PINE64 暂停开源硬件制造，直至 AI 泡沫破裂

开源硬件专家 PINE64 宣布，将退出 Linux 单板电脑、手机和平板市场——至少在人工智能（AI）泡沫破裂、居高不下的元器件价格回落之前如此。

PINE64 本周在其社区 Mastodon 账号上宣布：“由于当前 DRAM/eMMC 短缺，近期没有继续生产更多 Linux 设备的计划。生产是否继续取决于 2027 年年中后这些元器件的价格情况。PineNote 和 PineTab2 等设备目前预计将在三个月内售罄。提前通知大家一下，以免之后有人开始询问这些产品何时会再次有货。”

PINE64 宣布，在内存和存储元器件价格改善前，将停止生产其具备 Linux 支持能力的产品。（📷：PINE64）

PINE64 最为人所知的是其开源硬件手机、平板电脑和单板电脑，不过近年来也开始将业务拓展至电烙铁和电源等工具产品。其停止生产的决定，看来是受到 AI 泡沫影响所迫：随着大语言模型（LLM）背后的公司承诺建设规模越来越大的数据中心，以提供训练和运行模型所需的计算能力，内存和存储产品的价格一直在飙升——过去一年曾尝试购买 Raspberry Pi 单板电脑的人，对此想必深有体会。

这些元器件成本意味着，PINE64 若不将售价提高至不可持续的水平，就无法继续生产硬件。因此，该公司别无选择，只能暂停生产并出售现有库存。库存售罄后就是如此：在元器件价格恢复到合理水平前，不会再生产新的兼容 Linux 硬件；而元器件制造商和市场观察人士预测，这可能需要数年时间。

该公司的微控制器驱动设备——如图中的 PinePower——仍在继续生产。（📷：PINE64）

不过，此举并不意味着 PINE64 将完全退出硬件市场。该公司将继续生产和销售受内存元器件成本影响较小的微控制器设备，包括 PineTime 智能手表、PinePower 台式电源和 Pinecil 电烙铁。该公司承认：“总体而言，Linux 设备的前景有些黯淡，但与此同时，PineStore 仍拥有出色的 MCU 驱动设备阵容，并将继续扩展，推出更多令人期待的设备。”

更多信息可参阅 Mastodon 讨论串。

Open hardware specialist PINE64 has announced that it is exiting the Linux single-board computer, phone, and tablet market — at least until the bursting of the artificial intelligence (AI) bubble and a drop in sky-high component prices.

"Due to the current DRAM/eMMC shortage, there isn't any plans to continue producing more Linux devices in the near future," PINE64 announced on the community Mastodon account this week. "Whether production continues or not depends on the pricing situation for those components after mid 2027. Devices like the PineNote and PineTab2 are currently estimated to run out of stock in three months time. Just pre-warning everyone in case people start asking when things are going to be in stock again."

PINE64 has announced it will cease production of its Linux-capable products until memory and storage component pricing improves. (📷: PINE64)

PINE64 is best-known for its open hardware phones, tablets, and single-board computers, though in recent years has begun diversifying into tools like soldering irons and power supplies. Its decision to cease production appears to have been forced upon it owing to the impact of the AI bubble: as the companies behind large language models (LLMs) promise to build increasingly-large data centers for all the compute required to train and run them, pricing for memory and storage has been skyrocketing — as anyone who has tried to buy a Raspberry Pi single-board computer in the last year will know only too well.

Those component costs mean that PINE64 is unable to produce further hardware without increasing the selling price to unsustainable levels — leaving the company no choice but to halt production and sell-through existing stock. When that's out, that's it: no more Linux-compatible hardware will be produced until component pricing returns to sensible levels, which component makers and market watchers predict could take years.

The company's microcontroller-powered devices, like the pictured PinePower, remain in production. (📷: PINE64)

The move doesn't mean PINE64 is exiting the hardware market altogether, though. The company will continue to produce and sell its microcontroller-based devices, which are less impacted by memory component costs, including the PineTime smartwatch, PinePower desktop power supply, and Pinecil soldering iron. "All in all it's a bit bleak for the Linux devices," the company admits, "but in the meantime PineStore still have a great lineup of MCU powered devices which will continue to expand with more exciting devices."

More information is available in the Mastodon thread.