Raspberry Pi: The $35 Computer That Became the Default Platform for Everything
Raspberry Pi is a series of low-cost ARM-based single-board computers originally designed for education that became the go-to platform for homelab, IoT, and embedded projects.
The Raspberry Pi is a series of low-cost, credit-card-sized single-board computers developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK charity founded by Eben Upton and colleagues at Cambridge University. Launched in February 2012 at $25–35 to promote computer science education, it unexpectedly became a universal platform for hobbyists, makers, and industrial applications. ## Hardware Evolution The boards run ARM-based processors with Linux (primarily Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian derivative). The **Raspberry Pi 5** (2023) features a quad-core 2.4 GHz Cortex-A76, up to 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM, PCIe 2.0 (enabling NVMe SSDs), dual 4K@60 HDMI, and USB 3.0. Pricing: $45 (1 GB) to $80 (8 GB). The Pi Zero 2 W ($15) offers a compact quad-core option for embedded projects. ## Common Uses - **Homelab**: Lightweight servers, Pi-hole DNS ad-blocking, network monitoring - **Home automation**: Home Assistant hubs, sensor networks - **Retro gaming**: RetroPie emulation - **IoT**: Edge computing, environmental sensors, industrial monitoring - **Education**: The original mission — accessible programming platform - **Prototyping**: 40-pin GPIO header for hardware interfacing ## Ecosystem The 40-pin GPIO header and broad community support make Pi the default starting point for hardware projects. The Raspberry Pi Pico ($4, RP2040 chip) targets real-time embedded applications where a full Linux OS is unnecessary. ## Business Raspberry Pi Ltd (the commercial subsidiary) went public on the London Stock Exchange in June 2024. Over 60 million units have been sold since 2012. **See also:** Used Enterprise Mini PCs as Budget Homelab Servers