In the world of computers, there is one type that reigns supreme, and that is a Raspberry Pi. In essence, these allow for total customization, hacking, and utilization for many people. They are small, but incredibly powerful, and they are fun to build for tech-savvy people.
You may wonder just what it takes to really understand and utilize use a Raspberry Pi. Well, you are about to find out. This book will take you through everything that you need to know as a beginner about Raspberry Pi.
You can learn many cool things with this book, and by getting, a basic understanding, you can build on it. Obviously, you will not be building giant supercomputers at the very beginning, but with the use of this book. You will be able to build small items, and be taken through beginner means to fashion together some awesome items that you can benefit from, and some wonderful cool projects that you can get into with your Raspberry Pi device as well.
Now you may wonder just how in-depth this gets. In truth, we are taking this at a beginners level, so you wont be totally confused. The Raspberry Pi is a little bit confusing, and if you are not super versed in computers, you could get lost in the jargon. Im going to tell you about this system, whats so important about it, and other specifications that the Raspberry Pi does, and the benefits it brings to you as a user.
Chapter 1 What is a Raspberry Pi
When you read this initially with no computer background, you are probably wondering why in the world we are talking about well, Raspberry Pies. That is not what that is, and in fact, it is a little bit different from that. Here, we will tell you about what exactly it is, and why people love building these computers.
What is a Raspberry Pi?
A Raspberry Pi at the very bottom of it all is a computer the size of a credit card that you can put into either your computer monitor, or your TV itself, and it does use your mouth and keyboard. It is super small, and they usually are low in terms of cost. It is capable of doing many different things, including computing, programming, and the like. If you want something that is similar to what your desktop computer does, including using the internet, playing HD videos, or even making spreadsheets and playing games, this is how. It is a type of way to interact with the world around us, and it is used in machines both large and small, from machines that make music, to weather detectors, and infrared cameras. This is a great basic means to display how you can utilize a computer easily.
Some of these do not have cases, other ones do. The Pi 3 for example, does not have a case, but some other Pi models actually do have this, so it is really to your discretion if you really want to know what you can utilize with this. It is what you find within your computer, but at a super small level. Trust me; this thing is super tiny, but super powerful.
The Functions of the Raspberry Pi?
Therefore, here is kind of the cool thing about the Raspberry Pi. It does so much, but did you know that the original intention of this was to teach children coding? These are so easy to use that a child could do this. However, the thing is, it actually has so many more functions that you would be amazed by. It has expanded as hobbyists and engineers noticed the potential, and since then, it has become the most popular technology items out there.
Now, what are the functions of the Raspberry Pi? The answer to that is really based on what you want to do with it. The Raspberry Pi has gained so much traction from everyone. In fact, you may not even know, but there are two Raspberry Pis are orbiting our world. And there are schools that use these to create experiments that they mock up in space. Therefore, it is not just teaching the average layman coding, it is so much more. On earth, there are teams that are putting together supercomputer Raspberry Pis themselves, and each of them has a 16 GB card within, and a 1 TB computer, so in essence, with a small lego set, you can create a supercomputer that is better than many of the other models out there. Many autonomous and undermanned surface vessels use a Raspberry Pi as the brain. Drones use these too, and anything that takes scientific measurements utilizes the Raspberry Pi system in order to generate success.
The Raspberry Pi can pretty much do anything you want it to do. It is amazing for projects that require the need for a computer but you do not need processing power and you want to save a lot of space. It is also good if you are a hobbyist ready to tinker with your machine and create a huge computer that is better than anything you have ever dreamed of. You can use it as a media center, a pan and tilt camera, a retro gaming console, a world clock, a time-lapse camera with its own module, and some have even made Google homes out of this. There is so much, and as a beginner, you can choose projects that best work for you.
Now, the truth is these will not replace your desktop. They are fast, they are powerful, and many times, they are powerful even in the basic Raspberry Pi model, but the thing is, its not going to be a desktop replacement for some, and it is slow with some tasks, especially loading web pages in Raspbian, or opening applications. In addition, it is not meant to be a complete desktop, so do not go around throwing your old desktop away at this point, but instead, do consider building this if you think it is good for you.
Where can I get one?
Raspberry Pis are considered cheap if you are just getting that, and it does not include any upgrades or the like. You can get some of these off Amazon, but you also can go to the Raspberry Pi site, raspberrypi.org, and you can look at the models that are there. Lots of times, even just going to a tech store and talking to someone will net you some good insight on what the capabilities and cost of a Raspberry Pi are, so if youre thinking of getting one, definitely do some searching before youre set on a model, especially since you want to get one that works for you. Currently, there are multiple models, and there are three generations out, so you have a lot to choose from. Amazon has a lot of these models, but I don suggest getting one of these as your first model, since its easier if you go into a store and ask them about this.
There is the myth that you can spend less than 35 dollars on it. Now, if you have a Micro SD card that is laying about, at least 32 GB, you will not have to pay as much, but usually they are about 10-15 dollars, and the base price
Where it says its 35 is actually a myth. They are usually marketed as 5-25 dollar computer, but at the core, that is what it is, and that only contains the motherboard and basic input and output connections, not counting any power source, device chargers, and the like. Still though, compared to other devices, tis actually quite cheap, and that is a reason why so many are considering these.
The Raspberry Pi 3 and what it does