What is Reddit's opinion of CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition?

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Same here. Tried to be honest but Nintendo shipping 10 total minis to each store in Anchorage (insanity) pushed me over the edge. Amazon. Do it. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1484331052&sr=1-3&keywords=raspberry+pi+3 that's the one I ordered. Complete kit. Join the resistance

Not a fan of the vitrolos case from Amazon. Bought one myself and it had no ventilation. Only box I've ever gotten a high temp indicator.

I'd recommend the canakit stuff off Amazon. If you want it all in one they have a kit that isn't too bad of a value, perhaps a the SD card is a little bit overpriced. But for friends that want to have me make something for them (like a retropie setup or whatever) I just point them to this as it's easier:

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qEWfzbMVV9W7S

Otherwise you can pick a board, power supply, case, and heatsinks if you want, and if you have an hdmi cable and extra SD card you can get out a little cheaper.

Yes it is possible, I don't have my pi with me currently but I have hundreds of NES, SNES, game gear, master system, and Genesis roms all saved on my micro SD card with the retropie setup. If you haven't bought your pi yet I would suggest buying the whole package off Amazon, it's what I did and it was helpful. CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_nZ8l33jxmjhpy

I used this CanaKit from Amazon for my Dad's retropie last year for Christmas. Comes with everything you need and also leaves some room in your budget for the controller you are looking for.

Thanks! I found this kit on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1509041045&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=canakit+raspberry+pi+3&psc=1

I have a few HDMI cables lying around so I think outside of controllers I should be all set?

The base model can be had for $35, but then you have to source your own power supply and memory card. You can go the lazy route and spend a bit more, and buy a full kit from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1478994080&sr=1-3&keywords=Raspberry+Pi

Then just search youtube for "Retro Pi" and you'll find install instructions.

It'll work with any USB controller (bought the niece a USB SNES controller, use a wired 360 controller myself).

All of the needed ROM files can be easily found on the web (CoolROMS was the source of most of mine).

I paid around $70 for a Raspberry Pi package (incl. SD card + adapter, protection case, power adapter etc), and something like $50 for the HDD. You don't need any additional cables, keyboards or mouse, because you are connecting and setting up everything from your laptop/pc.
You can find the package on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1521337398&sr=1-4&keywords=raspberry+pi

I got a canakit with the B, I feel like I’ve seen that there’s issues with Retropie and the B+, but maybe I’m thinking of something else... mine came with a sandisk microusb. Used etcher on my Mac to format and write the retropie image. I got the innext controllers and I think they work well (two for $14.99 on Amazon). In the future I may buy a case with a fan built in, but that’s just something I’m interested in, not too worried about it.

This is what I got and it came with everything as listed https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

I’ve had a lot of fun with it, hope it works out for you

I just want to make sure it would work on my Rpi3 if i just got the SD card. I have this one from Amazon

Guys just so everyone knows this is the kit I’m referring to. Anything else (not just Amazon) is out of stock or more expensive. CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_A47T8R63X6F3AN23HJYA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

oh.

raspberry pi hooked to a TV via HDMI setup to boot running a slideshow of the directory of images.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY

$89 dollars, the rest can be implemented via free open-source software. takes a little bit of doing, not much, more or less just an afternoon. there are some tutorials online, do a search for "raspberry pi TV slide show"

that being said, there's way to do this using a roku or firestick device and a USB stick for media storage, but i am not 100% on how to do that.

please understand that not trying to tell you your business by any means, but this is seriously worth looking into. the bottom line is there is so much you don't have to do to get this working. it would be a mistake to do this in powerpoint using a full blown laptop or PC as it's a hassle and a waste of time and resources. if you need to add text or new information to the slide show just create an image file with the content you want displayed and place it in the directory with the rest of the images... viola.

oh and one last thing... i wanted to say you're welcome for the reply and thank you for the thanks! i'm just trying to save you some hassle!

It's the v3 starter kit purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The image is retropie-4.4-rpi2_rpi3.img

I did initially set everything up with the keyboard.

I did just start it up for the first time in months. I have two of the Buffalo USB controllers. One doesn't appear to work at all and I tried multiple USB ports. The other seems to work for navigating around RetroPie but once I get into a game nothing works.

Any ideas? Thank you for the help. I was so excited about this when I first set it up and it's mostly been a disappointment because I can't get the damn thing working.

By a raspberry kit. I used this one.

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_2z3mhrjGo6fDb

Set it up. You might need a spare keyboard and mouse.

Install software.

Tell router to use it as dns provider.

Done.

Obviously u/wee0x1b is talking from his own experience, but don't take everything he says as a scientific truth.

Of course you can use a 16 GB SD card from SanDisk; the size of the card depends entirely on what you want to do; even 8 GB is fine if you aren't installing too many things. And of course the heatsinks are helpful. They are not extremely important, but if they come with a kit, you may as well use them.

I prefer the $70 CanaKit. It's a personal choice, and also depends on your budget. If you are starting, go ahead an purchase a few things. Later on you will know exactly what you need to have a barebones system.

Looking to jump into the raspberry pi world, should I buy just the board then get my accessories separately or get something like this

Part of me wants to start from scratch so I have to source and install everything myself which I feel would help me learn. The other part of me feels like buying this kit will help save money in the short term but may skip some steps that will help in the learning process.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Edit: fixed the link

Out of my own curiosity, what purpose would your family have in keeping a computer like that operational? If you're looking at going from XP to a Linux distro, it's not like they NEED Windows for something, which makes me think they might even be better off with a Raspberry Pi, or some kind of NUC.

I'm not sure what the hold up is. If it is financial, the RasPi can get set up so they can access a web browser and do most basic computer stuff. If they don't want to upgrade because they are familiar with XP, switching them to Linux will not help anyway. If the point is to serve as some kind of media server (which I think require less RAM in general), then they would probably be savvy enough to know how to set up most of that independently.

At this point, if I somehow met someone who wasn't just content using a phone or tablet, and had an ancient desktop computer but needed something to access the web at a value price, I would just get this and be done with it, they could even use the peripherals they already have.

Anyway, not to sound "judgey" or anything, I am just not sure that switching such an old computer to Linux is going to help the user's experience for their computing needs at this point. ��

Begin building a deep relationship with Linux.
CentOS or Fedora is recommended.

Google "webmin" and read one article on what webmin is, what it does, and what it is capable of.
Then NEVER speak of it, or think about it ever again. Don't install it, don't build a dependence upon it - learn to do everything by interacting directly with the OS.

Consider buying a Raspberry Pi.

A RasPi is basically a Linux Server running on a SmartPhone CPU. Only has 1GB of RAM, but you'll be amazed what you can do with one.

/r/raspberry_pi

Get good grades.
Enroll in an International Baccalaureate Diploma program if your High School offers one.
Go to a decent college.
Don't go deep into student loan debt.
Take Computer Science / Software Engineering / Computer Engineering or Information Technology as your major.
Information Systems is also perfectly valid, as is Management Information Systems.

Avoid degrees in "Web Development", CyberSecurity or Network Administration.

