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Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: A Newcomer's Review by jacobtothe

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· @jacobtothe · (edited)
$13.04
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: A Newcomer's Review
Here's a fun experiment. I am posting this from my new computer. This new computer cost me around $100 USD, brand new. I finally joined the Raspberry Pi club! I am by no means claiming any expertise in how this new machine can be used. I am only beginning to explore the potential.

<center>![Raspberry Pi 4 Model B](https://www.raspberrypi.org/homepage-9df4b/static/raspberry-pi-4-labelled-2857741801afdf1cabeaa58325e07b58.png)
[Image credit](https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/)</center>

What is the Raspberry Pi? It's a computer system on a chip that's only about the size of a deck of playing cards. The [4th generation](https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/) has a quad core 64-bit 1.5GHz ARM processor.

The default Raspberry Pi OS is a Linux derivative geared toward introducing users to programming, so this is an awesome option for anyone who wants to learn to code. The [website](https://www.raspberrypi.org/) has resources galore, too. If you want to learn, the [community](https://www.raspberrypi.org/community/) is huge and [documentation](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/) is superb.

Prices start at just $35 or so for a basic board, but I opted for a [starter kit from Labists](https://labists.com/products/labists-raspberry-pi-4g-ram-32gb-card) with the 4GB model, a case, a fan, heat sinks, and assorted cables. It also has a 32GB Sandisk memory card preloaded with NOOBS (New Out Of the Box Software) ready to install a couple different operating systems.

<center>![Labists kit](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0261/8074/7357/products/4_4GB_32G-01_1296x.jpg)
[Image credit](https://labists.com/products/labists-raspberry-pi-4g-ram-32gb-card)</center>

I tested the system before installing everything in the case. Initial boot and setup was a breeze, and not just because I have dabbled in Linux distros of various flavors already. This was unbelievably simple. Short of buying a preconfigured computer, this was as easy as it gets. 

I then installed everything in the Labists case. I was a bit less impressed with that. There were visible tooling marks on the inner surfaces, and no markings indicating date of manufacture or plastic formula. It feels a bit cheap. The only hiccup was when I didn't have the HDMI cable fully seated, and that was my fault, not the system's. Rule 1 of hardware troubleshooting: Unplug and reconnect all cables, restart, see if that fixed something. It then worked fine, and the case seems to be holding up to repeated opening and closing to show off the innards to folks. 

I elected to use the lower-voltage option for the fan since I am hardly taxing the system right now. The fan can run on 3.3 volts for quieter, more efficient operation or on a 5-volt pin for more aggressive cooling.

Of course, neither case nor fan is necessary for those who want to save some cash. It's horribly bulky now at the volume of *two* decks of cards. Shockingly decadent in its waste of space, right? I may 3D-print a custom case with slots for a laptop hard drive and a battery pack. I would also like to explore some tablet screen mods, and I may dabble in game console emulation. I have more Micro SD cards on the way so I can swap operating systems easily. This is promising to be fun!

If you want to experiment with Linux, get an educational tool to learn programming, or build a custom arcade game cabinet, you can't go wrong with one of these systems. What might you do?

- Home school STEM projects
- Beginning coding
- Basic web browsing and office suite software work
- A home media server beyond what a Smart TV offers
- Smart Home gadgets with direct control
- [add your idea here]

This is truly computing accessible to anyone!

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@logiczombie ·
Nice.
👍  
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@nateonsteemit ·
I want so bad to get into this kind of shit. The cool super hacker tiny supercomputer shit that nobody can trace and that you can overthrow the corporatist government system with.

But I can't code.
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@jacobtothe ·
It comes with coding tutorials.
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@nateonsteemit ·
To teach a luddite? :D cause that kind of decentralization is really awesome. 
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@pyramidone ·
$0.02
##### Excellent Review
You may want to look into the Pi's (new) ability to boot from USB. A cheap USB to SATA adapter paired with an SSD provides unparalled performance (speed, write endurance), perfect for storing many types of data or even virtual machine images. In my opinion, this feature addition allows the Pi to compete with similar desktop offerings in a more serious manner.
👍  ,
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@jacobtothe ·
I may order one. I have heard people have issues with laptop HDDs, but SSDs are so much simpler and more efficient with no motorized moving parts.
👍  
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@steampunkkaja ·
$0.02
I can't wait to see what you do with this unit.  I've seen people use Raspberry Pi computers as CNC controllers, control units for CCTV systems, and some strange custom gadgets.
👍  ,
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@jacobtothe ·
I'm curious to see whether I can emulate Windows 2000 or XP for some "retro" gaming. I am looking into prebuilt OS projects vs. running Windows as a virtual machine.
👍  ,
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@steemstem ·
re-jacobtothe-raspberry-pi-4-model-b-a-newcomer-s-review-20200616t082107983z
<div class='text-justify'> <div class='pull-left'>
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@jacobtothe ·
Muted? Is this legit, or spam?
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