Raspberry Pi 400

[Syd]

On a whim, and after seeing a review on YouTube, I ordered a Raspberry Pi 400 yesterday.

I have a Pi 3b, fitted with a 4” touchscreen, running Octopi and controlling one of my two 3d printers so was curious what this latest model would bring.

I have not had a lot of time to play with it tonight but my initial impression was that I was impressed and it’s likely to become a heavily used asset.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-400/

[tatanab]

I have a hankering after one as well, but I have no ide what I could possibly do with it. In the 70s I built my own memory extensions for ZX81, I also built a Nascom (19" rack which also contained a stripped down ZX81 connected to a remote keyboard). I never did get that Nascom working, I don't think I tried hard enough. I think you can see that my interest lay in the hardware, building and adapting, I never got to grips with anything else. It probably will not stop me buying one, with no idea why, and eventually filing it away with my other "projects".

[alanesq]

I have a hankering after one as well, but I have no ide what I could possibly do with it. In the 70s I built my own memory extensions for ZX81, I also built a Nascom (19" rack which also contained a stripped down ZX81 connected to a remote keyboard). I never did get that Nascom working, I don't think I tried hard enough. I think you can see that my interest lay in the hardware, building and adapting, I never got to grips with anything else. It probably will not stop me buying one, with no idea why, and eventually filing it away with my other "projects".

I think the Raspberry Pi 400 is great, what they should have produced in the start as the standard Raspberry Pi requires so much additional equipment etc. to get up and running especially for a beginner, but they always seem to be too expensive for what they are to me.

With your diy electronics interest you might be interested in getting an Arduino type board as they make dabbling in electronics and programming pretty simple and great fun. I used to do a lot of programming etc. back in the 80s on my trusty Vic-20 and I think the Arduino re-captured my interest in this type of thing.
Arduino type boards are amazingly cheap and I think amazing what you can do with them without having to be an electronics/programming expert.
e.g. You can get an esp32 for under £5 on eBay which has built in wifi, blutooth and a surprisingly powerful processor.
Add to this a relay board for around £1, connect 3 wires between it and the esp32 and you can build yourself a wifi controlled "smart switch".

[mercalia]

near bottom
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=140493&start=30

[Pebble]

On a whim, and after seeing a review on YouTube, I ordered a Raspberry Pi 400 yesterday.

I have a Pi 3b, fitted with a 4” touchscreen, running Octopi and controlling one of my two 3d printers so was curious what this latest model would bring.

I have not had a lot of time to play with it tonight but my initial impression was that I was impressed and it’s likely to become a heavily used asset.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-400/

I take it that you are into 3D printing, so a question about 3D printers - what is the minimum still air temperature they can work in ? and what would be the best ambient room temperature to have.

[Psamathe]

My first thought on it's release was that, given the price it should be very suitable for distribution to kids needing internet but without computers or tablets (e.g. previously when schools closed but now when self-isolating which it's reported are a significant numbers). Gov. made big announcements about vast numbers of computers being distributed then later quietly massively cut back the numbers making the scheme a complete waste of time. Use the Pi400s and you'd get far more computers for the same budget.

Ian

[Syd]

On a whim, and after seeing a review on YouTube, I ordered a Raspberry Pi 400 yesterday.

I have a Pi 3b, fitted with a 4” touchscreen, running Octopi and controlling one of my two 3d printers so was curious what this latest model would bring.

I have not had a lot of time to play with it tonight but my initial impression was that I was impressed and it’s likely to become a heavily used asset.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-400/

I take it that you are into 3D printing, so a question about 3D printers - what is the minimum still air temperature they can work in ? and what would be the best ambient room temperature to have.

Will very much depend of the plastic you are using. PLA is the most common, and easy, to work with. To be honest I have never had to look at ambient temperatures.

If using ABS, for example, ambient temperature becomes much more important, as does being draft free, so an enclosure is strongly advised. The internal temperature of said enclosure will be maintained by the heat from the components, particularly a heated bed.

[Pebble]

On a whim, and after seeing a review on YouTube, I ordered a Raspberry Pi 400 yesterday.

I have a Pi 3b, fitted with a 4” touchscreen, running Octopi and controlling one of my two 3d printers so was curious what this latest model would bring.

