Tencent Digital News (Da He) The Raspberry Pi 3 is the latest version of the highly praised DIY single-board computer, which adds Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, yet its price remains at £32.10 (approximately 298 RMB). Now, this product looks more like a “do-it-all” circuit board. Undoubtedly, this is the best Raspberry Pi to date.
For those who are not particularly keen on learning Python, C, or Java through this circuit board, the new features also allow it to be used as a retro gaming console. Of course, it is also very convenient for media streaming purposes.
Design and Features
The Raspberry Pi 3 looks almost identical to the Raspberry Pi 2, meaning that if you already have a case suitable for the Raspberry Pi 2, you can use it directly. For those who have never interacted with the Raspberry Pi 3, this product is roughly the size of your palm.
The single-board computer purchased at the starting price does not come with any optional accessories, such as a power supply, case, or various connection cables. However, any Android or Windows phone user can power the Raspberry Pi 3 using the included 5V charger, as long as it meets the current requirements. If you plan to connect multiple peripherals, the Raspberry Pi 3 requires up to 2.5A of current, and some phone chargers may not provide such high current.
The Raspberry Pi 3 has the same ports as the Raspberry Pi 2, including 4 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port, and 1 full-size HDMI port. All USB ports are version 2.0, which is primarily related to the product’s cost.
The Raspberry Pi also does not provide built-in storage space; users in need can expand it through the microSD card slot below, which supports high-performance microSDXC standards, meaning users can use microSD cards up to 128GB, turning this single-board computer into a mini media player in their hands.
Another very convenient interface is the 3.5mm audio jack.
The main difference between the Raspberry Pi 3 and the Raspberry Pi 2 is that the former directly provides support for Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Bluetooth through onboard modules, while the latter requires a USB adapter to achieve these functions.
When the Raspberry Pi 3 was first launched, the default Raspbian OS did not support these newly added features, but subsequent updates resolved this issue, which is good news for users, as Raspbian OS is the de facto standard operating system for this product, and many users are introduced to Raspberry Pi through it.
The Raspberry Pi 3 still provides 40 GPIO pins, which can be used to connect components like LEDs and motors. The port for connecting a camera is located between the HDMI and 3.5mm audio jack, and the camera module with a pixel count of 5 million can be purchased through the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
For those enthusiastic about connecting various modules for debugging and programming, the Raspberry Pi 3 can also connect to the new BBC micro:bit device.
Software and System Support
Similarly, if users only purchase the Raspberry Pi starter kit, the product does not come with any pre-installed software. Completing this manually incurs no cost, but for those who are afraid of trouble, spending a bit more money to buy a pre-installed microSD card might be a good idea, although it takes away the fun of doing it yourself.
One unresolved issue remains: users cannot run the Android system on the Raspberry Pi. Although there are related projects underway for porting, if users simply want to see the Android interface on their TV, there are many more suitable options on the market.
The Raspberry Pi 3 is primarily designed to run the Debian-based Raspbian system, which has been regarded as the “official” operating system for this single-board computer.
Raspbian includes applications similar to Office, Minecraft Raspberry Pi Edition, a web browser, and a range of tools, some of which can help users learn programming. Starting from scratch can be more enjoyable for beginners. Users can find a visual programming tool that is far less intimidating than C language, allowing them to create simple programs and games without much experience. Additionally, various ready-made resources can also be found on the Raspberry Pi website.
Remember, if you or your children want to dig deeper into the Raspberry Pi, the final expenses will far exceed the initial starting price. However, compared to various Lego sets, this expense is still worthwhile.
Of course, some users will approach this product from a completely different angle, such as turning it into a media player or installing various home console emulators to relive childhood memories from the 1990s.
There are several different media players available online, including several versions evolved from XBMC.
Unless you plan to just scratch the surface, you still need to learn some basic Linux commands, some of which will be needed when transforming the Raspberry Pi into a gaming console.
Performance
Besides Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the Raspberry Pi 3 has a more powerful CPU and GPU compared to the Raspberry Pi 2.
Let’s start with the CPU. The Raspberry Pi 3 is equipped with Broadcom’s BCM2837 CPU, which is a quad-core CPU with a clock speed of 1.2GHz paired with a Cortex-A53 processor, which is commonly found in Qualcomm’s entry-level Snapdragon chipsets.
Broadcom BCM2837 is a 64-bit CPU, which is more powerful than the quad-core Cortex-A7 Broadcom BCM2836 used in the Raspberry Pi 2. This is evident from Geekbench’s benchmark scores, with the Raspberry Pi 3 scoring 2086, while the Raspberry Pi 2 only scored 1302.
In addition, the Raspberry Pi 3 uses a 400MHz GPU, while the Raspberry Pi 2 has a 250MHz GPU, although both use 1GB of DDR2 RAM.
For basic video streaming tasks, the difference between the two products is not significant, as the performance of the Raspberry Pi 2 is already sufficient for such tasks, unless you are playing videos encoded with the latest H.265 codec. The difference is more easily felt through gaming emulators.
The Raspberry Pi 2 can run various 16-bit games, such as those on the Super Nintendo console, but it cannot handle N64 games. Although the Raspberry Pi 3 also cannot handle all N64 games, it can at least run some games, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” albeit at a slightly slower speed, affecting the experience.
Using the Raspberry Pi as a PC
These enhanced performances come in handy when handling web browsing or other work tasks, and there is no longer a noticeable delay when using the basic Raspbian interface.
While loading web pages in the default browser is still slightly slow, it has improved significantly compared to the Raspberry Pi 2. In the previous generation product, users easily encountered various delays aside from basic tasks.
Is it worth buying?
The Raspberry Pi 3 has a noticeable performance improvement over its predecessor, but the differences most users feel are probably not in performance but rather in the ability to use wireless connectivity without needing various external adapters. This also saves users the cost of purchasing various additional modules.
While there are other DIY single-board computer products on the market, the Raspberry Pi is undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice.
This product is designed primarily for young users, but the various rich resources derived from it allow users of all ages to find what they want. Of course, for those who do not plan to practice programming on it, various TV sticks available on the market may be a more suitable choice.
The 2016 Raspberry Pi Chinese website will launch two sections.
The first: Q&A section, where we will periodically raise some questions about the Raspberry Pi, and everyone is welcome to actively participate in the comments.
The second: Jokes or complaints dialogue section, where we will design dialogue images to tell some not-so-funny jokes, preferably about the Raspberry Pi. If you have any, feel free to reply directly to the public account.