Page 11 - Raspberry Pi as a Foundation for Boosting Computer and Technology Literacy

Introduction

One of the authors of this book is a converted Windows-based com-
puter user, who bought his first Mac mini in 2006 and who, a couple of
years later (in 2012 or 2013), discovered Raspberry Pi (RPi). This was a
life-changing discovery, so much so that after a series of different pro-
jects, ranging from a digital Christmas tree with Raspberry Pi Zero to
digital-to-analogue converters employing several hardware attached
on top (HATs) and power supplies worth ten times more than the
heart of the system (RPi 4 with 8 GB of RAM), he decided, first, to co-
write this monograph, and second, one day in the near future to start
learning coding.
The Raspberry Pi, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, is a
series of small, affordable, single-board computers that have revolu-
tionized the world of computing and educational technology since its
inception in 2012. Designed to promote the teaching of basic comput-
er science in schools and in developing countries, these versatile de-
vices have found applications far beyond the educational sector, from
hobbyist projects and home automation to industrial automation and
more.
Raspberry Pi computers boast various models, each offering differ-
ent specifications. Models vary in terms of processor speed, memory,
connectivity options, and IO ports, ensuring there is a Raspberry Pi
for virtually every application – from basic to advanced, from learning
programming and hardware interaction to managing complex systems.
The Raspberry Pi typically runs on a Linux-based operating system
(OS), with the Raspberry Pi OS (formerly known as Raspbian) being
the officially supported OS. However, other OS options like Ubuntu,
Windows IoT Core, are also compatible. Furthermore, the RPi sup-
ports various programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, and
Scratch, making it a versatile tool for programmers of different levels
of programming proficiency.

11