I have not had a lot of time to play with it tonight but my initial impression was that I was impressed and it’s likely to become a heavily used asset.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-400/

I take it that you are into 3D printing, so a question about 3D printers - what is the minimum still air temperature they can work in ? and what would be the best ambient room temperature to have.

Will very much depend of the plastic you are using. PLA is the most common, and easy, to work with. To be honest I have never had to look at ambient temperatures.

If using ABS, for example, ambient temperature becomes much more important, as does being draft free, so an enclosure is strongly advised. The internal temperature of said enclosure will be maintained by the heat from the components, particularly a heated bed.

we have just got one for the 'mnshed' room it is in is about 10c and will no doubt get colder as we go into winter. I was thinking of building an enclosure round it so as the printer can be in 20c ? Some say it should be OK but as prints take so long I am not wanting to waste 3 hours for what I'm thinking will be a failed print.

Would you think 10c is just far too cold ?

[kwackers]

Would you think 10c is just far too cold ?

Try it and see but I reckon it is.

Draughts are the usual killer but all a draught does is cool the plastic more than it already is. 10c is pretty cold...
IME a lot depends on the size of the base of the print and how well stuck to the bed it is but even PLA will warp if there's a large temperature difference.
What you'll probably find is a fair bit of variability in the success of your prints at that temperature.

There are loads of designs for enclosures on the web but in my experience they make a relatively small tool into a piece of furniture and more difficult to use too.
I just made a simply box from 5 pieces of Perspex held by hinges so that it folds flat for the few times I need better thermal control. I just unfold it and put it over the top like a cake cover. Works a treat.

[mercalia]

My first thought on it's release was that, given the price it should be very suitable for distribution to kids needing internet but without computers or tablets (e.g. previously when schools closed but now when self-isolating which it's reported are a significant numbers). Gov. made big announcements about vast numbers of computers being distributed then later quietly massively cut back the numbers making the scheme a complete waste of time. Use the Pi400s and you'd get far more computers for the same budget.

Ian

well there are lots of 2nd hand notebooks that have lots of life left in them around £100. eg I bought a nice HP2560p ultra-book for £95 a couple of years ago. Has a first generation icore cpu but still very fast and fine for general internet duties.

On the matter of 3-D printers, for those who have them what are you making?

[kwackers]

On the matter of 3-D printers, for those who have them what are you making?

All sorts of things.
Brackets, tool holders, replacement parts for broken bits of kit, "lost pla" castings, one off gears for machinery, cases for projects, internal supports for some of my wife's glass creations, test parts for my engineering, battery adaptors for old power tools, model aircraft (helicopter / drone) parts etc etc.

Only thing I would say about 3d printing is that to make good use of it you need to get fairly comfortable with modelling stuff otherwise you just print what other people have already made which can be fairly limiting.
(I use Fusion 360 which is free for 'amateur' use but other packages exist).

[Syd]

My first thought on it's release was that, given the price it should be very suitable for distribution to kids needing internet but without computers or tablets (e.g. previously when schools closed but now when self-isolating which it's reported are a significant numbers). Gov. made big announcements about vast numbers of computers being distributed then later quietly massively cut back the numbers making the scheme a complete waste of time. Use the Pi400s and you'd get far more computers for the same budget.

Ian

well there are lots of 2nd hand notebooks that have lots of life left in them around £100. eg I bought a nice HP2560p ultra-book for £95 a couple of years ago. Has a first generation icore cpu but still very fast and fine for general internet duties.

On the matter of 3-D printers, for those who have them what are you making?

I suppose the space that the Raspberry Pi Foundation are looking to occupy is that where those with a minimal knowledge can get themselves a workable internet connected device.

Should I, personally, buy an older HP ultrabook I would be looking at optimising its performance (i.e moving it away from that inefficient OS called Windows) onto some form of Linux (of turn it into a Hackintosh) which is often not a job for those of a nervous disposition.

On the 3d printer topic I have scanned and made replacements to repair a number of items at home and they are just generally fun things to have.

I have two as I outgrew the first one quite quickly ( volume too small) but keep it to run those smaller items when the other is busy.