4 ms·

Note that the Pi 400 is the one built into a keyboard [1], which quite clearly is intended for general computing use and not being embedded into some IoT device

by unwind 5y ago

Note that the Pi 400 is the one built into a keyboard [1], which quite clearly is intended for general computing use and not being embedded into some IoT device. I haven't used one, I'm considering getting one for my oldest kid when he turns 7 next year, so it's really interesting to hear people's experiences in this thread. [1]: https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-400/ https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-400/

ianai 5y ago
I think a kid who’s interested in hardware projects or learning programming might be a good fit for a 400.
- charcircuit 5y ago
  In that case you could just use a proper PC.
  - regularfry 5y ago
    Not for the price.
    - aequitas 5y ago
      Any old laptop you have laying around would do just fine and those are basically "free". It has a trackpad, keyboard, screen and speakers built-in, what more would you need. Only thing I'm worried about with laptops is the kids shutting the lid with a pen on the keyboard, breaking the screen. But so far they seem to manage that fine.
      - dragonwriter 5y ago
        > Any old laptop you have laying around would do just fine and those are basically "free". Not everyone has spare, fully functional laptops lying around “free”.
    - IshKebab 5y ago
      You can get a reasonable second hand laptop for £100. Pi 400 is £60 without the screen.
      - tartoran 5y ago
        But you could hook up the Pi 400 to a large TV and you have some decent playground.
    - charcircuit 5y ago
      By the time your kid is 10 most people would have already bought a new computer 2 times. He can just use one of your old PCs. You don't need that much performance to learn.
      - dragonwriter 5y ago
        > By the time your kid is 10 most people would have already bought a new computer 2 times. He can just use one of your old PCs. You don't need that much performance to learn. By the time my first kid was born, I’d bought a new computer...well, a whole more than two times. And he’s five, and I’ve done more than two since. But the ones that aren't repurposed and in use also aren't reliable (that's why they aren't repurposed), and while you don't need much performance to learn (a plus for the Pi because it's not a master of performance), having something trustworthy is valuable. (Sure, in some cases the reliability issue is fixable with replace parts costing more than a Pi, but then...)
      - regularfry 5y ago
        It strikes me that your definition of "most people" does not, in fact, include most people.
  - Annatar 5y ago
    ...Which would just perpetuate the PC-bucket monoculture. At our software company we used to use PlayStation 3 as a development server running YellowDog Linux. Just testing our RPM .spec files was a gargantuan eye opener as to how many things we got wrong when we'd try rpmbuild --rebuild on YellowDog, and just because we'd write the .spec file on a PC-bucket server running CentOS. Monoculture is an extremely toxic, blinding thing, and it breeds ignorance.
    - charcircuit 5y ago
      If you only plan on supporting one platform it's okay if there are bugs on other problems. You have to make assumptions when making software and it's hard to know if some random platform breaks one of those assumptions.
      - Annatar 5y ago
        It’s not hard: one just needs to be aware. Writing portable software is easy when the programmer is aware and thoughtful, but reaching that state will be very hard if staying on the PC-bucket. PC-bucket is a toxic computing platform, always has been.
- dusted 5y ago
  I thought about that too, but, after having used the device, I'd not give it to someone who's not already experienced with computers.. If that was their first experience with something resembling a desktop, they'd run for their tablet and never look back.
  - ianai 5y ago
    Right I’m assuming it’s not your typical kid and they’ve demonstrated that elsewhere. It’s clearly an open question what is going to engage the next generations with Linux/computers.
Havoc 5y ago
Ah fair - so my comment is a little off the mark then. I was thinking of the CM module thing.

by unwind 5y ago

ianai 5y ago

I think a kid who’s interested in hardware projects or learning programming might be a good fit for a 400.

charcircuit 5y ago
In that case you could just use a proper PC.
- regularfry 5y ago
  Not for the price.
  - aequitas 5y ago
    Any old laptop you have laying around would do just fine and those are basically "free". It has a trackpad, keyboard, screen and speakers built-in, what more would you need. Only thing I'm worried about with laptops is the kids shutting the lid with a pen on the keyboard, breaking the screen. But so far they seem to manage that fine.
    - dragonwriter 5y ago
      > Any old laptop you have laying around would do just fine and those are basically "free". Not everyone has spare, fully functional laptops lying around “free”.
  - IshKebab 5y ago
    You can get a reasonable second hand laptop for £100. Pi 400 is £60 without the screen.
    - tartoran 5y ago
      But you could hook up the Pi 400 to a large TV and you have some decent playground.
  - charcircuit 5y ago
    By the time your kid is 10 most people would have already bought a new computer 2 times. He can just use one of your old PCs. You don't need that much performance to learn.
    - dragonwriter 5y ago
      > By the time your kid is 10 most people would have already bought a new computer 2 times. He can just use one of your old PCs. You don't need that much performance to learn. By the time my first kid was born, I’d bought a new computer...well, a whole more than two times. And he’s five, and I’ve done more than two since. But the ones that aren't repurposed and in use also aren't reliable (that's why they aren't repurposed), and while you don't need much performance to learn (a plus for the Pi because it's not a master of performance), having something trustworthy is valuable. (Sure, in some cases the reliability issue is fixable with replace parts costing more than a Pi, but then...)
    - regularfry 5y ago
      It strikes me that your definition of "most people" does not, in fact, include most people.
- Annatar 5y ago
  ...Which would just perpetuate the PC-bucket monoculture. At our software company we used to use PlayStation 3 as a development server running YellowDog Linux. Just testing our RPM .spec files was a gargantuan eye opener as to how many things we got wrong when we'd try rpmbuild --rebuild on YellowDog, and just because we'd write the .spec file on a PC-bucket server running CentOS. Monoculture is an extremely toxic, blinding thing, and it breeds ignorance.
  - charcircuit 5y ago
    If you only plan on supporting one platform it's okay if there are bugs on other problems. You have to make assumptions when making software and it's hard to know if some random platform breaks one of those assumptions.
    - Annatar 5y ago
      It’s not hard: one just needs to be aware. Writing portable software is easy when the programmer is aware and thoughtful, but reaching that state will be very hard if staying on the PC-bucket. PC-bucket is a toxic computing platform, always has been.
dusted 5y ago
I thought about that too, but, after having used the device, I'd not give it to someone who's not already experienced with computers.. If that was their first experience with something resembling a desktop, they'd run for their tablet and never look back.
- ianai 5y ago
  Right I’m assuming it’s not your typical kid and they’ve demonstrated that elsewhere. It’s clearly an open question what is going to engage the next generations with Linux/computers.

Havoc 5y ago

Ah fair - so my comment is a little off the mark then. I was thinking of the CM module thing.