tend to be a lot smaller than HDMI plugs.
There is no way you are plugging in two hdmi cables into a stacked socket that is comparable in size to the stacked USB socket.
Even the official Pi HDMI cable which is quite slim (I have several more bulbous ones on my desk), wouldn't stack two high without a considerably higher socket height.
While it may be possible to design a slim enough hdmi plug (may be tricky with EMI) to support a small stacked socket, you'd get the same complaints about needing a proprietary cable.

Just measured a random pair of USB and HDMI cables out of my spares box and the HDMI one is 2mm thicker, and fairly symmetrical top and bottom so the Pi would need to only be 2mm (say 2.5mm) taller.

hippy wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:00 am

I think most Pi owners would have willingly paid 5 cents more to have two full-size HDMI sockets and be able to use existing and cheap cables

Most home users, perhaps (not that I put myself in that category as aside from debugging only one of my Pi is connected to a monitor). But if you're running it headless that's an additional 5 cents for something you're not using.

I wonder how many of the industrial/embedded customers (especially those using CMs with custom carrier boards) would be willing to pay a 5 cent HDMI tax?

W. H. Heydt wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2026 11:07 pm

There is a way that customer feedback will have a strong effect on what is sold. If no one buys the product it will go off the market. If enough of a given company's products suffer that fate, the company will disappear by going out of business.

Reality is that most people will put up with a product which is lacking when there is no practical alternative at an equivalent price. Time after time we have seen consumers put up with manufacturer enshittification because they have developed Brand Loyalty or are too invested in that manufacturer's products to make a change. Manufacturers also know this, know they can boil the frog., have to do something extreme to get themselves put out of business.

Ratner is usually cited as the text book case of achieving that when he described his products as "total crap". Reality is that Ratner's customers were well aware of that, didn't have a problem with it, were happy to buy at the price asked. It was those who wanted Ratner out of business who embarked on aggressive campaigns to influence stock market investors to destroy the Ratner group. And they ultimately succeeded.

That's a risk every publicly traded company faces. It doesn't matter how good or bad products are, it's how investors hoping to make a profit see things which usually determines survival or death.

thagrol wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:19 am

I wonder how many of the industrial/embedded customers (especially those using CMs with custom carrier boards) would be willing to pay a 5 cent HDMI tax?

Most I would imagine as they are already paying a much higher 'tax' for things they don't need.

hippy wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:37 am

thagrol wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:19 am

I wonder how many of the industrial/embedded customers (especially those using CMs with custom carrier boards) would be willing to pay a 5 cent HDMI tax?

Most I would imagine as they are already paying a much higher 'tax' for things they don't need.

I've always assumed the CMs we design into products for our clients didn't have a HDMI tax. There's also no HDMI logo so it would be 15 cents if it had to be paid of course. The CMs are fairly well stripped back to just what one needs for a commercial product.