6 Things To Know Before Buying Your First Raspberry Pi

It's likely you've seen some cool Raspberry Pi projects out in the wild — perhaps in the form of digital signage at a restaurant, a retro gaming arcade in a bar, or a smart mirror at a friend's home — and now you're curious about what it can do. Designed to be a low-cost computer for your hardware and software projects, the Pi is well-known for its versatility and ease of use. It comes with both basic and advanced features, from USB and Ethernet ports to AI module support, making it a great candidate when building all sorts of electronic and computer-driven setups.

If you're convinced and want to start tinkering with a Pi, it is, however, important not to rush with buying the first board you see online. Before you make the big jump, there's a couple of things you should keep in mind. These will help you set expectations, choose the right model, and have a smoother experience with the Pi overall.

It's crucial to lay out the distinction between a Raspberry Pi and Arduino right out of the gate to better set your expectations. At first glance, you might assume the Pi is a microcontroller just like the Arduino since it almost looks the same, also has input/output pins, and is used for electronic projects. However, the Pi is actually considered a single-board computer (SBC). It can handle much more complex and larger tasks and is more powerful specs-wise. 

One thing that sets apart the Pi from the Arduino is that the SBC can run full-blown operating systems, while Arduino mainly supports single programs. This means you can use the Pi similar to a desktop computer, where you can browse the web, write word documents, create screen and video recordings, and even play light games like chess and Tetris. Without an OS, though, you can't boot up or use the Pi. Speaking of OS, there are plenty of available Raspberry Pi operating systems for beginners, including the official Raspberry Pi OS itself, Ubuntu, and FydeOS. There are also special ones, such as RetroPie which is dedicated for retro gaming and OSMC which is used for turning your Pi into a media center. 

When comparing use cases, some of the practical applications for the Pi are as a basic desktop, home automation hub, and network monitoring. Meanwhile, you'll primarily see Arduinos in more hardware-focused projects, such as an environment monitor, automatic plant watering system, and robotics. 

If you've been looking into the Pi, then chances are you've read about it being a more budget-friendly alternative to your desktop or laptop computer. This is true to some degree. The Pi can easily handle basic computer tasks, including internet browsing, coding, file management, music and video streaming, and even document printing. If those are the main things you do on your computer everyday, then the Pi might actually work as a decent desktop option for you.

However, keep in mind that this SBC isn't built exactly like your regular computer. It has generally lower specifications and uses a completely different processor architecture, so it won't function exactly like how a Windows or macOS computer would. For instance, you can't readily install popular programs like Adobe, Microsoft Office, and Spotify since they don't have a Linux or ARM version. You'll need to resort to open-source alternatives for them instead. In terms of performance, the Pi might not be able to keep up with resource-heavy tasks, such as video editing, high-end gaming, and training AI models. Another reason why the Raspberry Pi can't fully replace your computer is because its main storage is a microSD card. While it supports less than 2TB cards that lets you store plenty of files, you can't deny that SSDs are generally more reliable in the long run.

If you'll be using older versions of the Raspberry Pi, you also can't expect it to run smoothly as a desktop computer due to its limited resources. Most users found that the latest Raspberry Pi 5 and Pi 4 can do the job just fine, but there is much to be desired for the other models.

The Raspberry Pi comes in many shapes and forms, so before you go about buying the first Pi you see, it's important to know what your options are. One of the most commonly used models is the Raspberry Pi itself. It's a credit card-size board featuring multiple ports (e.g., USB, Ethernet, headphone jack) similar to your typical desktop computer. As of this writing, you can pick from one of six available versions: Pi 1 Model B+, Pi 3 Model A+, Pi 3 Model B, Pi 3 Model B+, Pi 4, and the latest Pi 5. They differ in features like RAM and processor but generally function the same. Application-wise, you can use the Raspberry Pi in pretty much any project you can think of, from basic media servers to complex AI-powered robot arms.

