Pi-top is new product developed by a team of three people. Pi-top is something that is a truly wonderful idea and is already starting to gain a lot of attention. I'll jump right in with what it is.
Pi-top takes Raspberry Pi (A low cost credit card sized computer) and places it inside a 3D printed laptop case. This is a big step because previously Raspberry Pi users would need to connect their Raspberry Pi to a monitor or TV and have a keyboard and mouse to connect and use. The laptop case has a keyboard and mouse-pad built into it. The purpose of the pi-top is to get students excited about computing and programming.
The pi-top is still very new and is currently being funded at indiegogo.com. I do not think that this product can be reviewed on the same criteria as a normal laptop for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that it is not a normal laptop! With a 3D printed case and a computer that is the size of a credit card, this is one nifty little product! Another reason that it cannot be compared to normal laptops that one might be considering to buy, is it's intended purpose is to teach about computing, programming, and hardware for computers.
The pi-top is still very new and is currently being funded at indiegogo.com. I do not think that this product can be reviewed on the same criteria as a normal laptop for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that it is not a normal laptop! With a 3D printed case and a computer that is the size of a credit card, this is one nifty little product! Another reason that it cannot be compared to normal laptops that one might be considering to buy, is it's intended purpose is to teach about computing, programming, and hardware for computers.
The pi-top team used their very first prototype (pictured above, this photo was taken from imgur.com) to teach over 400 people about computing and hardware! The pi top has been featured in various technology expos and has managed to win some awards as well. I would think that the pi-top is a huge step in the computer science field because it offers a simple, inexpensive way to learn about computers and programming! Although it still has kinks to work out, it is a very interesting project that I encourage you to read about!
Thank you so much for this article. This is a super cool idea that they have. I have always been interesting in working with raspberry Pi products and was even thinking about incorporating one into my senior design project that I will be starting next year. Why I like these little computers was stated above, they are a great low cost way to learn about computers and programming. Plus for this low cost you get a ton of computing power that when you are able to mix them with some really cool electrical or mechanical hardware you can produce some very cool designs.
ReplyDeleteI can see much potential for teaching with this idea also. You mentioned it a little in your article and I would like to comment on some of the ways that I see that it could help students learn. Hopefully we are on the same page. What I see this begin such a good learning aid like you mentioned is that it is a really build your own computer. Currently I am in a class where we are given a PCB board at the beginning of class and asked to solder it together and have been programming it to do different tasks ever sense. Though we are only working with a little PIC 18 which doesn't have much computing power compared to a raspberry PI, but it is still really enjoyable. I see this could be potentially used in the same way. Student at the beginning of the semester are given that task of building this computer. They learn about 3D printing and print their case. Than about computer architecture and programming. After that they get to assemble their computer and if given enough time, program and play with what they have created. I know I would take that class. Thanks again for this great article.