Four years have passed since the first generation of Raspberry Pi was born in February 2012, and now the brand new Raspberry Pi 3 has arrived. The Raspberry Pi 3 features a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex 1.2GHz processor with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. What makes this small device more practical is not its faster processor, but its network support. The Raspberry Pi 3 may become the hardware platform of choice for many IoT projects. The Internet of Things will transform the objects in our homes and workplaces, enabling them to communicate automatically with other devices.
For example, a wearable blood pressure monitor could communicate with the thermostat and heating valves in the room, or even reach out to local doctors for advice. In the workplace, every device will have networking capabilities, and sensors will be able to process data. The arrival of the latest Raspberry Pi brings this closer to reality.
Performance, Networking, and Convenience
Small single-board computers often have limitations, but the Raspberry Pi adds input-output capabilities by combining with daughterboards. For instance, it can integrate with Z-Wave, a wireless communication technology for smart home devices. This way, the Raspberry Pi can be applied in many scenarios.
The Raspberry Pi 3 is only the size of a credit card and is priced the same as its predecessor at just $35. The even smaller Raspberry Pi Zero is equipped with a powerful 1GHz single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM, priced astonishingly low at $5. The Raspberry Pi Zero’s small size and strong performance make it suitable for special situations, such as wearable devices.
Teaching with Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi has always been suitable for education, promoting the development of basic computer science skills in schools. Due to its low cost, this type of microcomputer has a significant market. The Raspberry Pi has become a major platform for teaching computer science in schools. This device is popular among students at universities, used for controlling robots or smart home projects. Professor Simon Cox from the University of Southampton even linked 64 Raspberry Pis together to create a supercomputer capable of handling complex computational tasks.
Think of a Use Case and Make It Happen
Nearly 8 million Raspberry Pis have been sold, and they are often seen in electronics and computer labs. This year, the Raspberry Pi broke the Amstrad PCW record, creating a new record for the best-selling computer in the UK.
Prices for microcomputers like the Raspberry Pi continue to drop, facilitating their use worldwide. Even people in developing countries can use computers and access the internet, enjoying the benefits of the digital world, which will lead to a more prosperous global economy.
Today, the processing power of the Raspberry Pi is no longer just about turning lights on and off. However, even though each generation of Raspberry Pi brings new capabilities, we still have not fully explored its potential. Therefore, people need to think of more uses and leverage the Raspberry Pi to realize them.
