Raspberry Pi is launching a new version of its keyboard that doubles as a mini PC. The upgraded “Raspberry Pi 500+” features more RAM, a slot for NVMe SSD storage, and mechanical keys.
On Thursday, the vendor debuted the hardware, which builds on last year’s regular Raspberry Pi 500. The product packs a Raspberry Pi 5 computer into the keyboard itself, offering customers a portable mini PCs running an ARM-based processor.
The new Pi 500+ model upgrades last year’s model by adopting a “high-quality mechanical keyboard with removable keycaps and individually addressable RGB LEDs,” the CEO of Raspberry Pi Holdings Eben Upton wrote in a blog post.
(Raspberry Pi)
“Each key rests on a Gateron KS-33 Blue switch with a custom RAL 7001 Silver Grey stem, giving a satisfying sound and feel when pressed,” he added. “For those of you who prefer taller (or just different) keys, Raspberry Pi 500+ is compatible with most aftermarket keycap sets.”
The product also doubles the RAM from 8GB to 16GB LPDDR4X RAM. Another major change is how the Raspberry Pi board inside now comes with an NVMe SSD slot, in addition to the microSD card slot. Buyers will find the 500+ prefitted with a 256GB Raspberry Pi SSD, but they can also remove it to add a higher capacity SSD or even another PCIe peripheral.
“If you’ve installed something else in the bay, or want to quickly switch operating systems, Raspberry Pi 500+ still supports booting from SD card, or from external USB SSDs,” Upton also noted.
On the downside, the Raspberry Pi 500+ costs more at $200. In contrast, the regular Raspberry Pi 500 goes for $90. Still, the product could appeal to hardware hobbyists and consumers looking for a light-weight, but configurable desktop computer that can run Linux-based operating systems. In the past, we’ve also used Raspberry Pis to create a VPN server and a file-sharing server.
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In the US, Raspberry PI plans on selling the product at Micro Center, Central Computers and the online PiShop. But it doesn’t appear units are available yet.
Customers will also be able to buy the $220 Desktop Kit version, which bundles a Raspberry Pi Mouse, a Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C Power Supply, and A 2m micro HDMI to HDMI cable.
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
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