HDMIPi now working, and some further PiTouch Comparisons

My HDMIPi is now working - the board needed replacing. Thanks to the guys for the excellent support.

So, how do they compare?

The screen on the HDMIPi advertises itself as full HD (1920x1080) on my Mac, but according to the spec on the kickstarter site is 1280x800. The PiTouch is also 1280x800. TBH, whichever resolution they are is irrelevant at these pixel densities. I can scale either to match the other and can't see the pixels either way. The quality of the picture on the displays is similar, though the perspex(?) cover on the HDMIPi detracts very slightly from it. Definitely not a problem right now, though.

The extra screen size on the PiTouch (10" vs 9") is quite nice for my mostly text-based work. And it doesn't add too much bulk because the bezel is a little slimmer. It is a little bigger though, but by less than you would expect.

The buttons are much nicer on the PiTouch, as is the case, though the actual screen is a little more exposed - inevitable, I guess, since it is a touch screen. It seems strong enough to resist scratches, but I'm going to be careful with it. Overall, the whole package of the PiTouch is more professional. It's also quite nice that it comes ready assembled for people with limited time or manual dexterity.

The HDMIPi is able to use a more standard USB power supply, which is nice for portability, but needs a separate stand. The PiTouch has a kickstand built-in. The PiTouch's built-in speakers and USB hub are also nice touches.

The HDMIPi allows you to store the Pi inside the case but the PiTouch mounts it outside on the kickstand. But keep an eye out for the campaign if you are interested because I believe that there are plans for a version which integrates the Pi more completely.

Feel free to post questions here if you are considering the PiTouch and I'll do my best to answer them.

PiTouch and HDMIPi Day One

I just got my PiTouch, too. It arrived the same day as my HDMIPi, ironically.

I haven't yet managed to get my HDMIPi working - whatever I do, the screen won't turn on - so I can't do a comparison of screen quality, but in every other aspect the PiTouch wins in direct comparison. It has a capacitive touch screen, it has better build quality, and it works "out of the box" (quite important, in my case  ). There are also built-in speakers, a USB hub, two HDMI ports and a composite video input. The enclosure encases the whole device, so I would definitely feel safer using the PiTouch as a portable solution than the HDMIPi which has a relatively "open" enclosure.

So far, I've also used it with my Macbook Pro, a couple of those "Android on a stick" devices, and my phone....but, ironically, not yet with any of my Pis which are tied up in audio based projects ATM. I'll try KivyPie in a bit (thanks for the suggestion, Garth). I need to do a bit of work on the android sticks to get the touchscreen to pick up location (taps are already working) but with every other device it's working perfectly already.

At the moment, because my HDMIPi isn't working, PiTouch is a clear winner. I'm very pleased with my PiTouch purchase, and even if I get the HDMIPi working, I don't think I'll be using it anywhere near as much as my PiTouch - the touch functionality alone swings it for me.

Overall, highly recommended.