Abstract created by Sensible Solutions AI
In abstract:
- PCWorld showcases 10 sensible Raspberry Pi tasks that remodel the versatile mini-computer into helpful dwelling gadgets like good TVs, music gamers, and funds PCs.
- These beginner-friendly tasks embody creating community storage techniques, Wi-Fi vary extenders, and residential theater PCs, with some appropriate with the inexpensive Raspberry Pi Zero.
- The Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 fashions supply important efficiency enhancements for duties like internet searching and media streaming, although rising element prices are rising gadget costs.
The Raspberry Pi single-board laptop and all its variants have captured the imaginations of DIY fans and budding hobbyists alike. With the newest mannequin, the Raspberry Pi 5, the mini-PC is extra succesful than ever, with an upgraded four-core 2.4GHz system-on-chip (SoC) that’s as much as thrice quicker than earlier fashions.
A lot of the protection you’ll see across the internet focuses on the extra fantastical tasks—magic mirrors, moveable gaming handhelds, clever drones, and so forth. These maker masterpieces definitely present what kind of energy the sub-$100 mini-PC is able to within the palms of somebody with a bit creativeness and a bin filled with spare electronics.
However most individuals, notably newcomers, gained’t use the Raspberry Pi to whip up loopy creations. There are near-endless sensible makes use of for this bare-bones equipment, from media streaming to extending the vary of your Wi-Fi community, as the next 10 tasks display. Time to place that lil’ laptop to actual work. Heck, many of those tasks will even work with the $10 Raspberry Pi Zero — a superb element to recollect with fashionable RPi costs rising resulting from RAM shortages.
Additional studying: I constructed a maxed-out Raspberry 5 PC with an SSD for underneath $200. You possibly can too
The unique $35 Raspberry Pi might have been revolutionary to makers, nevertheless it took off with PC fans as nicely because of its potential to double as a dirt-cheap home-theater PC. That attract might have waned a bit lately as devoted gadgets just like the Chromecast hit the streets at equally low costs, however utilizing a Raspberry Pi as a media-streaming field nonetheless presents way more energy than these streaming-centric sticks, particularly when you’ve got a sizeable native media assortment.
There are a slew of HTPC-centric Raspberry Pi working techniques on the market, every revolving round slapping your HD movies on the large display. OSMC is constructed across the standard Kodi media middle software program (previously XBMC), whereas RasPlex transforms your Pi into the final word Plex streaming field. The $21 Raspberry Pi TV Hat accent, in the meantime, can grant your mini-PC the power to learn over-the-air TV indicators.
Give a dumb TV smarts
Likewise, when you’ve got a dumb TV that you simply’d like so as to add internet searching and different fundamental computing skills to, the Raspberry Pi does the trick with out costing anyplace close to as a lot as a correct dwelling theater PC. You’ll wish to use a Raspberry Pi 2, 3, or 4, although—the unique Pi and the Raspberry Pi Zero are simply pokey sufficient to be irritating for normal duties. With the precise case, the Pi can look downright trendy in your house theater, too.
Bonus: When you’re connecting the Raspberry Pi to your TV, you need to use it to stream internet movies, too!
File storage server
You may as well have your Raspberry Pi play wingman for the opposite gadgets in your home, serving as a centralized gadget that performs useful duties.
Working example: You should use the mini-PC as a low-cost NAS field for normal file storage for those who join an exterior USB laborious drive to the machine. Hit these hyperlinks for technical particulars, and one tip for those who’re planning to transform the pc to a file server: Use a wired ethernet connection somewhat than Wi-Fi for those who’re ready. Be sure to seize a strong exterior drive, too!
Wi-fi community printer
Printing isn’t as prevalent because it was, however the Raspberry Pi may help you remodel that chunky outdated USB printer in your closet right into a networked printer that each gadget in your home can use.
You’ll want an influence supply for every gadget, clearly, in addition to a USB connection between the gadgets, however setting it up is fairly easy. This MakeUseOf tutorial walks you thru the method step-by-step.
