The Raspberry Pi computer unit, a small $25-$35 Linux computer, keeps its original cost low by not including three main things: a keyboard, a mouse, and a power cord. Here's a mostly complete list of what you'll need all together:
Recommended Base Unit, Case, Wifi, and Book
Power cable - Your initial power cable needs to be 700mA or higher, which means the USB port on your computer, or a lot of cheap cell phone chargers, won't work. (You can expect the USB port on your counter to put out 500mA, not enough to keep the Pi running in a stable mode.)
Here is a good and cheap power cable from Amazon that should work great for you ( right ).
Keyboard and Mouse - If you have an old keyboard and mouse laying around, and it's got a USB connector, you can plug it into the Pi. If you don't have one yet, you can often find a nice combo set for under $25.
- The Model B RPi ( $35 ) has two USB ports. If you are planning to connect to the Internet with an Ethernet ( wired ) cable, you should be able to just a regular keyboard and mouse with it. If you are planning to use the Wi-Fi adapter on USB, you will need either a keyboard with a USB hub ( to share one point with the mouse ) or a powered USB hub. Getting the keyboard with USB hub is generally cheaper.
Storage - The Raspberry Pi does not come with a regular hard drive like a laptop would, so you'll need to pick up an SD memory card or microSD memory card ( often used for digital cameras and Android cell phones. ) If you use the microSD card, you'll have to buy a small adapter ( usually under $15 ) to get it to fit in the Raspberry Pi unit correctly. Here's a few SD cards that should work:
If you already have a spare microSD card, here's some adapters you could use to plug it into the unit:
Note: If you are planning to try multiple operating systems, for example trying to use both Linux and Android on your Raspberry Pi, you will need to get a separate SD card for each. It might be useful to buy a combo pack right away.
Getting on the Internet: Wired or Wi-Fi If you buy the $35 Raspberry Pi, which is my sincere recommendation, you get an included Ethernet port, which is great, because you won't use up the USB port that's on the unit. If you choose to go the Wi-Fi route, you'll need to pick up both a Wi-fi USB adapter ( usually under $20 if purchased online ) and also a powered USB hub to make sure your computer is fully powered for all its needs. Here's my recommended adapter that I've used successfully with no problems:
Here's a few powered USB hubs:
Screen/Monitor/TV - Your new Raspberry Pi unit connects to either an HDMI screen or TV, or an old-school television that has a yellow composite video ( RCA ) input port. You'll obviously have much more screen space using the HDMI TV, but if you're not near one, or have an old TV you'd like to put back into use, you might want to pick up a good RCA cables just in case you need it sometime. Here is a 12 foot, 6 foot, and the adapter you'll need for either the 12 or 6 to connect the sound/audio to the TV set.
If you are using a standard HDMI screen, all you need is a regular HDMI cable. They're a lot cheaper online than buying in a store, especially if you buy a combo pack. If you're using a computer screen, it might only have a DVI port, and not an HDMI port. Here's a picture of what the DVI port looks like. If your computer has this, you'll need an HDMI to DVI cord, which is really cheap here at Amazon. I use this one myself with an old screen that was collecting dust.
If you really want a new screen for your Raspberry Pi, I can't really suggest you spend $2000 on a really big high-def TV. ( If you do, here is my suggestion. ) You should be fine a regular decent quality LCD screen, which range in price from about ( $100 to $200 ). Here's a few that should work well for you:
Carrying Case If you're going to be transporting your Pi unit, you might want to make sure the unit itself is in a cushioned case. Your typical digital camera case shoud work fine, especially if it has room for spare SD cards.
Once you get your unit hooked up, which is really quick, you can use some of the following guides to get everything installed.
If you want to turn your Raspberry Pi into a Lego supercomputer, here is a link and YouTube video.
If you're just building a regular PC, here's a list of the parts you'll need for building that PC.