What is Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized operating computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a useful mini device that enables people of all ages to explore in field of Computer and Electronics where you can learn programming such as Scratch and Python to control and operate hardware properties.
Raspberry Pi is a single-board computers made by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK charity that works to educate people in computing, create a platform for computing education and digital making into the hands of people all over the world.
The Raspberry Pi launched in 2012, and there have been several iterations and variations released since then. The original Pi had a single-core 700MHz CPU and just 256MB RAM, and the latest model has a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU with 1GB RAM. The main price point for Raspberry Pi has always been $35 and all models have been $35 or less, including the Pi Zero, which costs just $5.
The Raspberry Pi is a very cheap computer that runs Linux, but it also provides a set of GPIO (General purpose input/output) pins that allow you to control electronic components for physical computing and explore the Internet of Things (IoT).
Particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there as been a rapid increase in the use of Raspberry Pi 4 for home working, project work, programming and studying. There are varieties of Raspberry Pi board available, recent of them is Raspberry Pi 4 model B. For more info on Pi models click here.
Raspberry Pi 400 is significantly different
Raspberry Pi has always been a PC company and supported various hardware components and prototypes. Here the new Raspberry Pi 400 is a complete personal computer, built into a compact keyboard. You heard me right “It’s a Raspberry Pi. It’s a keyboard”. Featuring a Processor Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core Cortex-A72 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM LPDDR4, wireless networking, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-display output, and 4K video playback, as well as a 40-pin GPIO header, Raspberry Pi 400 is a powerful, easy-to-use computer built into a neat and portable keyboard.
Raspberry Pi 400 incorporates a purpose-built board based on Raspberry Pi 4. Featuring the same powerful processor, Raspberry Pi 400 has specially designed to keep your computer cool and silent while you’re hard at work. Priced at just $70 for the computer on its own, or $100 for a ready-to-go kit, if you’re looking for an affordable PC for day-to-day use this is the Raspberry Pi for you.
Pi 400’s specs are new they don’t come with a heatsink, it as higher default clock speed than you get with the year-old Pi 4 model B. It’s clocked at 1.8 GHz, while the Pi 4 model B is clocked at 1.5 GHz. Pi 400 contains a heat spreader that dissipates the heat across the whole unit, front and back, so that no part of Pi will feel too hot to touch. The GPIO(general purpose input output)pins remain accessible, so if you want to explore beyond the desktop, you can connect hardware components and prototype for your projects. Just be careful especially around the GPIO connector, as the it is made of plastic which is fairly thin in that area.
What can be done using Pi 400?
According to Raspberry Pi Foundation, “Raspberry Pi 400 is ideal for surfing the web, creating and editing documents, watching videos, playing/creating games and get your hands on programming using the Raspberry Pi OS desktop environment”. Raspberry Pi OS is official supported operating system, so you’ll get the smoothest performance from your new computer while you get stuff done.
Classics home computers – BBC Micros, ZX Spectrums, Amigas, and the rest are integrated the motherboard directly into the Pi 400 keyboard. No separate system unit and case; no keyboard cable. Just a computer, a power supply, a monitor cable and mouse.
There is a 3.5mm connector for audio, so headphone and speakers will have to be Bluetooth, or through HDMI via an HDMI monitor equipped with speakers or an 3.5mm audio output. So with help of this you can listen to music and entertainment. Multiple keyboard styles will supported by variants of Raspberry P 400 such as UK, US, German, French, Italian, Spanish variants and the power adaptor comes in various forms for various nations. With help of Pi 400 you can connect with your friends around the world as well as Organise your work calendar.
Raspberry Pi 400 is available for Learners and Teachers
Raspberry Pi 400 is the perfect educational tool for students of all ages. Low-cost and portable, it is ideal for home study, and for teaching computing concepts like programming, physical computing, and networking.
“There has always been a danger that the commercial success of the tiny computer would divert the organisation away from its core educational mission.” says Eben Upton. He says “There were lots of stories about kids using their parents’ mobile phones and interacting with software that was not designed to work on a phone”. This is where Pi 400 comes in pictures where students can get a PC at low price. The Pi 400 is just one small contribution to closing the digital divide, and there are other cheap computers available.
Pi 400 might sound difficult to study for children thus parents or teachers might guide them to acquire skills to explore more on Raspberry Pi. There are various blogs available on Raspberry Pi tutorials. If you buy the Pi 400 kit you might be provided with Beginners guide where teachers and parents can easily teach their children. The kit also comprises of A Raspberry Pi 400 computer, a mouse, power supply, micro HDMI to HDMI cable, a SD card, preinstalled Raspberry Pi OS.
Conclusion
Raspberry Pi 400 is an amazing general purpose computer in a keyboard. It is a important device to those who just needs to browse the web, create and edit documents, play and program games, browse social media, listen to music and entertainment purposes.
With help of this you might learn to use Linux as well. The software for the Pi is getting better every day, as more of the computing world increases Linux and ARM compatibility. There are various projects which you might be able to do with help of Pi 400 easily.
You can buy Raspberry Pi 400 here.
You can also contribute to open source repo of Raspberry Pi at GitHub.