Prolong your private home’s Wi-Fi community
Raspberry Pi doesn’t make the house networks you employ, however it may make the house networks you employ higher for those who configure the mini-PC as a wi-fi vary extender, tapping into the gadget’s ethernet and USB ports. Doing so may help your Wi-Fi sign attain the farthest corners of your home and assist wipe out useless zones.
Configuring the gadget to bolster your private home community will take a little bit of time, and also you’ll want to purchase a USB Wi-Fi adapter to do it, however once more, it’s comparatively easy with a information. Take a look at Adafruit’s reader-friendly tutorial.
Outdated-school gaming emulator
Gaming emulators are a authorized grey space, however there’s little question that utilizing the Raspberry Pi as a butt-kicking console emulator is a well-liked use for the machines. It may possibly play video games from all kinds of consoles proper on as much as the PlayStation 1 period for those who handle to snag some authorized sport ROMs, although the older the system being emulated, the higher the efficiency.
Curious? Take a look at PCWorld’s full information to turning your Raspberry Pi right into a retro gaming console for the total scoop.
A music streaming machine
The Raspberry Pi’s media chops aren’t restricted to video streaming alone. Quite a few working techniques have additionally been launched that remodel the gadget right into a high-fidelity music participant when linked to a speaker, type of like a extra highly effective, versatile model of Chromecast Audio.
he varied music-oriented OSes obtainable supply totally different options; poke across the FAQs and options of every to see which is true on your wants. Listed below are tutorials on the way to have your Raspberry Pi flip dumb audio system into good music options with Volumio and Rune Audio (pictured), each of which provide cell apps so you’ll be able to management your tunes together with your telephone.
Study programming
You may all the time use the Raspberry Pi because it was initially meant, too: As a low-cost introduction to programming and laptop science. The mini-PC’s loaded with all kinds of software program that encourages deep-level tinkering.
Past the command-line terminal, you’ll have to wade in typically, you’ll additionally discover variations of Wolfram Mathematica, Python program creation instruments, and Scratch, an animation coding IDE for youths, within the Raspbian working system that the Raspberry Pi Basis encourages new customers to put in. Get good!
Play Minecraft
Or you can play Minecraft. There’s a free Raspberry Pi model of Minecraft that anyone can obtain without charge. Even higher, it’s designed to show you the way to use the Python programming language as you construct out the world. (Hey, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella did say that a part of the explanation the corporate bought Mojang was to lure children into laptop science.)
Obtain Minecraft: Pi Version and bounce in.
Reasonably priced productiveness PC
With choices of 2GB, 4GB, and now 8GB fashions, the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 pack a heftier punch than earlier RPi iterations—making them appropriate for fundamental on a regular basis duties like internet searching, watching video streams, and doc enhancing. Organising one as a PC goes quick, too, with the majority of the hour setup time dedicated to ready for the working system set up to finish.
As a starter or secondary laptop, it’s laborious to beat, particularly given its construct value of $100 (and even much less, for those who go for the 2GB model and never the 4GB). Take a look at PCWorld’s full information in the way to put collectively a $100 Raspberry Pi PC for every thing you’ll want.
Loopy superior experiments
Let’s end the place we started. When you’ve wrapped your head across the Raspberry Pi’s potential, why not strive your hand at a type of awe-inspiring ingenious tasks? PCWorld’s have a look at 10 insanely progressive, extremely cool Raspberry Pi creations may help with the inspiration, whereas the mission guides at Instructables, Hackaday, and the Raspberry Pi Basis web site itself are able to stroll you step-by-step by the actually superior stuff just like the magic mirror above.
Additionally try our roundup of the greatest Raspberry Pi kits. Whether or not you’re a beginner who simply needs to get all of the fundamentals with one buy, or an skilled tinkerer seeking to construct a specialised mission, a equipment could possibly be the way in which to go.
Editor’s notice: This text is up to date periodically to incorporate new information, most not too long ago to resurface these tasks for Pi day (March 14, 2025) and notice rising costs resulting from RAM shortages.