Networking should be a class or two as part of an IS/IT diploma, not the singular focus of an entire degree.

Go outside.
Play sports.
Interact with real, live people.
Develop social skills.

That isn't really a starter kit, more like accessories to do projects, which seem a bit better suited for an Arduino. For him to get started with an RPi you need the actual Pi unit, as well as a power supply (micro USB), and a microSD card at minimum. For video out you need HDMI, and to at least do the initial setup and USB keyboard and mouse to start. Here is a decently priced kit with what you need to get one running, assuming you have a spare mouse/keyboard.

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NS6qAbNMX5510

I recommend this starter kit. It's a little pricey at $70, but really has everything you need (besides a keyboard and mouse, which you can get for pretty cheap from Amazon or Walmart). It comes with a 32GB SD card, which I think is a good size for the Pi.

Whats so special about this vs a brand new 3 from Amazon for $70? Did the ROMS stop being free? Are you warranting the product for an extended period of time? Included tech support???

Oh wow...I am the complete opposite of tech savvy. Getting over my head here, lol! So would this be what you all mean? https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1512675022&sr=8-2&keywords=Retropie and would the guide that has been linked above be helpful? Is there anything else I would need to purchase? I'm sorry for all of the questions, this kind of stuff isn't me strong point but I want to be sure to get everything that will be helpful without buying junk or taking anything away from the creators of the device. Thank you!

Whats so special about this vs a brand new 3 from Amazon for $70? Did the ROMS stop being free? Are you warranting the product for an extended period of time? Included tech support???

I actually got mine used on ebay for cheap but I think something like this would work and give you decent space. You can also just piece these out and need the Pi3 board,hdmi cord,power supply,sd card with some sort of reader for your pc and a case of your choice.

The official guide/wallet to stake on Rasp PI is not out yet. A/c to road map after IOS wallet, they will start work on raspberry PI and electrum desktop wallets and finish by the end of Q4. So they might have started working on them right now. I see ppl on slack mentioning following stratis guides to stake NEBL. Anyway, Pi 3 should be good enough. If the price is about ur range, u might want to consider this https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1507556693&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=raspberry+pi&psc=1n (I am not a tech guy, just passing the info. Do ur bit of home work). If need any further help join slack, its one of the best communities interms of discussion and help.

You will need to have access to a computer to download the RetroPie image and all the ROMs, a micro SD card reader to load the image, and either a home network or USB stick to transfer the ROMs. Also a USB or bluetooth controller for the actual gaming part. Overall it's pretty easy to do as long as you have everything you need.

EDIT: Link for a good kit with everything you need. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

This is a kit that includes everything. All you’ll have to buy is your choice of USB controller

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a8LZzb17ANRBN

This is the kit that I bought and i can vouch for the quality.

CanaKit is only the brand for this. You are only looking at a power supply here, you'd still need to buy the actual raspberry pi and a micro sd card at the very least. Raspberry Pi 3 itself cost a minimum of $35, kits will obviously cost a bit more. As others have said, you'll need to search for a starter kit... something like this https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501860905&sr=8-4&keywords=raspberry+pi+3+starter+kit

Kit will save a few bucks if you don't mind the brand or parts they give you https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503627652&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=raspberry+pi+3&psc=1

It probably doesn't cost much at all. Alternatavely you could buy this and load retro pi on it. It would be compatible with a Bluetooth controller. You could load every SNES game on it and it would cost you about the same price as the SNES classic...

Thank you for your reply. Based on what you've said, I think I will go with this 32GB Canakit here. I would like to see how well the Gamecube emulation works.

You seem to be experienced, so I hope you don't mind me asking a couple other questions real quick:

1. How would I turn the Rasp Pi on and off if I am building an arcade cabinet enclosure to put it in? I know it can be powered off by accessing the menu with the controller - can it also be turned on with the controller?

2. Does a sudden power failure have any detrimental impact on the device? (ex. if it was randomly unplugged prior to being shut down properly)

3. What direction would you look for screens that I can plug into the Pi? I am looking for between 22-32 inches. Would the best bet to be buying a cheap TV of the right size that takes HDMI?

Thanks for all your help!

Yes, it's the CanaKit here:

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

The tape was already on the sinks. Black in color, if that helps?

Correct, nothing tweaked as in software or settings. It's running all on default settings.

ahh, you did mention the shipping price - my fault. If it makes you feel any better, the bundle that I bought from amazon-US was $74.95. But that included powersupply, PI, microSD, heat sinks and a case. Sounds like the $70 local price sounds fair. Totally worth it, BTW.

Could I just run OpenHab off of my mac without the rasberry Pi? What are the downsides to the Mac vs the Pi?

EDIT: Was thinking of going with this kit. Should be sufficiant and provides me every OpenHab site says I need... Pi

Travel is a strong motivator to bring some kinda of travel gaming device and I can see a case to be made for the Switch on the go. However, allow me to suggest an alternative...

For 75ish$ you can get a complete Raspberry Pi kit and you could put Retro Pie (/r/RetroPie) on it and play your favorite old games with a bit of DIY?

I carry mine with me and hook it up to hotel TVs all the time. Carry a controller or your favorite fightstick and you are good to roll.

If you want to get crazy with it, you can put a screen on the Pi itself and play on the go with a bit of work.

It's not the most elegant solution, but play a ton of retro games on the go and waiting to see what Nintendo does seems like the better option in my eyes.

You could try this. Price isn't too bad for all it gives you, and it'd set you on the right track.

Theoretically, all you'd need is this, though you'd have to provide your own controllers.

If you game at all though, you've got a bunch of PS3/Xbox360/PS4/X1 controllers around. If not, you can get cheap controllers pretty much anywhere.

Once you have the kit, go to RetroPie and install following their instructions. You'll have to find the ROMs and CD images yourself, but if you have the VIMM and vigor to find it, I'm sure you'll manage.

Amazon sells a really nice Raspberry Pi 3 kit for not much more than a mini NES and you have the ability to load way more than just 30 NES games on there. I think I'm going to sit down with my son and put together this system as a project for the two of us. He'll get a bigger kick out of doing that then clowning around with a mini NES I think.

Raspberry Pi 3 model B (https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY). Comes with noobs that has OE as an option. Everything just works - from unboxing to running Kodi in about 10 minutes!

I am truly amazed at how well this runs. I have replaced all PCs running XBMC with these little Raspberry Pi's running OE. The only issues I have are:

1. I have all Pi's setup to reboot each morning at 2AM. The reboot sends CEC signals to the TV (which is powered off) telling the TV it just powered on. On one older Samsung TV it causes the TV to power on as well. Mildly annoying - probably can disable CEC on Pi or TV - haven't looked into.

2. On the main TV the sound will cease at some point. This only appears to happen when watching videos as part of a M3U playlist (cough youtube videos cough). It doesn't happen often but, at lest once per weekend. Sometimes the box will play for 12+ hours without it happening, sometimes within an hour. The fix is rebooting the Pi. I have on a rare occasion had to reboot the Pi 2-3 times in one day. This has never happened while watching a movie or TV show.

