In the year of 2006, the idea of creating an affordable and tiny computer came in the minds of Eben Upton, Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft, and Rob Mullins. And then the Raspberry Pi was created and developed with non-tech users in mind. It was borne out of the need to introduce children and people who are a bit averse to computers to the wonder of computer usage and basic programming. While the initial response was quite mixed, the credit-card sized super mini-computer is now the darling of many computer enthusiasts and students of all ages alike. The design of the Raspberry Pi has now been totally leveraged by the creativity and imagination of modern day users.
Here are 10 of the great things you should know about the Raspberry Pi:
- It’s so small – the size of a credit card, can literally fit in your pocket. With a thickness that is less than an inch; the Pi can be integrated well into different devices because it will never take up that much space. You can plug it into your TV or monitor by connecting it with a standard keyboard and a mouse.
- It’s energy efficient – the Raspberry Pi only uses around 5 to 7 watts of power. Compare this to a full-sized computer and you will greatly appreciate the large difference in energy efficiency. Different models of Raspberry Pi do not require the same kind of power supply. All the models come with a 5V micro USB. Though, to use the Raspberry Pi for different purposes, the power consumption may vary, but for most of the applications to run, a 1.2A power supply will be enough. You need to have a 2.5A power supply to use all the four USB ports of the Raspberry Pi models B+/2B, though.
- There are no moving parts – the Raspberry Pi is so small and well-designed that there are no moving parts that can lead to noise. There are no cooling fans are dedicated, hard drive. The hardware parts include HDMI sockets, RCA video, audio jacks for USB 2.0 and 3.5mm, Broadcom processor, and micro USB connector for power supply. What you have however is an SD card interface for your storage and booting purposes.
- It can be expanded – consider it as a desktop computer, only very small that it sits perfectly in the palm of your hand. This means you can add almost any other peripheral that connects via USB. You can even connect a camera and an I/O board. Recently, Raspberry Pi has teamed up with Samsung, Google, and Nesta to expand the Code Club.
- It’s got multiple uses – search the internet about ‘Raspberry Pi projects’ and you can see the many applications of the device. Some have been used to document the Earth from the border of the Earth’s atmosphere and space. Some have used the Pi in robotics and game consoles. Some have turned their TV sets into fully functioning internet devices. The uses of the Raspberry Pi can only be limited by your imagination and creativity.
- It has a unique community of support – this is something that clearly sets the Raspberry Pi from other platforms. The support community for it has been phenomenal to say the least. It’s community focuses mainly on documentation and teaching.
- It is very affordable – for the price of less than 40 USD, you would consider the Raspberry Pi a real steal. The model A of Pi costs up to $20, model B is available for $25, and you can get the model of the Raspberry Pi 2 at the cost of 35. Truly worth to buy it.
- It has built-in HDMI quality graphics capability – it’s HDMI display port has been designed to handle high definition resolutions up to 1920×1200 pixels. If you do not have an HDMI device, you can always purchase a suitable HDMI to VGA converter.
- It has an Overclocking capability – need to squeeze every ounce of juice on the Pi, you can do this with its Overclocking capability. Most of the Raspberry Pi models run at 800MHZ. In spite of model 2B, which works great at 1000MHZ. You can also reduce the Overclocking settings if you face any problem till the stability of the model get restored.
- It is silent – simply because there are no moving parts, the Raspberry Pi will never bother anyone as it runs silently in the background.
For getting started with your first Raspberry Pi, there are a lot of learning resources available online. Check the best raspberry pi starter kit for your awesome pi projects. The Raspberry Pi has the ability to give you seamless opportunities in the electronics field. Young school children whom the Raspberry Pi was designed to have more than learned their lessons in computers and computer coding. The inherent features of the Raspberry Pi have spurred the growth of technology enthusiasts and hobbyists who now have the best technology in the palms of their hands, literally.
