After several months of delays, the BBC has finally started distributing the Micro Bit microcomputer for free to 1 million students in the UK. So how does this device compare to the star product in the field, the Raspberry Pi 3? This article will compare the two.
Design
First, it should be noted that the BBC Micro Bit and the Raspberry Pi 3 are two completely different devices. The two are not direct competitors; the BBC Micro Bit can be seen as a gateway to devices like the Raspberry Pi 3.
The Raspberry Pi 3 looks like a basic PC—a board with various familiar interfaces—while the BBC Micro Bit is essentially a 5×4 cm circuit board, with 5 basic I/O rings available for connecting other devices, even power. It also has 25 programmable LEDs and two programmable control buttons.
The operation of the BBC Micro Bit is more basic than that of the Raspberry Pi 3, and it requires interaction with other devices, rather than functioning as a standalone system.
Performance
The Raspberry Pi 3 uses a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, Broadcom Videocore IV graphics, and 1GB of RAM. In contrast, the BBC Micro Bit uses a 32-bit ARM Cortex M0 processor and 16KB of RAM. The chip used in the latter is the smallest in the ARM family, making it very energy-efficient and easy to program. However, its performance is significantly lower than that of the Cortex-A53 used in the Raspberry Pi 3.
Connectivity
The Raspberry Pi 3 provides 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, 40 GPIO pins, a camera interface, a display interface, a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The BBC Micro Bit, on the other hand, provides 5 I/O rings, Bluetooth LE, a micro USB controller, a compass, an accelerometer, and edge connectors.
It is evident that there are significant differences in connectivity features between the two. While the Raspberry Pi 3 is already quite basic, it does provide a range of interfaces typical of modern computers. The BBC Micro Bit only has 5 I/O rings, and users need to use spring clips to connect it to other devices, such as sensors or robots.
However, the presence of Bluetooth allows it to connect wirelessly to phones or other devices, and the accelerometer and compass enable it to run directional applications or motion-based games.
Software
The Raspberry Pi 3 can run various operating systems based on Debian, mainly including Raspbian OS and a free version of Windows 10. The BBC Micro Bit offers a built-in software platform and a web-based interface.
The Raspberry Pi 3 is a complete device based on application sensors, capable of running Linux and Windows 10, while the BBC Micro Bit is an embedded software platform that cannot run a full operating system. The Raspberry Pi 3 even has a web-based UI for editing in JavaScript, Python, C++, and Blocks.
The differences between the two devices in this regard are also quite evident. This shows that the BBC Micro Bit is indeed an educational device aimed at children, while the software of the Raspberry Pi 3 showcases a modern operating system that we are more familiar with.
Price
The Raspberry Pi 3 is priced at $30 (approximately 195 RMB), while the BBC Micro Bit is provided for free to 7th-grade students. Although the price of the former is already very low, it is obviously not lower than the free BBC Micro Bit.
Of course, the BBC Micro Bit’s free offer is not aimed at ordinary consumers. The BBC has confirmed that they plan to market this device, but the specific timing and price have not yet been announced. However, it is clear that its price should be lower than that of the Raspberry Pi 3.
Conclusion
It can be seen that there is actually not much to compare between the Raspberry Pi 3 and the BBC Micro Bit. If the Raspberry Pi 3 is “my first real computer,” then the BBC Micro Bit is more basic, designed to help users understand the fundamentals of programming.
The Raspberry Pi 3 is a more advanced and usable device, but if you or your child are planning to start learning programming, then the BBC Micro Bit is clearly the more suitable choice.
Source: trustedreviews
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