One thing that is better on the Pi than on the Windows 7 box is I no-longer get vertical black bars on playback. It was frequent but, fleeting and I think I was the only one to notice it but, skinny black lines would flicker on random spots on the screen during playback. Since going to the Pi I have yet to see this.

I use the Amber skin but, the Pi had no problem with any of the Nox's. You have to use Confluence to administer the box (mainly to get to the OE settings).

I bought a canakit off amazon for $75. It came with the pi3, a nice spacious case, some heat sinks, power supply, a preformatted 32gb sd card with an installer for your choice of OS right out of the box.

Bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combo from Logitech and hooked it up to my living room TV via hdmi, and I now have a media center and pretty much fully functional desktop-like experience on my TV.

I do plan on buying more bare pis for other projects, but this kit got me familiar with raspbian, Linux, and the pi in general.

Definitely no regrets!

Link: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/

uh, not really, this is the kit I bought (kinda randomly chosen, really)

Actually, I bought the one with the 16GB microSD, and no sd->USB adaptor, but from the same guys (same heatsink, case, cables, etc). Obviously not affiliated with those guys or anything like that

I know I don't need the two flash drives. The 8 GB is for me because I only have one other laying around. It doesn't really need to necessarily be added in the cost. ;) It's for me.

My nephew will be using his ps4 controllers and I think he'll be satisfied with that for a while. I'll give him one of my old retro gamepads as well if he wants.

I'm definitely not putting the whole PS catalog on there but probably quite a few of the games. RE series, some platformers, and the abundance of pretty good RPGs. I know the N64 and dreamcast have their problems but I'll see what his favorite games are on the systems and test them out at least. Yeah, 128 SD card is probably my first cost cut. :)

Edit: Just went with CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition for $74.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30ZYR2W3VAJ0A

Should do the trick, right? Won't get much cheaper for the ideas? The heat sinks shouldn't be necessary but I might as well use them, right? Will it be quieter or noisier with them for this project?

That price is just for the board. RP3 would be about $80 all in. Power, Case, Heatsink, Cords, SD card

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466444456&sr=1-5&keywords=raspberry+pi

We use a Raspberry Pi 3 plugged into the back of a normal 50" TV as a Wallboard. It takes it's power from the PC's USB port and connects wirelessly to our server for production stats. It's uses SSRS for report generation. The Pi's small enough to just be velcroed onto the back of the TV. We use VNC if we have to log into it for any reason.

It cost us less than £40 (approx $60-70).

You could use a very similar setup, obviously using a slideshow rather than an SSRS report.

Well I sent an email requesting to cancel my order. amazon has a bundle including a case, heatsinks, 32gb class 10 mSD card with Noobs on it, power supply and HDMI cable for $80. I was paying $60 for the pi 3 plus a case from MCM.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A30ZYR2W3VAJ0A

Some of the kits on Amazon are great, specifically the ones by CanaKit. They usually come with everything needed to get started (Pi, power adapter, sdcard, case, etc.) Some kits have more items than others.

As for which Pi, there are only really two options: the Pi 3 or the Pi Zero W. The other models are older and slower or lacking wifi/Bluetooth/etc. The Pi3 is more powerful and requires less adapters to make it plug into your TV, use USB devices, etc. The Pi Zero W requires some adapters and isn't as powerful but it is cheaper and a lot smaller so it is great for projects where you want it as small as possible. Both are great.

Overall, I'd recommend a Pi 3. More powerful, less messing with adapters, and still pretty small. This kit covers all the bases: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/

Pi 3, case, power, SD card, HDMI cable, SD reader, and heatsinks.

Edit: Here is a similar kit for the Pi Zero W if you want to go the smaller/cheaper route: CanaKit Raspberry Pi Zero W (Wireless) Starter Kit with Official Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJQV162/

The SD card isn't as large and you don't get a card reader but you do get the needed HDMI and USB adapters.

Hope it helps!

Built one this week, actually. Here's the guide I followed: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/04/one-upping-the-nes-classic-edition-with-the-raspberry-pi-3-and-retropie/

I bought my raspberry and 2 controllers off of Amazon. Cost me about $100 total. Canakit makes starter kits for around $80 that comes with all the hardware you need to make it ready to load games. Took about an hour to have it ready to load all your games. I have around 2k games from 5 different systems and they all fit on a 32 gb card.

Edit: I found the kit I bought. It was $70

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

Well the control panel he used is this but you could build your own control panel for cheaper by using one of these. If you wanted to only run MAME games then you could easily get by with a Raspberry Pi. Next you want the actual cabinet... There are a few routes you can go. You could buy a kit, you could buy some sheets of plywood and build one yourself using these plans, OR if you're lucky you could find an old broken arcade cabinet on craigslist for super cheap. Once you do all of that you'll have to get the software running on the raspberry pi. So going back on the cost... You could spend anywhere from $500 to $3000 all depending on the specifications you want.

Source: Built one myself

>The Raspberry Pi Starter Kit features a 3 Model B, 8GB NOOBS SD card, a case, 2.5A multi-region power supply, HDMI cable, optical mouse and keyboard, and a copy of Adventures in Raspberry Pi Foundation Edition.

>You Can Now Connect a Camera to Raspberry Pi Zero Initially available online in the UK.., the £99 ($132) collection will roll out to the rest of the world over the coming weeks.

That is an approx 50% increase to the deals I've seen around. You only really need the raspberry pi, an sd card, and a 5v 2.5a power cord.

Most people already have HDMI cables, a mouse/keyboard. A case is nice but my media center pi just hangs out with it's components out, all naked on the media center table. It doesn't need no stinkin case.

Here's the Amazon kit @ 74.99

Adafruit throws in some more tinkering components for 89.95

Sparkfun also has that deal at 89.95

edit: spl

This is the type of stuff that Raspberry Pi was invented for. It's a low cost, small (credit card sized) PC that runs a distribution of Linux. Something like that is perfect if you're learning Java and don't already have a PC.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/

You can get a starter kit with the Pi, case, SD card, and power supply for like $70 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/

Only other thing you'd need is monitor, mouse & keyboard. I have a few of these, they're pretty good, and would be more than enough for learning on.

If you are looking for a fairly complete package, you can buy one of the Canakit starter kits to get most of the stuff you need to go with it.

Like this.

You'll want a keyboard to go with it. I have one of these and I love it, but it's not really ideal for things that require a lot of typing. It's good for doing basic Pi setup stuff, surfing the internet, and controlling the Pi as a media player.

If you want to buy things separately and upgrade a bit from the Canakit contents, this charger is 3amp instead of the normal 2 or 2.5amp. In my case that was useful for running an external harddrive that is powered through the USB.

If you want a cooler looking case than the default cases that come with the kits, C4Lbas makes excellent cases. I've used 4 or 5 of their cases now (setting up Pis for friends/family) and have always been supremely impressed with the quality.

You'll want a good Micro SD card. Those 32GB Sandisks are what I had been using, and I never had a problem with them or ran out of space with the Pi. If you want something bigger, live in the US, and have a Costco membership, they have 2 packs of good quality, class 10 Micro SD cards frequently that are basically the price of one card anywhere else (even Amazon). Last week I got 2 64GB Sandisk class 10 for $28.

