RISCOSbits at Wakefield at Bradford

[in...@riscosbits.co.uk]

RISCOSBits are pleased to be attending the Wakefield RISC OS Computer Show
in Bradford this year, with many of our old favourites and a few new
products too.

RISC OS SYSTEMS
We will be bringing our best-selling FOURtress machines to Bradford. These
small, rugged aluminium systems come in a variety of configurations, and are
available with or without our EDOS Linux dual operating systems, which
allows you to boot into Linux direct from a RISC OS app. We will have some
bargain Lite versions on sale too, which allow easy expansion to the full
FOURtress system at a later date, by simply unscrewing four screws! With
prices from just £99, this is a real RISC OS bargain!

The new PiRO Noir is a lightweight but robust sleek matte black case
containing a Raspberry Pi 4, and incorporating a 64GB uSD card, crammed with
a specially-curated "distro" of over 2GB of RISC OS software, and the
latest stable RISC OS version. As well as exposing the standard Raspberry
Pi USB and Ethernet ports, the PiRO Noir uses a unique adaptor board within
the moulded plastic case to divert the HDMI, audio and power ports to the
rear of the case, to reduce visible cables, converting the micro HDMI ports
to full sized ones for good measure. GPIO is diverted to the side, but is
hidden from general view by a subtle cover and can be exposed by the user as
needed. In addition, the adaptor brings out two extra USB 2.0 ports to the
front of the case, making the PiRO Noir ideal for a clutter-free desk based
system. The PiRO Noir includes simple RISC OS fan control software and power
control, again with an illuminated power button added to the front of the
case for ease of operation. All in all, a small, subtle, sleek and yet
powerful RISC OS addition to anyone's desk. Or TV stand. Or pocket - this is
an easily transportable system! PiRO Noir starts at £129, and, for the
show, we will be offering these systems with a free PSU - at these prices,
you'll be wondering how we do it!

After many months of development (we started working on it at the time the
case was originally released in late 2020, but were unhappy with some
aspects of the case prior to a recent quality update), we're introducing
our new flagship Pi Harder system at the Show. Due to a pandemic-induced
shortage of transparent acrylic sheets (remember all those screens in
Greggs?), we had to move away from the design of the Pi Hard 4.0 to
something easier to source and, well, harder! Our new aluminium NUC-style Pi
Harder is a "rugged" version of the PiRo Noir, but with the added advantage
of having a built in SSD for storage. Based around a minimum of a 4GB Pi 4,
our base system boasts all the usual ports and connectivity options, but
with some added extras:

* 5x USB ports (including two on the front)
* Gigabit ethernet
* 2x full sized HDMI (capable of driving 4k monitors) with audio capability
* 2.1Ghz ARM processor
* 4GB LPDDR4 RAM (8GB available as an option, useful for Linux and EDOS)
* 120GB high speed SSD (larger SSDs are available)
* 32GB micro SD with easy access
* Audio Jack
* Illuminated power button
* Custom fan and power control software
* Custom PSU
* Special "link cable" so that you can access the Pi Harder SSD on a different machine
* Remote Support via custom application

All for only £199 and we'll throw in our SimplEDOS fail-safe dual operating
system for FREE, as originally introduced at London 2021. Whilst we don't
include unnecessary commercial software that you probably already own, we do
supply a standard 2GB bundle of specially curated freeware, and offer an
optional productivity software pack with almost everything you could ever
need, at 90% off RRP!

We can customise the Pi Harder to your exact specifications and, if you
already own a Pi 4, and want to build it into your own Pi Harder, we're
resurrecting our Ruggedizer programme from the early days of our original
BURP cases - send us your Pi 4, we'll build your system around it, and give
you a huge discount too!

We called the PiHard 4.0 "a beast on a budget" but the Pi Harder is a
"bigger beast on a tighter budget" - ideal for when wallets and pockets are
being squeezed!

And finally, if all goes well with customs (it didn't at London!), we'll be
able to show off our latest prototype MiniITX board for the Raspberry Pi
CM4 module. If nothing else, we may have an early working prototype
available to look at.

WISPY
Another new product for this year is the new Wispy X. Put simply, it's a
wireless bridging device for RISC OS systems where the WiFi HAT isn't an
option. Working more than twice as fast as the Wispy V, it brings faster
wireless networking to the RISC OS world. At £45, it's a bit more expensive
than the Wispy V, but ideal for those wanting that extra bit of oomph... For
those that don't, or are on that tighter budget, we'll have the Wispy V
available for £25. Both come with printed manual to aid set up under RISC
OS, or with a suitable smartphone.

BUTTs
For the first time at a show, we will be showing visitors our BUTTs! An
acronym for Built Under The Top, we will have three BUTTs available on the
day, to add extra facilities to our current systems.

We'll have the USB BUTT for the FOURtress, to add three USB ports to the
front, and the BIG BUTT for the FOURtress, which adds the USB ports AND a
Wispy V device for wireless networking. We'll also have the ED BUTT, which
is an External Drive BUTT for the PiRO Noir, complete with a USB to SATA
adaptor. The advantage of the ED BUTT over a simple external drive case is
that it has the same footprint as the PiRO Noir, so sits tidily beneath it.

ACCESSORIES
We'll have a number of accessories available to buy, including our bargain
Pi 400 WiFi HAT Carrier board, our EDOS USB dual operating system kit, plus
a range of our own cases, such as the PiAno, Delta Compact, and Thorin
"pocket money" cases.

Whether an old customer or a new one, pop along to see what we've got, or
have a chat about some of the very exciting things we have in progress!





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