When working in resource poor environments, it is often a challenge to get access to working computers. Either there is no equipment available or it is old, underpowered, malware-ridden or otherwise not usable.
The Raspberry Pi is a small single board computer that costs $35 and can do many common computer tasks. The processor is ARM which is different than the Intel architecture found in most computers. ARM processors are commonly used in tablet computers and smart phones.
In addition to the original Raspberry Pi, there is now a version 2 of the computer which is the same price and runs the same software but is about six times as fast since it has a 4 core processor and twice the memory. This new version runs even complex web based applications like DHIS.
The software for the Pi was originally Linux. Linux offers a rich software ecosystem which has software to perform just about any task you would require. In particular, the most common computer applications for web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets and email are well supported and free of cost. Linux is also immune to most computer viruses. The new version 2 of the Pi also runs Windows but this is not recommended since Windows is vulnerable to computer viruses which can compromise your computer system.
The Raspberry Pi computer only requires about 3 watts power and can be run from a battery or cell phone charger. In order to make a complete computer, you will need to add a keyboard, mouse and display. The display will be the most expensive part and also consume the most power. Small LCD displays require about 25 watts power. The Raspberry Pi can be used with a monitor that has either a composite (yellow RCA jack) or HDMI input. It can also be used with a DVI input using an adapter. Most new monitors have HDMI input while older monitors can usually accept composite input. It does not work with the VGA inputs that many older monitors have.
The total cost for a computer system would include:
- Raspberry Pi $35
- Keyboard $10
- Mouse $10
- LCD Monitor (18"-20") $100
- Monitor cable $5
- Case for Raspberry Pi $10
- SD memory card (4GB) $10
These prices are US prices. Often prices are higher in developing countries. You may be able to locate used monitors and keyboards at lower prices. You should be able to put together a computer for less than $200.
Software:
(All of this is free software)
- Raspbian (Debian) Linux - The basic operating system
- Several web browsers are installed in the default distribution and Google's Chrome browser is available in the repository
- Word Processing: Abiword is a lightweight work processor compatible with Microsoft doc formats
- Spreadsheet: Gnumeric is a lightweight spreadsheet program compatible with Excell formats
- Email: There are several good email clients available
Management of the computer
If the computer is connected to a network, you can use ssh to configure and control the computer which helps with support. There are also several other utilities to make the computer more versatile:
- Samba to share files on the network
- dnsmasq is useful to control network use
The Raspberry Pi is a small single board computer that costs $35 and can do many common computer tasks. The processor is ARM which is different than the Intel architecture found in most computers. ARM processors are commonly used in tablet computers and smart phones.
In addition to the original Raspberry Pi, there is now a version 2 of the computer which is the same price and runs the same software but is about six times as fast since it has a 4 core processor and twice the memory. This new version runs even complex web based applications like DHIS.
The software for the Pi was originally Linux. Linux offers a rich software ecosystem which has software to perform just about any task you would require. In particular, the most common computer applications for web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets and email are well supported and free of cost. Linux is also immune to most computer viruses. The new version 2 of the Pi also runs Windows but this is not recommended since Windows is vulnerable to computer viruses which can compromise your computer system.
The Raspberry Pi computer only requires about 3 watts power and can be run from a battery or cell phone charger. In order to make a complete computer, you will need to add a keyboard, mouse and display. The display will be the most expensive part and also consume the most power. Small LCD displays require about 25 watts power. The Raspberry Pi can be used with a monitor that has either a composite (yellow RCA jack) or HDMI input. It can also be used with a DVI input using an adapter. Most new monitors have HDMI input while older monitors can usually accept composite input. It does not work with the VGA inputs that many older monitors have.
The total cost for a computer system would include:
- Raspberry Pi $35
- Keyboard $10
- Mouse $10
- LCD Monitor (18"-20") $100
- Monitor cable $5
- Case for Raspberry Pi $10
- SD memory card (4GB) $10
These prices are US prices. Often prices are higher in developing countries. You may be able to locate used monitors and keyboards at lower prices. You should be able to put together a computer for less than $200.
Software:
(All of this is free software)
- Raspbian (Debian) Linux - The basic operating system
- Several web browsers are installed in the default distribution and Google's Chrome browser is available in the repository
- Word Processing: Abiword is a lightweight work processor compatible with Microsoft doc formats
- Spreadsheet: Gnumeric is a lightweight spreadsheet program compatible with Excell formats
- Email: There are several good email clients available
Management of the computer
If the computer is connected to a network, you can use ssh to configure and control the computer which helps with support. There are also several other utilities to make the computer more versatile:
- Samba to share files on the network
- dnsmasq is useful to control network use
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