You'll need something to write your Micro SD cards in another computer. A lot of them come with an adapter to fit in a standard SD card slot. Maybe you have a computer with one of those slots.

If not, you can always use a USB-Micro SD reader/writer.I have one basically like that that I plug into my windows desktop.

Or you can save yourself all the hassle and just get the Canakit that comes with all that stuff, except the keyboard.

FWIW, I have heard it recommended to get a USB wireless keyboard instead of a Bluetooth. Even though the Raspberry Pi 3 has bluetooth. I've heard that the connection can drop with the bluetooth and be more of a pain the butt to reconnect and battery charges last shorter time with the bluetooth. The USB drops it's connection too after a few minutes of no use. But it reconnects in a couple of seconds of pressing any button and I literally go months without recharging mine.

Hello,

I have been wanting to start playing around with a raspberry Pi 3. So I was shopping around and found some kits for sale that were interesting.

I was wondering if someone with more knowledge could help. Would buying the board at this price be better than buying one of these kits from amazon with prime?

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504673256&sr=1-3&keywords=raspberry+pi3

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Ultimate-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q4GLE/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504673256&sr=1-11&keywords=raspberry+pi3

https://www.amazon.com/Vilros-Raspberry-Basic-Starter-Black/dp/B01DMFQZXK/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504673256&sr=1-9&keywords=raspberry+pi3

https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Essentials-Kit-board-Connectivity/dp/B01LWVVMUI/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504673256&sr=1-10&keywords=raspberry+pi3

If I just bought the board now, I would need to buy:

• Power supply
• Micro SD card
• HDMI cable
• and a case maybe

Edit: Formatting

I'd say stop focusing on certifications and start focusing on learning how to do things.

How extensive is your Home Lab?

Have you built out any VM's yet?
Have you built a Windows domain yet?

Have you built a Squid proxy on Linux yet? (Not that Squid is super-useful anymore, but its a decent project with clear results.)

Have you built a pfSense firewall yet?

Have you bought a Raspberry Pi yet (the cheapest Linux Server on the planet)?

When you apply for that next-level job you have in mind, in the interview I am not going to ask you questions that might appear on a certification exam. I am going to ask you questions related to real-world scenarios of problems I think you are likely to encounter in the job under discussion. And I need to see how well you are ready to deal with them.

"I can't afford any of those things..."

If you are trying to learn everything on just one computer or laptop, that's certainly a problem.
But if you have a second PC, just a $300-500 clunker, it changes everything.

CentOS Linux is free.
KVM Virtual Machine manager is free.

Linux Foundation - Intro to Linux for Free
Linux Foundation - Online Course Catalog - some free some paid
DigitalOcean Linux Tutorials
Docker Self-Paced Training

Windows Server 2012R2 Evaluation is free.
Windows 10 Professional Evaluation is free.

Microsoft Virtual Academy
Microsoft MSDN Product Evaluation Center -- Free Downloads
Microsoft TechNet Product Evaluation Center -- More Free Downloads

If you only have a single computer, and cannot afford a second computer, you still have options:

Amazon Web Services has a free offering for you to build virtual machines to play with:

https://aws.amazon.com/free/

If you want something a little more permanent, Amazon Light Sail now lets you build low-end virtual servers for as low as $5/month:

https://amazonlightsail.com/pricing/

Microsoft also has some free offerings for virtual servers:

Microsoft Azure Cloud Services Free Trial Center
Microsoft Training Info Center
Microsoft Ignite Training Convention Video Center
Microsoft MSDN Video Training Portal

In my opinion:

If you think you are likely to apply for some Government or Contractor positions that require security clearances, go ahead and complete the Security+.

But I think you might want to focus a little more time on combining technologies into scenarios where you learn how to perform business operations tasks, rather than add another narrow-focused skillset.

I also encourage you to make yourself gain comfort with Linux.
YES: you will need to learn a whole new world of syntax and terminology, and learn to do more with syntax and less with icons.
But the benefits are real, and significant.

Buy one of these:

Amazon: Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Kit $75

That's a complete Linux Server. Just add a USB keyboard, mouse & HDMI monitor.

Watch two or three of these videos, and observe that all of the biggest players working on the sexiest of technology projects are all doing it on Linux:

USENIX Site Reliability Enginering Convention 2014 Presentations - Free
USENIX Site Reliability Enginering Convention 2015 Presentations - Free
USENIX Large Installation System Administration Conference 2014 Presentations - Free
USENIX Large Installation System Administration Conference 2015 Presentations - Free

> [MCSA]... But again, how far can I really go trying to learn this with home equipment? I'm sure I could install a Server OS, but I don't know if I can play with the inner workings on a home network enough to familiarize myself with the content.

If you have a small home server, you can install Windows Server 2012 R2 evaluation on it, and add the Hyper-V service, and run at least 2 virtual machines on it.

The Server could become a domain controller. Then you add a guest server and a guest client using Windows 10 evaluation and another Windows server eval license.

Now you join them to a domain together and start writing GPO policies and playing in the Forest...

That can also be done in Azure cloud with virtual machines. The challenge is the short duration of the free period in Azure cloud.

If you're going to go the RetroPie route, Amazon has a starter kit with everything you need except a controller.

As far as controllers go, you've got a bunch of options. If your dad doesn't want to play any games that require analog sticks, you can get him a bluetooth SNES-style controller. There are wired USB controllers as well, just search for them. Be careful to read the reviews, because a lot of cheap controllers fail after a shockingly short amount of use.

I use a PS3 controller for my RetroPie, and it works for everything.

If you decide on RetroPie, feel free to PM me questions. I've been working with Pis and Linux for ages, and I'd be happy to help.

If i were to buy a kit on amazon would this be the right one?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=psdc_3015426011_t1_B01C6EQNNK

also the usb thing is very confusing to me...

So far, so good. I recommend the CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32GB Edition for $69.99 with free Prime shipping from Amazon. It's the latest model and includes all the important parts. Just add keyboard, mouse and monitor.
 
When setting things up, I found these links to be useful:
 
PIVX-related
How to update your PIVX linux wallet to the new version using the command line
How to: Staking with the command-line wallet
 
Raspberry Pi and Linux-related
How to give your Raspberry Pi a Static IP Address - UPDATE
How to clear bash history completely?
Also, you should Google how to setup a headless Raspberry Pi which involves turning on SSH and/or VNC
 
Good luck!

If you don't already have an old PC and like tinkering, consider this, which allows for pause, rewind, and fast forward during recording:

• a $75 Raspberry Pi 3 kit with a $88 Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q USB tuner, a $17 powered USB hub, and your own external USB hard drive (like a $90 2 TB WD portable) for recording. For the most simple use, here's a tutorial on using Kodi as a simple DVR with a backend recording add-on like MythTV or TVHeadEndUse. That would allow pause, rewind, fast forward. If you want to do more recording, you can use a more complete setup of MythTV or TVHeadEnd as a PVR server feeding streaming media boxes attached to your televisions, using Kodi or Kodi SPMC, etc..

