The Raspberry Pi 400 is a fully functional computer in a keyboard shell. While it's not a true laptop – there's no screen, trackpad or built-in battery – it takes up just as much space as a Logitech keyboard and provides enough power for most computing tasks. .
Raspberry Pi 400 is the perfect laptop
Launched in November 2020, Raspberry Pi 400 is the next version of the Raspberry Pi 4B single-board computer launched 1 year earlier. The product uses the same Broadcom BCM2711 chip with a quad-core Cortex-A72 CPU and 4GB of memory but is contained in a membrane keyboard case with slightly improved heat dissipation, higher default clock speed and design process. Set up is a bit more streamlined. Even though it's been a few years since the Raspberry Pi 400 launched, the product is still a great device.
The Raspberry Pi 400 is more portable than a regular laptop and easier to use than the Raspberry Pi 4B. The product is also extremely affordable, only 70 USD for the keyboard computer alone and 100 USD for the “Personal Computer Kit”, including Raspberry Pi 400, mouse, power supply, micro-HDMI to HDMI cable and other equipment. other peripherals. The kit also includes a beginner's guide, although it focuses more on the single-board computers in the series.
Hardware enthusiasts will be happy to know that the Pi 400 has a 40-pin GPIO (General-Purpose Input/Output) header for interfacing with sensors, additional boards, displays, and other electronic components.
I use the Raspberry Pi 400 for writing and editing when I'm not near my main PC. Other tasks it handles quite well include light web surfing, watching videos (streams HD content smoothly), testing Linux software, streaming audio, programming, and general retro gaming/emulation.
Many people want a slightly better typing experience, but a full-size mechanical keyboard computer with n-key rollover, backlighting, and haptic feedback isn't going to cost $70. The desktop experience seems slower than it used to be, which is the main factor keeping it from becoming the primary computer for many people.
Set up Raspberry Pi 400
The Raspberry Pi 400 is “BYODKM (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse)” but you'll also get a keyboard and mouse if you buy the complete set. Setup is easy and takes less than 10 minutes.
Required accessories
Most of the accessories listed below are included in the set, but can be purchased separately.
- Power source: The rated voltage of the official Raspberry Pi USB power supply (5.1V) is slightly higher than normal to account for voltage drops, but a regular USB Type-C charger will work fine to power for Raspberry Pi.
- Storage: Raspberry Pi 400 has no internal memory and requires an external storage device for the operating system and files. The most popular option is a microSD card with at least 8GB of storage capacity. However, a USB flash drive or SSD will provide better read/write speeds and overall performance.
- Screen: While the Raspberry Pi supports headless use, a suitable dedicated HDMI display is easier to use for beginners. It has two micro-HDMI ports and can output 4K @ 30Hz (fps) video to two screens at the same time.
- Audio output: While the Raspberry Pi 400 does have a built-in speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, it does support Bluetooth for wireless audio and peripherals.
- Mouse: There are 3 USB ports (2x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0) to connect a mouse, printer, USB or other wired peripherals.
- Internet: Raspberry Pi 400 comes with built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and has a Gigabit Ethernet port for wired networking.
The Raspberry Pi 400 is connected to a 10.1″ touchscreen and a 40000mAh power bank, all mounted in a sturdy Plano case, making for a great portable device if you have the patience to set it up.
The Raspberry Pi operating system is familiar to Linux users
Loyal Windows fans, beware: the Raspberry Pi 400 is best suited to run a Linux operating system, as the official Raspberry Pi OS is based on Debian Linux. Raspberry Pi OS comes preloaded on the microSD card included with the personal computer kit. It comes in 32-bit and 64-bit variants, with a Lite version for display-free use.
Note: Be sure to choose a highly durable card with at least 8GB of storage for the desktop version of Raspberry Pi OS and 4GB for the Lite version.
With the operating system installed on the storage device of your choice, you can proceed to connect the Raspberry Pi 400 to a power source and boot the system.
A welcome wizard appears when Raspberry Pi OS runs for the first time to guide you through initial setup. Once you have your Raspberry Pi 400 configured, you can move around your desktop environment, transfer files to the device, download software, and enjoy a unique Linux experience.
The 40-pin GPIO header makes physical computing possible
A typical computer has ports that interact with the hardware in a predetermined way. This is different from microcontroller boards (like the Arduino), which have pins to control and interact with the hardware through software. The Raspberry Pi bridges the gap, providing computational power and low-level hardware control through a 40-pin General-Purpose Input-Output header.
This header on the back of the keyboard makes it possible for the Pi 400 to be used for physical calculations and hardware adjustments. Due to its location, you will need a 40-Pin Ribbon Cable or Header Adapter Board to connect the electronic components to the header. It opens up a new world of computing and there are plenty of Raspberry Pi 400 projects you can try.
