Meet the greatest technological innovation in recent memory, the Raspberry Pi:
There has been a lot of talk in recent years of a great little device with almost endless applications, the raspberry pi. Beloved by a technology enthusiast and hobbyist alike, this small circuit board that has something for everyone. From basic web browsing to learning software coding to even making a keyboard out of watermelons, this little guy can do it all.
Originally founded in 2012 by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, its original use was to put the power of computing and digital creations into the hands of people all over the world. In the early years, it was primarily used to teach and learn computer science basics in schools and developing countries.
Roughly the size of a credit card, the Raspberry Pi is a barebones computer equipped with a CPU, RAM, and typically an HDMI and USB ports. This allows you to plug it into a TV or monitor and a keyboard and mouse to learn basic programming such as python. You can also use it as a network storage device, a security camera system, a router, and even a retro gaming machine. That’s right, and you can even load up the old Mario games and go to town, using only your Raspberry Pi, a controller, and a monitor.
This device primarily uses the open-source software Linux and allows you to load a Linux O/S designed explicitly for the Raspberry Pi. Once you get everything loaded and configured onto the device, the Pi is a truly fascinating machine only limited by your imagination. With quarantine going longer than most people expected, now is the perfect time to pick one up and play with as a hobby. Whether you want to play some games from your childhood, learn how to program, or hand off to your kids to give them something productive to do, it’s a great tool to become acclimated.