And here are the more heavy-duty solutions that allow those functions:

• a $85 HDHomeRun Connect, which tunes the TV programs and has software to record content to your Windows or Linux PC hard drive. Each TV must have its own streaming media box (like a $40 Amazon Fire TV stick or a $149 Apple TV) to access the HDHomeRun tuners via WiFi or Ethernet. You can view your content outside of the house on many devices.

• a $299 Tablo with 4 tuners (or $100 less for 2 tuners), to which you add your own external USB hard drive (like a $90 2 TB WD portable) for recording, plus a one-time $150 guide subscription fee that applies to all your Tablos. Changing channels can take 10+ seconds, because the Tablo box has to buffer a little video and transcode the video for your streaming media box. Each TV must have its own streaming media box (like a $40 Roku stick 2015 edition, $40 Amazon Fire TV stick, or $149 Apple TV) to access the Tablo tuners and stored recordings. You can view your content outside of the house on many devices.

You have three main options for Tivo DVRs. Keep in mind that a Tivo box and an add-on Tivo Mini can act as a substitute/replacement at each TV set for a media streaming device like a Roku/Fire TV/Chromecast -- if the services you watch are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Plex, Pandora, Spotify, and Vudu/UltraViolet/DisneyMovies (or old DVD collections converted to streaming HD video).

• a ~$250 used Tivo Premiere (OTA 2-tuner) with lifetime service included. To watch your TiVo content at another television, you'll need to buy a second ~$250 used Premiere OTA 2-tuner. (Premieres can access each other's recordings.) (Unfortunately, you can't use a Tivo Mini with this box, as it's not compatible with 2-tuner Premieres.) You can view live or recorded TV in your house and out of house, to an extent, on an iPhone, Android device, or television with Apple TV, Chromecast, or Fire TV without a Mini -- if you also buy a $110 Tivo Stream.

or instead

• buy a new $380 Tivo Roamio with lifetime service and for each additional television buy a $125 Tivo Mini. The Mini can access the tuners and the stored recordings of the main Tivo and any streaming services you've activated, and perform DVR control. Alternatively, you can also view live or recorded TV in your house and out of house, to an extent, on an iPhone, Android device, or television with Apple TV, Chromecast, or Fire TV without a Mini -- if you also buy a $110 Tivo Stream.
  

or instead

• buy a new $199 Tivo Bolt 4K and add $600 lifetime "All-In service". The Tivo Stream is built-in with Bolts, so you can view live or recorded TV in your house and out of house, to an extent, on an iPhone, Android device, or television with Apple TV, Chromecast, or Fire TV, directly. If the built-in Stream doesn't meet your needs, you can also buy a $125 Tivo Mini. The Mini can access the tuners and the stored recordings of the main Tivo and any streaming services you've activated, and perform DVR control.

They have a few kits on Amazon.

I'd suggest analyzing your purpose to wanting this. Is it because you want to learn how to start doing raspberry pi/circuitry...or do you just want a GBA-cased emulator?

If you want to start learning circuitry, soldering, and raspberry pi, I suggest first starting to learn the basics of how circuitry works. Here are some amazon links for some recommended purchases, the same things I bought to start learning.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2E9W30/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014KK89BW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These will teach you the basics, and from there, I'd suggest learning from people who have done the project, and can provide you with the knowledge from there.

If your goal is just to have a GBA emulation toy, I'd suggest just buying one from someone who has made them - check etsy, or similar places. Lots of people have what's called a 'retropi' for sale, prebuilt. Just look for one that catches your eye.

> All i'm really looking for is something that I can plug in and play some old games on for a little while here and there.

You do realize it's not plug and play like the NES classic right? There's still some light software intallation involved with the Rpi. In fact it is illegal to sell/distribute a rpi with preloaded roms.

To answer your original post question, the price of the product is way to high for what you're getting. Taking 5 mins on amazon can get you much cheaper items especially with prime.

I still think this is too expensive, but it's still cheaper than the ebay link:

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1501389466&sr=1-4&keywords=raspberry+pi+3

You just need to source your own controller which you can get here:

http://www.8bitdo.com/nes30pro-fc30pro/

Best controller you can buy for $30. Which in total is still cheaper than the ebay kit.

pi 3 canakit from amazon with some 8bitdo sfc30 controllers.

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503430263&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=pi+3+canakit&psc=1

My wife actually got me one of these kit last year, and it's a great starter kit!

You can also find them on amazon here as well.

Here you go, Raspberry Pi

Just the latest Pi 3 model B

> http://www.ekt2.com/products/productdetails/412_RASPBERRY_Pi_3

Kit that doesn't include MicoSdcard or HDMI

> http://www.ekt2.com/products/productdetails/412_RASPBERRY_Pi_3_KIT

Amazon CanaKit that I ordered from abroad using Aramex, that includes everything you may possibly need

> https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

Total price after import was $105 which is a bargain compared to local alternatives, but this is if you're interested in gaming on the Pi

Good Luck

IMO there isn't much work involved in setting up Retro Pi. I would get a kit for 69.99 that comes with everything you need and 16.99 for a 2 pack snes controllers. You're not saving much money but you get a 32GB card and a card reader. The card reader is good for writing new RetroPI images (when the make an update). 32 GB also gives you more room for roms. I don't think you will be able to use that card in card reader to dump roms cause it will be Linux formatted and can't be read in windows easily. You will need to us a windows formatted usb drive to copy roms to the Pi. This should be true for the other ebay emulator kit too, though.

Amazon links

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1489592821&sr=1-5&keywords=raspberry+pi+3

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Controller-kiwitat%C3%A1-Retro-Controllers-Raspberry/dp/B01JYGYAX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489592840&sr=8-1&keywords=super%2Bnes%2Busb%2Bcontroller&th=1

This is cool! :)

I've got a Raspberry Pi3 with Home Assistant already set up, but I found that I didn't really have a good use for it, so now it's just a dust collector. I originally got it just to try to use Dash buttons for home automation, but that was underwhelming and there really isn't a lot of good uses for them. Maybe I'll fire it up and give it a shot again.

For anyone wanting to go down this road and spend lots and lots of hours and frustration figuring this stuff out, you can buy this kit on Amazon and follow all the directions in the relevant videos on YouTube from BRUH Automation. http://www.bruhautomation.com/

I have the standard case that came with the CanaKit sold at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503624521&sr=1-9&keywords=raspberry+pi+3).

I'm not very good at code or mod, but I found some guides and bought a small fan and made a script that control it. I fixed it at the case cover. When it is on it gets a little noisy for sure. Without a script it will be always on, but with the script it will turn on only when the Pi gets to certain temperature that you can set. As soon as it get below it, the fan turns off.

Works great for me!

This is the guide that I used to set the fan on the hardware side (https://hackernoon.com/how-to-control-a-fan-to-cool-the-cpu-of-your-raspberrypi-3313b6e7f92c) you will need a resistor for that. It's not hard tough. As I said, I'm a total noob and I actually did it.

