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Comment by Grimburger | Hacker News Reader

A pi by itself, eh I don't know.

A pi + a full kit like breadboard/cables, LCD/LED display panels, camera, microphone/speaker, air sensors, IR sensors, gyros, etc. Now that's got a chance.

It's certainly not going to be for all kids but for those with an inquisitive mind once you set them up and show how to display output in various ways they will start to see the potential. From there you can move onto basic rc hobbyist stuff which is more accessible than ever. Buy some cheap brushless motors, wheels and a frame online, make the pi follow you around by sound only.

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The Raspberry Pi 400 is the closest thing you can get to, let's say, ZX Spectrum.

The closest thing is a ZX Spectrum Next, for the lucky ones that manage to own one.

Yeah, that's what I didn't mention it. I myself wanted one, but there is no way to buy it unless you are fine paying exorbitant prices when it comes for auction on ebay... Which goes against the goal of a low cost computer for learning.

I agree. PI by itself is boring. You plug it in and you have... a shitty desktop.

Need some sensors and associated electronics or just drop down a level to an arduino so theres no OS baggage and things are less magical.

Arduino has the very approachable scratch as a language + beginner friendly ide and a good community but I feel like a pi or similar board that you can drop ubuntu on and run some python scripts opens up more possibilities.

Then point them at chatgpt and see what happens haha.

But what does that give you that a regular desktop can't provide?

The only novelty of a PI or a audrino is the pins.

That's like saying the only novelty of trolley bags are the wheels.

That's. The. Point.

Instead of a closed down consumer hardware like a phone, tab, laptop, there's something that you can physically expand, read data from nature using it, and make changes directly in the physical world using code.

That's fantastic and exciting.

We are in agreement.

The pins are the point.

> there's something that you can physically expand, read data from nature using it, and make changes directly in the physical world using code.

You can't do this with _just_ a RPI though.

A RPI without any extra sensors or electronics is just a desktop.

By coincidence, the pins also _have_ a point :)

Agree - you need a book that shows you how to get started and do a bunch of fun projects - there are some available as Kindle unlimited books:

https://www.amazon.com/Fun-projects-Raspberry-Pi-everything-...

Why not go for esp8266 if you just want to use sensors? Pi is overkill

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