Then, there's the Raspberry Pi Zero, a smaller variation of the standard Pi. It doesn't include USB and LAN ports and has a generally less powerful chip and lower RAM. The Zero comes in three models: Pi Zero, Pi Zero W, and Pi Zero 2 W. Because of its size, it's best used in projects in need of a compact and light controller, such as a handheld gaming console or drone.

Another popular Pi model is the Pico, available in two versions (Pico 1 and Pico 2). Unlike the Pi and Pi Zero, this small board functions more like the Arduino than the standard Raspberry Pi. It's a microcontroller supporting C and MicroPython, ideal for electronic and IoT projects.

Your Raspberry Pi won't work right out of the box. You'll first need to plug it into a power supply and insert the microSD card containing your OS of choice. Since this will be your first time working with Pi, it's best to use it directly instead of headless (more on this later). For the direct setup, you'll also need a display (any HDMI monitor would do, but the Pi works with DSI displays too) and a USB keyboard and mouse.

However, to expand the Pi's functionality and make the most out of its features, there are optional accessories you can use with it. For instance, Raspberry Pi itself offers official IPS and DSI displays, CSI cameras (AI camera, global shutter, NoIR, high quality, basic), fan, real time clock battery, SSD, and USB hub. There are also Pi HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) that connect directly on top of the Pi and essentially act as the driver for certain add-ons. You can find an M.2 HAT+ for connecting SSDs and AI accelerators to your Pi, Sense HAT for integrating the Pi with multiple sensors, and Build HAT for working with LEGO Technic components.

Aside from official accessories, the Pi lets you use a host of third-party electronic modules and sensors too. These include DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and even LEDs, among many others. They can easily be connected via the GPIO pins. However, you don't have to buy all the available Raspberry Pi accessories you can find. You can just pick some depending on the needs of your project.

One of the most useful Raspberry Pi features to know before buying your first board is that it's capable of running in headless mode where no display, keyboard, and mouse are connected. Sure, having all these peripherals would make the initial setup much easier on your end. But once you're done, you actually aren't required to keep them attached to the board. The Pi works completely fine without them. This means unless you're using it as a desktop computer, you don't have to splurge on a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You can use any old ones lying around or even just borrow them from a friend.

This also means that you have more freedom when it comes to what projects to make. Since you don't need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse hooked up to the board all the time, you won't have to stress about how to protect them when setting up an outdoor project, or how to squeeze them into a compact case. If your project doesn't require direct user input and output, feel free to skip them altogether.

Don't worry, though — even with no monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you can still control the Pi and view its output data (if there are any). To gain access to the board, you can either SSH into Raspberry Pi or use the VNC server. Both involve connecting to the Pi over the network from a different device like a Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. SSH gives you command line-only access, while VNC lets you use the Pi's full desktop interface.

It can be overwhelming to dive into something new without any sort of direction. Thankfully, with the Raspberry Pi being one of the most popular SBCs out there, there's a host of beginner-friendly guides, tutorials, and tons of community support online. From Raspberry Pi itself, you can find an official beginner's guide PDF that's downloadable for free (at least for the Pi 4; the Pi 5 guide is sold for $26).

There's a complete Getting Started guide on the Pi website too, covering everything from connecting the Pi to peripherals to initially configuring it to figuring out what to do afterward. If you want to go straight to creating projects, you can go to the Raspberry Pi Projects or Tutorials page. These offer a range of hardware and software projects, designed for different user levels. For third-party guides, there's a tutorial from SparkFun, Pi enthusiast Paul McWhorter on YouTube, and multiple projects on Hackster and Instructables.

Keep in mind, however, that most of the official Raspberry Pi resources focus on the latest Raspberry Pi release, so if you're buying an older board or a different model (e.g., Pico, Zero), you might have to do your own research and rely on third-party guides. You don't necessarily need to buy the Pi 5 if it's out of your budget or you don't have use for its fancy features — you can start learning even if you get the Pi 4 or Pi 3.