The script that I use is this one (http://www.instructables.com/id/Automated-cooling-fan-for-Pi/)

One problem that I had is that the script, when started by crontab would not work properly for some reason. Solved by adding to the crontab a command to kill the script before it restart it. Can give you more details if you go trough this road.

Raspberry Pi Kits

Testing out a table, might be better presentation, and convey more information.

Well, the mini PC that it’s built for is the Raspberry Pi. They can be had on Amazon. Here is a kit that has everything you’d need to make it work (the base Pi is only $35, but this kit has the Pi, a case, power cable/plug, and sd card). You get the software for free from the Pihole website. It’s a little bit of work, but super fun if you’re into tech, and totally worth it to block ads at the source.

> I am going to start learning Linux command line

You might consider a simple Raspberry Pi3 Kit

Raspberry Pi runs a Linux OS specifically compiled for its cute little CPU.
It's a complete linux server for $70 or less.
They are somewhat limited in that they only have 1GB or so of RAM, but you'd be surprised what you can do with one.

/r/raspberry_pi/ will show you the way.

You might also consider:

https://www.edx.org/school/linuxfoundationx

> i have no Homelab or virtual server environment

Have a look at the long list of resources I sent previously in this thread.
There is a link there to evaluation licenses of just about all Microsoft products.

MOST US universities also provide students with access to Microsoft's DreamSpark (now called Imagine):

https://imagine.microsoft.com/en-us/custom/Dreamspark

Microsoft REALLY wants you to grow up and be a smart, young Microsoft Enthusiast.
They provide students access to just about all of their products for free.

This way, once you graduate you might suggest Microsoft solutions to business problems to your employer.

Be sure to investigate that service with your College.
There is $100,000+ worth of software licenses waiting for you if your college participates in the program.

/r/homelab will be happy to help you choose a hardware or VPS solution for your experimentation needs.

Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructures are very highly popular these days, so learning how to do everything in the cloud, instead of building local hardware is a very valid approach.

Renting 2 virtual servers @ $7/month each instead of buying a $800 HomeLab server is a decision you need to evaluate for yourself.

NOTE: Some colleges offer discounted virtual servers because they have large contract agreements with the service providers.

BONUS: Asking the question "Does my college have a virtual server agreement for students with Amazon or Microsoft?" might help you find and establish a new relationship with the IT Support people at your university.

> I am only taking 3 classes currently so i want to experiment outside of the classroom this semester.

Let me know how else I can help.

> That is why i am here, to see what i should do! I am really trying to learn

I really am trying to help, even if some of my responses seem a little unkind.

As of before. No, raspberry pi comes with a separate power supply. I recommend getting a Canakit package, most value. Plus get a extra SD card for octopi. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

The hardware is a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie.

[Edit] There are things like a Canakit that has the Pi and included accessories instead of sourcing each part individually. The kits are kinda modular. Some a minimal and others are full on kits.

[Edit2] Some users even 3d print Retro console cases. NES case SNES Case

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

There is a wealth of information out there, starting with books and kits on simple electronics. Ultimately what may frustrate most people is the lack of patience and time to develop useful projects. You need to keep motivated to continue going.

• Raspberry Pi complete kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

• Electronics starter kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GHVNP0M

• Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-Setting-Variety-Projects/dp/1544112653

• Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Raspberry-Pi-Interfacing-Embedded/dp/1119188687

I had great results with this. The only other thing you need is a controller and keyboard.

The way you write is incredibly confusing. It's not that difficult. Just go to Amazon and buy a Canakit.

I got this Raspberry Pi 3 kit and this Linear Husbzb-1. This stick has both Z wave and zigbee support. Then install home assistant via Hassbian or Hassio and you have pretty much every device out there covered.

Edit: you can also install Homebridge which is a software only bridge and allows all of your HA devices and sensors to be accessible from apple homekit (if you have an iPhone). You can customize that look and feel of HA as well. Or you can create a floorplan tablet interface. There are just so many options with HA.

Not if you need an sd card, a case , power supply , etc. you are spending at least $70. For example: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

This any good?

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

I have this one if you are interested? I am in Louisville so could just meet up local.

Is this good??

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DL4fAbQB8MGPP

Canakit. I've gotten 2 of these. Very good kit.

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

I actually didn't know they sold a kit that included that stuff! I bought this kit, the box of which is what can be seen in the photo.

The Raspberry Pi has a fantastic ecosystem supporting it.

Bookmark this: https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/

Look over this: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/setup/

This is a high quality but overpriced complete kit, if you want it to "Just Work" without needing to think/know much: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

EDIT: wtf

If you want to use a local monitor/keyboard to install & setup, and your monitor doesn't have an HDMI input: https://www.amazon.com/Rankie-Gold-Plated-Active-Adapter-Converter/dp/B00ZMV7RL2

If you don't mind learning about putty/ssh (I'd recommend this, jumping into the deep end) / (apologize if incorrectly assumed your OS): https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/remote-access/ssh/windows.md

Download either a full desktop OS, or a command line only OS (the kit above has an SD Card pre-loaded with an assortment of OS options): https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian/

Rufus is a pretty easy way to burn image files if you're working from Windows : https://rufus.akeo.ie/

This is a pretty easy to follow guide on how to use Rufus: http://www.alanlay.com/blog/2014/6/8/raspberry-pi

And then once you've got your raspberry pi on your network: https://pi-hole.net/ aka "curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash"

Feel free to ask questions here along the way!

The device has a built-in microcontroller. When a button is pressed, it bridges two ends of an electrical lead, forming a complete circuit, which in turn connects to one of the voltage pins in the microcontroller.

The microcontroller has an infinite loop that essentially listens for voltage changes on its pin. If the pin has a change in voltage, the microcontroller can react to it by, for example, increasing the wattage in the vaporizer.

It's not possible to explain how all of this works in detail, but if you want to build things like this, I recommend looking at Arduino or Raspberry Pi for a small microcontroller that you can program for ad hoc tasks. See the following:

Arduino Starter Kit

Raspberry Pi Starter Kit

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506192054&sr=8-1&keywords=raspberry+pi

Is a kit like this a waste of money? I'm planning on using a Wii U Pro controller, but don't have any of the other parts.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/

I got this one around 10 months ago and haven't had any problems. I use a PS4 controller wired with a usb cord extender.

I got a raspberry pi ($70 but you can find cheaper options) and installed pi-hole. This becomes the DNS server for anything on my home network. When anything tries to lookup a site that serves ads the pi-hole makes it look like that site is dead.

It blocks ads on my computer and on my iphone/ipad. Not only that, it blocks ads on the app my internet provider has for watching cable programs on mobile devices. I've been using it for several months and the only downside is that it slows down the load time of some pages, i.e., a few seconds to load the google news page on mobile.

Highly recommended!

You could consider building a RetroPie emulation console to let them play games from many different older consoles. It's a Raspberry Pi 3 computer that is running the RetroPie operating system.

I've done a project just like this, what you'll want to do is buy the CanaKit set for the Raspberry Pi 3 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1498681064&sr=1-4&keywords=raspberry+pi+3 and then install a software called "RetroPi" https://retropie.org.uk/, there are some great tutorials on YouTube. You can connect it to your home WiFi network and use a client like FileZilla to wirelessly send ROM's over to your Pi.

