![]() It’s not great as a main workstation for anyone who regularly moves between different software, or has lots of tabs open, as it can take a while to switch between apps. Pi is best as a cheap second computer, ideal for experimenting and cheap to buy and run, at 1/10th the price of a cheap laptop. Any computer on your network can see a shared folder, and you can decide who can see and who edit which files. A utility called samba lets you set sharing preferences and access rules for folders easily. Sharing files between computers is easy with any version of Linux. Pi lets you do clever things like setting up your own server – like your own private dropbox, with the data kept away from the internet, for any computer in your house to access, either password protected or freely available for all to read and/or edit. Shields are boards that plug in to give extras like high-quality audio output. It has output ‘pins’ which can be controlled by software, allowing interfacing with sensors, LEDs or displays for those who like to tinker. It will run a browser for internet access & has a multitude of more specialised software. The pi can act as a media player, playing films or music. The Pi3 is the latest version at time of writing (Oct 2017), and will often come in a kit with a power supply and ‘Noobs’ operating system on a micro SD card. All you need is a mouse and keyboard, and a display (you’ll need an adapter if not using the HDMI connector). The memory is held on a micro SD card, which is easily transferred between computers. This means you can cheaply repurpose an old screen or telly. Pi runs on a 5v adapter, like a phone charger, and can plug into a TV (via HDMI) or a computer monitor (via VGA). Using a MCU cuts down power requirements & packaging. ![]() Raspberry Pi is the best known of these, run on open source software and built by the Raspberry Pi Foundation charity. These are small (credit-card-sized) computers that run a Linux operating system, running versions of most open source software. The development of smaller and less power-hungry processors has meant that microcomputers now present a useful alternative to traditional computers. (NB: see glossary at the end – sorry for scary-looking words, but this really isn’t just for techies). It might save people buying another laptop and it means you can reuse the peripherals of older PCs (screen, mouse etc). These are cheap (£30) mini computers that run Linux and will make a good second computer for children (for example), a media player in another room, or a data server.
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