Beloved by engineers and hobbyists, young and old alike, the Raspberry Pi 3 is one of the top single-board computers on the market today. The Pi is popular among its fan base because of its seemingly limitless DIY potential. From robotics to video game emulators, the versatile device from Raspberry Pi Foundation can do practically anything imaginable. Here at Arrow, we are stocked full of exciting and interactive ways that you or someone you love, whether new to the Pi or a seasoned pro, can dive into the world of possibilities with Raspberry Pi.
For Starters: The Best Raspberry Pi Products and Kits for Beginners
Raspberry Pi Starter Kit
For anyone looking to get their feet wet with the Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi Foundation's Raspberry Pi Starter Kit is the ideal place to begin. The kit contains everything you need to start, including your very own Raspberry Pi 3, a protective case, and a guide to help you set up your Pi and begin your first project — programming the 8-LED array that comes with the kit. Also included are necessities like a mouse, keyboard, power supply, HDMI cable and a micro SD card that is preloaded with Pi’s Raspian OS and other fun things like Minecraft! All you need is a monitor and you’ll be able to explore your Pi in no time!
Raspberry Pi Cookbook
The Raspberry Pi Cookbook by Simon Monk may sound like the name of your grandma’s favorite dessert book, but it is packed with tips and tutorials to turn you into a Pi pro in no time. Featuring a variety of lessons on the Pi’s Linux native operating system and Python language, with a dollop of sensor basics and other modules on the side, the handy Raspberry Pi Cookbook makes learning to program easy as Pi.
One of the draws to the Raspberry Pi is its amazing computing ability in such a compact and portable package. To interface it, you will need a keyboard and mouse, which can often be clunky with hard-to-manage cords. Luckily, the iPazzPort from Adafruit is the perfect solution to adding a keyboard to your Raspberry Pi. The wireless keyboard is the size of your average TV remote, yet has full QWERTY typing capabilities and a trackpad for mouse inputs. Battery powered, the easy-to-use iPazzPort uses a 2.4 GHz frequency to communicate with your Pi wirelessly through a USB dongle and comes with a USB charger. With the iPazzPort, you can use your new Pi on the go with ease.
For the Experienced: Raspberry Pi DIY Gaming Kits, Guides and Touchscreens
Raspberry Pi Picade
If you already have a Raspberry Pi 3, but are looking to expand your Pi horizons, try these fun products! One of our favorite DIY kits for the Raspberry Pi is the Picade from Adafruit Industries. This incredible kit gives you the capability of turning your Pi into a retro arcade cabinet, complete with video game emulator software for all the classics. Using the Picade HAT, you can play NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and even N64 games on your Pi with very minimal coding. The Picade’s cabinet console is easy to put together and comes with a clear 8” LCD, great speakers, a joystick and six input buttons that could make any gamer nostalgic, and a slick black powder-coated arcade cabinet with groovy decals. The kit only takes an hour or two to set up, but it is sure to provide hours of fun!
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Python for Microcontrollers
Python for Microcontrollers: Getting Started with MicroPython by Donald Norris is a fantastic way to improve your coding skills on the Raspberry Pi. The book focuses on MicroPython, a version of the Pi’s Python native language, that is based around C to optimize your code for microcontrollers. The book comes with pages of tutorials to help you clean up your code and make it sleek and easy, as well as ways to better incorporate sensors and other peripherals into your Raspberry Pi system. Python for Microcontrollers also contains eight interactive projects for you to work through and make learning MicroPython fun.
Adafruit 7" LCD TFT touch screen
Interested in developing the Pi into a tablet or something similar? Adafruit’s 5” or 7” LCD TFT touch screens are the ideal product for you! They come pre-assembled, with a clear LCD screen to display your Pi’s UI and are outfitted with a small USB driver that enables the screen’s resistive touch capabilities. All you have to do is plug it in to your Pi, give it power, add a couple lines of code to your config.txt file and calibrate the touch screen as a mouse, and you will be set with a brand-new touch screen display for your Pi!
Also check out the IoT Printer Pack and RGB Matrix HAT for fun, intermediate Raspberry PI activities!
For the Advanced: Raspberry Pi Laptop Kits, Gesture Control Boards and More Gaming Kits!
The Pi-Top Laptop
We’ve saved the best for last for those Raspberry Pi wizards looking to add more to their Pi repertoire. The Pi-Top is an amazing way to incorporate everything you could ask out of the Pi into one modular laptop. With the Pi-Top, you can create your own Raspberry Pi laptop, complete with a 14” 1080p display, a keyboard and a trackpad that live on a rail tray that covers your Pi. This means that you have unadulterated access to the Pi while still getting all of the capabilities of a laptop, making interfacing with the Pi and creating projects on the go a snap!
Adafruit's SkyWriter HAT
Easily one of the most compelling products to modify your Raspberry Pi, Adafruit SkyWriter HAT. The little HAT fits snugly on top of the Pi, and, using induced electrical near-fields, gives your Raspberry Pi gesture control capabilities! Like something out of a science fiction movie, the SkyWriter enables gestures like finger movements, waves, taps and flicks to control your Pi and interface with your projects. With a 5 cm active field, the SkyWriter can even transmit through non-conductive media like acrylics or other fabrics and can be incorporated into wearable devices!
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Adafruit's Joy Bonnet
An easy way to turn your Raspberry Pi into a miniature gaming system is the Joy Bonnet from Adafruit. The Joy Bonnet is essentially a HAT that makes your Pi into a game controller, which comes fully assembled and can interface directly into your Pi’s GPIO headers. The Joy Bonnet is practically a tiny version of a classic video game controller, with a directional joystick, four input buttons and a start/select button set. To use, simply write a few lines of code into your config.txt, attach it to your Pi and upload your favorite emulator (like RetroPie) and you’ll be ready to game on the go.
Arrow.com is your one stop shop for all things Raspberry Pi and the best place this holiday season to get the Pi at the lowest price anywhere!