Yes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got the Raspberry Pi 3, in a lazy man's kit on Amazon. I had pre-loaded some ROMs and the RetroPie OS to my computer beforehand, so when I got the Pi it only took about 30 minutes to get it working.

I also got these.

The entire shebang cost me $93. I am still pleased with the purchase. lol

Here is the complete starter kit with everything you need for $75

or

You can also buy it on Amazon for a bit less.

The only thing you will need that's not in the kit are the ROMs and controllers. The ROMs you can find practically anywhere online.

For controllers, I splurged on a couple of Buffalo USB SNES controllers for the nostalgia, but any bluetooth or USB controller will work.

For Computer Science I'd say math - hands down, without question.

But for IT, the answer is more complicated. There is no single academic subject that benefits the study of IT the most.
Some IT degrees might require calculus. I'm not sure why really, but mathematical logic does have benefits, I suppose.

But what you need to cultivate is a diagnostic or investigative mental approach to everything. Critical thinking is a difficult subject to teach. Debate Team might be a great environment to develop these skills. A Science Club, where you at least occasionally leverage the scientific process as part of a discussion could also be good. Electronics where you have to diagnose why something doesn't work could be equally good.

One of the reasons why so many IT professionals come across as grumpy and negative is we spend so much time searching for negatives. "How can this thing fail?" "If this thing breaks, what results or outcomes can we expect?"

We do that mental exercise over and over and over. And it bleeds out of our work-lives and into our social-lives sometimes.

More important that academics or formal extra-curriculars though: You need to start tinkering NOW.

Download a LiveCD or Bootable USB image of Ubuntu or Fedora or CentOS and start tinkering.
Buy a Raspberry Pi kit or one of those new Asus TinkerBoards and start poking at Linux and all the things it can do.

Explore the world of technology beyond Windows -- those efforts might pay off best of all.

A dedicated computer that you can experiment on, and not impact your ability to do homework might be the single best investment you can make in yourself at this phase of your life.

It doesn't have to be magnificent. It just has to be dedicated to experimentation.

Refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad T430 @ $185

I know, compared to a sexy MacBook Pro, Microsoft SurfaceBook or Samsung ChromeBook, that ThinkPad looks ugly and crude and clunky. But spare parts for ThinkPads are easy to find, and the support manual for how to take it apart is publicly available. And that hardware will run windows or Linux like a champ with no strange driver issues to deal with. There is great beauty in its simplicity.

I love Canakit.

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493405153&sr=1-2&keywords=canakit

Idiot here. I used this guide, and purchased this kit. 75 bucks and an hour of work and I have any oldschool game I want.

Okay, so I'm looking at a couple of them on Amazon. This one in particular looks to cover all the basics, but I'm questioning if I should buy the parts all separately. I for sure want the black case. Don't necessarily need the HDMI cable. Everything else looks to be essential. This bundle also looks similar, except with a Samsung MicroSD (which I would think is better).

I'm hoping 32GB would be enough, but again, not entirely sure and I can't speak to the quality of that specific microSD in the bundle. My main concern is not having enough space for N64/PS1 games. I'd use my PS3 controller to start off and eventually buy the Buffalo SNES controller.

I WAS IN THE SAME BOAT AS YOU ARE! (sorry for the caps)

Here's what I ended up doing. First, parts list:

• Raspberry Pi3

• FLIRC

• XBox One Media Remote

• Kinivo 501BN HDMI Switch

• OpenELEC

• SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

The FLIRC is basically an IR reciever, it allows you to use any IR remote to control the thing. I ended up going with a second remote rather than tv/cable one, as then they'd have to switch inputs on the remote (not a big thing, but keeps things a little easier for them). The xbox one remote was perfect as it has all the buttons you need, real nice build quality and also lights up when you move it for more easy viewing of the buttons. I have the first generation FLIRC (clear version), but that should work the same.

So you install OpenELEC to the sd card, put it in the Pi3, and set everything up. If they have WiFi, connect it to wifi, and turn off auto updating unless you'll be there to fix things incase an update brings things. For something like this, a small media center, I like to just set it and forget it. If it works with no problems, just don't mess with it.

I put movies manually on the flash drive, plug it in, and it'll auto download (over wifi) the movie info and all that. Though you can also do it over network, or whatever you want really. It's just easier for them this way (no need to have a seperate pc serving files).

Switching to it is where the Kinivo comes in. You plug the tv and pi3 into the Kinivo (as well as whatever else you want), and when you want to watch movies you just plug in the pi3 to the wall outlet, and the Kinivo will auto switch to it. No need to mess with tv inputs or any of that, just plug it in. Simple as can be. To turn the pi3 off, you select it in the openelec menu, wait a few seconds (small light on back will stop blinking), then unplug it. It'll auto switch back to your tv.

I'm sure there's other ways of doing this, but I needed the most simpliest way possible for them.

For the parts, you can get others if you want. Different pi3 kit, case, sdcard size, etc... There's also a Kinivo 301 with 3 ports instead of 5 for a bit less money if 5 is overkill. Reason for the Pi3 rather than 2 or 1 is that it has built in wifi, and is more than powerful enough to handle almost any movie thrown at it (I've never tried 4k or 3d and such).

And a huge tip, be sure to set volume normalization! And set it to default as shown on that page. Otherwise it doesn't apply any sort of compression to the audio, so movies with a big range will shift between quiet and really loud. This is different than the stereo/center mixing boost option in the audio settings (though you might want to put that up a little bit as well if using stereo speakers).

RASPBERRY PI

This is the easiest kit to buy.

which of these kits would be better: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483774244&sr=1-2&keywords=raspberry+pi+3 or https://www.amazon.com/LoveRPi-Raspberry-Backlit-Keyboard-TouchPad/dp/B01LYBWO7H/ref=sr_1_74?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483774396&sr=1-74-spons&keywords=raspberry+pi+3&psc=1

You basically buy one of these, proceed to connect it to my pc with a USB to sdCard thing I bought for $5, then use Win32DiskImager with the EmulationStation image and just get a wireless keyboard + 8bitdo bluetooth controller, an XBOX controller, a Steam controller or one of the wired controllers (Bluetooth on Raspberry Pi is trash so only 8bitdo works right). Run it then get some ROMs and either connect via WinSCP to the ftp folder and put them in there or just connect to the device and put the files in the SDCard. There is a thing called Selph's scrapper which automatically scans a database and puts the name of the game with images and descriptions including user ratings next to all the emulated roms.

It will probably require a day of assembly unless you get one premade with games, I made a 32gig image and just made like 10 of these things for 'reasons' which took no time to just copy and store.

The r/raspberry_pi subreddit and youtube tutorials exist, but I have a more complex one that is designed to be pluggable into just about anything with carrying case and 4 traditional SNES turbo controllers. I jammed it with all known games from every console including handhelds and even obscure stuff like Dragon32 OS games or Vectrex and SG-1000.

