I talk about the raspberry pi quite a bit, I know more than my wife wants to hear, but no one ever really asks follow up questions. Not sure if they don't care or just dont understand but I find them pretty interesting.
They've always been a low cost computer and for $50 I always thought worth having around.
For anyone who's ever thought, "I kind of want to build stuff, but I'm not technical…" — the Raspberry Pi might be your new favorite tool.
This isn't a pitch or a big philosophical take. Just a quick overview of what it is, how I got into it, and why I've been using it more lately. If you like to tinker — or want to learn by doing — these little machines are worth checking out.
How I Got Into It
I've always loved video games. I still have my original NES and Sega in a box, with a decent collection of cartridges I used to buy off eBay. Around 2014, I stumbled onto an article about building a retro game emulator using something called a "Raspberry Pi." I bought one immediately.
That first Pi turned into a RetroPie console for playing old Nintendo games. I bought a second one to build a hi-fi music streamer. After that, I was hooked — kind of. I could follow tutorials, but if something broke, I was stuck. I didn't know how to debug Linux or fix dependencies. So I tinkered, hit a wall, and moved on.
But now? With AI helping explain errors and coding concepts, I've found a second wind. Projects that used to feel out of reach now feel doable. And fun.
What Is a Raspberry Pi?
It's a small, affordable single-board computer — about the size of a deck of cards. Originally designed to teach kids how to code, it's become a global platform for hobbyists, educators, and engineers to build everything from home automation tools to weather stations.
The Raspberry Pi runs a Linux-based OS (Raspberry Pi OS, formerly Raspbian) and supports most standard peripherals — HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and now PCIe. It costs a fraction of a traditional computer, making it perfect for learning and experimentation.
Why It Took Off
- Low Cost — Many models are under $50. The original Pi launched at $35.
- Massive Community — Endless tutorials, GitHub projects, forums, and YouTube guides.
- Flexible Hardware — GPIO pins, camera/display support, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.
- Open Source — You can look under the hood, change anything, and learn by breaking things.
It's kind of the opposite of modern tech: rather than hiding complexity, it lets you see how stuff actually works.
Raspberry Pi Timeline (Highlights)
| Model | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Model A | 2012 | 700 MHz, 256MB RAM — first release |
| Model B | 2012 | Added Ethernet and 2 USB ports |
| Pi 2 | 2015 | Quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM — much faster |
| Pi 3 | 2016 | Built-in Wi-Fi & Bluetooth |
| Pi Zero W | 2017 | Tiny, ultra-low-power with wireless |
| Pi 4 | 2019 | Up to 8GB RAM, dual 4K video, USB 3.0 |
| Pi 400 | 2020 | Pi 4 built into a keyboard — plug and play |
| Pi 5 | 2023 | 2.4 GHz CPU, up to 8GB RAM, PCIe, very fast |
Why I Use It
It's affordable, safe to mess with, and doesn't risk breaking my real computer. I've used it to:
- Build fun tools for home
- Automate tasks for my business
- Teach myself coding, systems, and APIs
And I've actually learned stuff. Concepts like Docker, GitHub, SQLite, cron jobs, and APIs — they never really stuck until I had something to build with them. The Pi gave me a playground with real stakes but no real risk.
If I mess something up? I just pull the SD card, re-flash it, and start over.
What I'm Running Today
I currently have four Raspberry Pis running full-time at home:
- 2x PiHole ad blockers — block network-wide ads and trackers
- 1x Family dashboard — wall-mounted screen with our calendar, weather, photos
- 1x Dev box — used for coding, testing automations, running internal tools
And here's a more complete list of my past and current Pi projects:
RetroPie
Emulates NES, SNES, N64 games using USB controllers.
Volumio
Streams lossless music to speakers via the network.
PiHole
Blocks ads on every device in the house by replacing DNS.
DakBoard Display
Kiosk-mode family screen showing our calendar, tasks, and Google Photos.
Kids Computer
Safe and simple desktop for typing, browsing, and Scratch.
Pasa Tee Time Bot
Python script that checks golf tee times at Pasatiempo every morning and texts me if there's an opening.
Google Maps API Scraper
Pulls local business listings into a database. I use it for prospecting in my Rolling Suds territory.
Ruft Capital Website
Developed locally on a Pi using Eleventy + Tailwind. Hosted for free on Render. Replaced my $348/year Wix site.
rs-data-app
Internal data pipeline that syncs leads, calls, and jobs from my business systems. Built with Python, SQLite, and Docker.
Why I'm Sharing This
If you've ever wanted to build something but didn't know where to start, I think the Raspberry Pi is worth trying. It's not just a toy — it's a way to learn by doing, and see real results.
I'll go deeper into some of the above projects in future posts. But for now, this is the overview I wish I had when I first explained it to a friend. Hopefully it sparks an idea or two.
Let me know if you end up trying one — always curious what people build.