Back to: Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is a credit-cardsized computer, fully functional, low cost, powerful yet small. Whether you’re looking for a device you can use to browse the web or play games, are interested in learning how to write your own programs, or are looking to create your own circuits and physical devices, Raspberry Pi can be used for the job.
The Raspberry Pi family was born from a desire to encourage more hands-on computer education around the world. Its creators, who joined together to form the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation, had little idea that it would prove so popular: the few thousand built in 2012 to test the waters were immediately sold out, and millions have been shipped all over the world in the years since. These boards have found their ways into homes, classrooms, offices, data centres, factories, and even self-piloting boats and spacefaring balloons.
All Raspberry Pi models have one thing in common, though: they’re compatible, meaning that software written for one model will run on any other model. It’s even possible to take the very latest version of Raspberry Pi’s operating system and run it on an original pre-launch Model B prototype. It will run more slowly, it’s true, but it will still run.
Components of a Raspberry Pi
Unlike a traditional computer, which hides its inner workings in a case, a standard Raspberry Pi has all its components, ports, and features out on display – although you can buy a case to provide extra protection, if you’d prefer. This makes it a great tool for learning about what the various parts of a computer do, and also makes it easy to learn what goes where when it comes time to plug in the various extras – known as peripherals – you’ll need to get started.
Core components of a computer
A computer is made up of three critical components, the Central Processing Unit or CPU (the brain of the computer), the Random Access Memory or RAM (the area where work is done, like a desk) and the Hard Disk Drive HDD or Solid State Drive SSD (the place files are stored when not in use or when the computer is switched off, like a filing cabinet).
A computer program stored on SSD or HDD must first be loaded into memory before it can be executed. It takes time to copy the program from the HDD to the memory, so even the fastest CPU has to wait patiently for this transfer to complete before it can start. Lots of RAM is like having a really big desk, with lots of things open on the desk, the CPU can access everything much faster. A small desk (limited RAM) means the CPU spends most of its time waiting for files to be moved in and out of the filing cabinet.
