Single-board computer maker Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer-meet-keyboard device with better specifications. Named the Raspberry Pi 500, this successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is as powerful as the current flagship Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi 5. It’s available to buy now from Raspberry Pi resellers.
The Raspberry Pi 500 is the easiest way to get started with a Raspberry Pi as it’s not as intimidating as the Raspberry Pi 5. When you look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you can’t see any chipsets or PCB (printed circuit board). The Raspberry Pi is completely hidden inside a familiar form factor, a keyboard.
The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is that you can plug in a mouse and display, and you’re ready to hit the ground running. If, for example, you have a relative who is using an extremely dated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace an old PC tower for most computing tasks.
When it comes to specifications, the Raspberry Pi 500 features a 64-bit quad-core Arm processor (the same one as the Raspberry Pi 5 uses); 8GB of RAM; 2 micro-HDMI ports, with support for up to two 4K displays; 3 traditional USB ports (but no USB-C besides the power port unfortunately); a Gigabit Ethernet port; and a 40-pin expansion header. It comes with native Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
More importantly, this device brings us back Raspberry Pi’s roots. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational use cases. Over time, tech enthusiasts and industrial customers started using the single-board computers everywhere. (For instance, if you’ve ever been to London’s Heathrow Airport, all the departures and arrivals boards are powered by Raspberry Pis.)
The Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the not-for-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation’s roots. It’s the perfect first computer for school. In many ways, it’s much better than a Chromebook or an iPad because it is both cheap and highly customizable — encouraging creative thinking.
The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase compared to the Raspberry Pi 400.
At launch, only U.K. and U.S. keyboard variants are available. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts are coming soon. And if you’re looking for a package that comes with everything you need, Raspberry Pi also sells a $120 desktop kit with a Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power supply, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.
In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced another brand-new product: the Raspberry Pi Monitor. It’s a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor with a price-tag of $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors out there this launch isn’t as noteworthy as the Pi 500. But for dyed-in-the-wool Pi fans there’s now a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option too.