A bit late, I just built one a couple months ago and it's great! As far as the raspberry pi kit/controllers below is what I purchased. Installing retropie was pretty simple as explained in other responses:

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition

Controllers

Personally, I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY

I thought the case was nicer than the clear.

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1483931991&sr=1-1&keywords=Canakit

The kit I got plus 2 Logitech 310 controllers. Well worth it!

I ordered this kit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30ZYR2W3VAJ0A

My TV is an older one and doesn't have HDMI.

Will this cable work or is there a different cable I would need to make everything work on TV that doesn't have HDMI and only has RCA.

https://www.adafruit.com/products/2881?gclid=CLf7vM659NACFZSMaQod0zUJfg

The CanaKit is a good one too

Yes, it needs an always on computer such as the Raspberry Pi 3.

there are plenty of printable NES cases

one example: http://pi-tendo.com/

If you don't care about the actual case, I'd just get a Canakit set from Amazon. The 32gb set should be fine with a Bufallo snes controller. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479484693&sr=1-2&keywords=canakit+pi3

I recommend looking at this for a great box. Load it with RetroPie. After that, it's a snap to install and run Kodi, and you also have some great emulators for retro gaming for the kids!

I got my RPi 3 from canakit. Its worked amazingly so far.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought a Canakit for Retropie and it gave me everything I needed.

Edit: this is the kit I got

https://smile.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/

I recommend this CanaKit.

http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1?srs=3020163011&ie=UTF8&qid=1465083298&sr=8-1&keywords=pi3+kit

When you start looking as low as $200 you have to really know what you are looking for in the laptop, as conventional laptops do begin to compete in this price range with other devices. As /u/Orangematz said, used/refurbished is definitely a good fit for you, unfortunately I don't know that I could give any specific suggestions in this area. However, if you want to buy new, you may want to consider a Chromebook. You can't run Audacity on a Chromebook natively, but there are some alternative apps available to make this work (see this list for some options).

Alternatively, you mentioned an external hard drive. Do you already have one or would that be included in the budget? If you already have it, you can use this for storage and install Linux on your Chromebook to use Audacity natively (Having an Intel processor in your chromebook is necessary if this is your plan).

If you are feeling very adventurous, you could purchase a Raspberry Pi like the one here. This runs Linux natively and should be able to handle Audacity without issue, although it may take some tinkering to get up and running the first time, especially if this is your first foray into Linux. The Raspberry Pi 3 is missing three things that laptops have, keyboard and mouse, and display. That display only comes with a cigarette lighter power adapter, so you would need a 12 V adapter. Note that this solution has a lot of parts compared to one laptop, and the display is smaller and lower resolution than you are likely to get in a good laptop, so this is really a nifty solution to your problem that adds in a bunch of extra functionality (your display can play audio/video from USB/SD and can be mounted to the back of a headrest while your computer is a neat little hobbyist device that can have a bunch of different uses besides just computer), but not really recommendable if you aren't enthusiastic about those things.

For something along the same vein but slightly less adventurous if you don't feel comfortable with Linux would be to replace the raspberry pi in the previous solution with an Intel Compute Stick (comes with windows). Alternatively, the display can be replaced with a significantly better or somewhat better and significantly cheaper monitor if portability is something you are willing to compromise on (the Raspberry Pi/Compute Stick would still be very portable, but you would need to find an HDMI-enabled display to plug into).

In conclusion, buying used/refurbished is a good idea, but if you are open to it, the "microcomputer" market segment is starting to come up to par with laptops in this price range and could offer some interesting alternative solutions for you. Wow, that was a long comment.

This might have some info you are looking for but from what i can find it seems that if you are worried about overheating on the PI then you might need to get something a little bit more substantial. The PI i wouldn't think would be running under such a high load for any extended period of time to warrant one. However that said i believe this starter kit actually includes 2 which considering you get the pi, a 32gb MSDCard, a case and power supply, seems like a good price for some peace of mind.

All of that said however am by no means an expert on computers or the pi specifically, so hopefully some more knowledgeable members of the community can chime in.

I've messed around with mine a lot one of the avenues I went down was using velcro to slap it on the back of my monitor for a while as a compact desktop. It works fine as a general web browsing machine. This is the kit I bought, it comes with everything you would need except the velcro for $75. The heat sinks are a must, regardless of what you end up buying. I replaced my moms giant old ass compaq tower like this (yes i said compaq.) I reused her keyboard and mouse and gave her one of my old LCDs.

As for initial setup, I would go with ubuntu MATE over raspian. But that's up to you.

Things I would do for initial setup:

• First, you will need to resize the partition because 4GB for the operating system isn't going to cut it. Link, scroll to the bottom.

• After you have restarted and ran sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2. Run sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get dist-upgrade.

• Make sure to change the login password if you chose raspian. Using the passwd command.

• Install some protective browser addons like ublock origin, https everywhere, privacy badger and google search link fix. This will protect old gran gran from phishing and malware.

• enable ufw

• Uncheck useless startup items, like printer services or bluetooth to speed up your system.

Currently i'm using mine as a piratebox, but I think the pi 3 would suit your scenario quite well. Good luck man.

Just found a PI3 on Amazon! Everywhere else I looked it was sold out...

http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457369528&sr=1-2&keywords=canakit

I recommend customizing your build but this will give you an idea of what you need. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503973853&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=raspberry+pi+3+kit&psc=1

Why are any of you worried about it? Honestly? Go to amazon.com, order a raspberry pi kit for 65$, install retro pie on it, put every video game ever created up until the PS2 was released and enjoy. I have a 64 meg SD card in mine and I have all systems from atari to PlayStation. Nintendo forces us to pirate their games, its not our fault the CFO didnt take any economic classes in college, but it is what it is. https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1503497197&amp;sr=1-2-spons&amp;keywords=raspberry+pi+3&amp;psc=1 <--- This is how you retro game. Fuck Nintendo.

Would you say this is a good deal?

Raspberry Pi with LibreElec and Kodi media center Link, plus a Flirc Link so that you can use any IR remote to control it. Right at $100. Now you can fill USB hard drives with shows and they just plug them in to the USB port.

.

Edit: Looks like Flirc has a new version that isn't out yet. You can still find the original one on ebay.

.

Set up couldn't be easier. Put it together, choose your OS, let it download and install. You will need to program the Flirc on your PC/Mac.

r/retroPie

I just bought this off of amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014QP2H1E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

There are cheaper controllers, but that one comes very highly rated.

That contains everything you need. Just look on the sidebar of the subreddit I linked and it will have step by step instructions on how to load RetroPie on your Raspberry Pi. You will just need to find the Roms, which shouldn't be to difficult if you know where to look.

AAARRR MATEYS ;)

Edit: Something to note, you can save ~10$ if you want to buy the pieces that come in that kit individually and you dont need something like the HDMI cable, or the micro SD to USB adapter.

Why would someone do this when cloud key exists? It's cheaper than a PI and it's super easy to use with out having to go thru all these steps.

People are down voting this?

Pi starter kit for everything you need is easily $70: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6Q2GSY And it’s not even configured you have to sit and waste time setting it up. The cloud key is a better deal.