What is it?
Basic teaching PC
How will it change my life?
The raspberry pi foundation released the pi computer three years ago to scepticism due to its limited application and even fewer instructional resources. These misgivings were quickly forgotten with educational institutions and techy home-brewers driving sales of over five million, making it one of the most successful British computers. Known as a single board PC, there are no fancy graphics cards or even a case. The upgraded pi 2 offers the chance to get familiar with how our world revolves through technology in its most simple form. Its tiny size provides countless opportunities to downsize everyday gadgets or integrate into existing hardware with a little perseverance.
If you ever thought about creating your own games console, smartphone or radio then the pi is the platform on which to start. It also provides a foundation for the programming beginner to get their feet wet without having to get to grips with complex machine assembly code. This teaching revolution is closing the scientific gap created by government cuts thanks to its affordability and availability.
Good points?
Costing little more than a Brendan O'Carroll ticket (and infinitely more entertaining), the pi 2 is available to anyone with a willingness to learn. The technical specifications are impressive with a Quad Core processor running at 900MHz and 1GB of RAM. I purchased a similarly kitted out desktop computer in 2002 for over £700 and wasn't half as fun.
You can also buy add-on accessories such as SDcard readers for storage, funky-looking cases and a whole host of other components to help get the next Wozniak or Gates coming through.
Bad points?
The learning curve can be extreme so it's best to start small and seek help from more experienced hardware gurus. Getting assistance is easy as the internet is full of resources and people willing to pass on wisdom.
Best for ...
Those with an inquisitive nature and a little imagination.
Avoid if ...
You're looking for a little hobby to supplement your lazy Sunday mornings.
Score: 9/10
Raspberry pi 2, £28.99 (amazon.com)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article