New $29 Pine64 computer takes on Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3

From PC World: Raspberry Pi's new Compute Module 3 has serious competition coming its way from the maker of the Pine64 board computer.

The new SOPINE A64 64-bit computing module is a smaller version of the popular US$15 Pine64 computer.

It was announced the same week as the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3, which is a smaller version of the popular namesake board, was released.

At $29, the SOPINE A64 roughly matches the price of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3, which ranges from $25 to $30. The new SOPINE will ship in February, according to the website.

The SOPINE A64 can't operate as a standalone computer like the Pine64. It needs to be plugged in as a memory slot inside a computer.

But if you want a full-blown computer, Pine64 also sells the $15 SOPINE Baseboard Model-A, which "complements the SOPINE A64 Compute Module and turns it into a full single board computer," according to the company.

The $29 SOPINE A64 will plug into a memory slot of the $15 baseboard to form a full-blown computer. But that package will cost $44. That is more expensive than the original $15 Pine64, which started shipping last year and is serious competition to Raspberry Pi 3.

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