My friend has gotten full Linux on a number of weird RISC-V boards. https://github.com/queenkjuul/milkv-duo-ubuntu

When they were that cheap, I would grab my one on every trip to Microcenter, just because I'd probably find a use for it, and if I didn't, I knew someone else would want it. Fun times.

Zero at $5 was never profitable. I think it was reported that they consulted Eric Schmidt and followed his advice to sell the core hardware at loss and recoup from accessories and bundle sales, which didn't suit their business, but did it anyway. This was why it was limited to 1 per customer and also because Pi Zero and Pico models have a more overpriced/appropriately-priced "WH" variants with no purchase limits.

To be fair to them that was over ten years ago, and prices of everything have risen significantly in that time.

Sold out? Or catered towards market demands?

Like a Linux phone?

The C906 core that runs Linux on the BL808 SoC on this device has roughly the same integer performance as a P3 on a per Mhz basis. The C906 is about 2.4 DMIPS / Mhz and the P3 is roughly 2.4 (Katmai core) - 2.8 (Tualatin core) DMPIS / Mhz depending on the version. You are looking at roughly P3 450 integer performance

Its an interesting comparison that Im not sure reflects positively on the RISC-V C906 core when you factor in core area and process nodes and core area, 22nm vs 250nm. Even if we choose the worst case scenario for the P3 cores to compare which would be the Katmai core. We are basically look at ~parity with a 30 year old core design

C906 core only @ 22nm = ~0.6 mm2

C906 core only @ 250nm = ~78 mm2 (geometric transform)

P3 core only @ 22nm = ~0.5 mm2 (geometric transform)

P3 core only @ 250nm = ~76 mm2

Apologies if this is messy and badly formatted. Im currently at a wedding, sat waiting between the ceremony and the after party and Ive quite a few beers. I responded because its something I looked at previously with RISC-V cores and I already had the answers in my head

I'm so sad that one didn't prosper, I still love the deck they sold

Assuming you're referring to the one released in 2015, with inflation that's nearly 50% more expensive apparently.

You can get amazingly far with an ESP32, RP2350, or other modern microcontrollers if Linux isnt a hard requirement.

Complete starter kit for $90 here

https://www.canakit.com/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w.html?cid=usd&s...

There seems to be a 3W coming. I guess availability will suck though.