The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released the Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard computer – a modern take on the home computers of the 1980s.
The Raspberry Pi 400 is a system that has the computer fully integrated within the keyboard, much like the Commodore 64 and Amiga, along with ZX Spectrum, back in the day. Obviously, it’s a fair bit more powerful than any of these with a quad-core 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, wireless networking, a dual-display output, and 4K video playback.
Thanks to its design of being built into a keyboard, all you need to do is add a mouse, power supply, and SD card with Raspberry Pi OS installed. Conveniently, it’s possible to buy a kit that contains all of those accessories so you’re up and running.
It looks a lot like an affordable wireless Bluetooth keyboard so it’s easy to store plus ideal for those with limited space. That means it’s also somewhat restrictive because it doesn’t have a laptop-style touchpad cursor and nor is it particularly good for those with large hands. It’s only 238 x 120 x 20mm, keeping sleek and stylish rather than offering a lot of room.Still, that should suit the target audience for the Raspberry Pi 400 fairly well.
The thinking is that it’s ideal for those on a budget. In particular, schools and parents who may need more technological assistance at home since the pandemic began. Available for $70 for just the computer/keyboard or $100 for the full kit with power supply, mouse, SD card, HDMI cable, and Beginner’s Guide, it’s certainly affordable.
And, if you do fancy tinkering with it, there’s a few interesting features under the hood. Notably, it features a custom layout Raspberry Pi 4 4GB clocked at 1.8GHz with the ability for overclocking thanks to a sizeable integrated heatsink. It runs 300MHz faster than the previous Raspberry Pi Model B before you start tweaking with its LPDDR4 RAM running faster at 3,200MHz compared to the predecessor’s 2,400MHz.
Whether you’re keen to tinker away or genuinely want to use the Raspberry Pi 400 as a desktop setup, it’s an appealing concept that will hopefully help out numerous low-income households.