In 2012 a British company formed with a ground breaking idea: to create cheap single board computers that could encourage education in computer science in developing countries. This was a noble task that had been taken on for years. I remember in high school we had a “Computers for Africa” program. It was quite a feat because of computers weight and shipping expense. In 2012 enters the Raspberry Pi, a cheap computer that was slightly larger than a credit card.
The first few iterations of these chips were great for small projects. They included GIO (General Input Output) ports that could can be used in robotics with various sensors. (More on that in a later post). However, the clocked out at a non-impressive 700mhz. (Which to be honest is quite impressive given that was the speed of my high school desktop that weighed 75 pounds.)
Eight years later, and the newest Raspberry Pi 4 is quite impressive. Running a QuadCore 1.5ghz ARM processor with either 1, 2, 4, or 8 gb of RAM. Finally, a cheap computer has reached a level that it can be used as a desktop replacement! The board alone runs you from $30 to 75 (USD). You will need to have a USB-C power brick, which will run another ten bucks. In addition you need all the peripherals a normal computer would need . The display ports are via micro hdmi, which also takes a special cable to get to your monitor.
Now, here is the challenge. When your kid gets this box in the mail, it is not ready to use. They will need to install the Raspbian Operating System onto a microsd card. (Or you can buy a card with it already installed). This is a Linux based operating system. Which brings us to the next amazing thing… FREE SOFTWARE!
This project falls under a movement called the OpenSource Movement. One of the pioneers of this movement was Linus Torvalds (who Linux is named after.) The vision of this movement is that code made in programming is made open for modification and distribution by other people. Many of us use products from this movement on a daily basis. OpenOffice, a free alternative to Microsoft Office is widely used. The two most used internet browsers (Chrome and Firefox) are part of this movement. The software I use on my own blog, WordPress, was made by this movement. The fact of the matter is, the internet in the form it exists today was not so much created by giant companies but by the expansion of the OpenSource movement. I was in college for Computer Science when the students were challenging the professors about the future of this movement.
This creates a database of program and games to be installed on your tiny, cheap computer that is quite amazing. I personally run a Raspberry Pi 4 B with 1 gig of RAM that works quite well for internet browsing and (extremely) light gaming. Basically, any program you run on a Windows PC likely has an OpenSource Alternative.
Yet when it comes down to the basics needed for a school computer, these single chip computers aren’t just meant for small robotics projects as they’re initial purpose was for computing in third world countries. The added bonus is that every time your child uses their computer, it was something they built. If you want to spend a tiny bit more money… you can search the internet for customized cases… everything from retro gaming system cases to cars and whatever you can dream.
For more information you can visit the following website. (Not Sponsored)
16gb SD card with NOOBs Operating System
Download Page if you choose to use your own card
Official Website of RaspberryPi
