Computers

Raspberry Pi 400 hides a whole PC in a keyboard

Raspberry Pi 400 hides a whole PC in a keyboard
The Raspberry Pi 400 packs the mini PC into a keyboard form factor
The Raspberry Pi 400 packs the mini PC into a keyboard form factor
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The Raspberry Pi 400 packs the mini PC into a keyboard form factor
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The Raspberry Pi 400 packs the mini PC into a keyboard form factor
The Raspberry Pi 400 measures just 286 × 122 × 23 mm (11.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 in)
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The Raspberry Pi 400 measures just 286 × 122 × 23 mm (11.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 in)

Desktop computers can get rather bulky, which is unnecessary for people who just need to access the internet or do office work. If a mini PC takes up too much space for you, the new Raspberry Pi 400 packs a whole home computer into just a keyboard.

The new model builds on 2019’s Raspberry Pi 4, upgrading the processor slightly to a 1.8 GHz quad-core Cortex-A72 (up from 1.5 GHz). The company says this should make the new model run faster and cooler than its predecessor. Besides that, the specs remain much the same – it packs 4 GB of RAM, a horizontal 40-pin GPIO header, and a MicroSD card slot for storage and to run the operating system.

Connection-wise, the new Raspberry Pi 400 sports dual-band Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 and Low Energy (BLE), two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. The two micro HDMI ports allow the device to output to two monitors at once, at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.

But the biggest change is of course the form factor. Rather than Raspberry Pi’s usual bare-circuit-board look, the 400 is packed into what looks like a regular (if slightly thicker) keyboard. The whole unit measures just 286 × 122 × 23 mm (11.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 in).

The Raspberry Pi 400 measures just 286 × 122 × 23 mm (11.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 in)
The Raspberry Pi 400 measures just 286 × 122 × 23 mm (11.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 in)

Traditionally, Raspberry Pi devices have been for those who want to tinker with programming or running networks of IoT devices, but the company says the Raspberry Pi 4 is increasingly being used for work and study. Squeezing the new machine into a ready-to-use package seems like a good move for that crowd.

The Raspberry Pi 400 is available now, starting at US$70 for just the computer itself or $100 for the full kit, which includes the computer, a USB mouse, a USB-C power supply, a micro HDMI to HDMI cable, an SD card with the operating system pre-installed, and a Beginner’s Guide book.

Check out the Raspberry Pi 400 in the video below.

NEW Raspberry Pi 400: a computer in a keyboard

Source: Raspberry Pi

8 comments
8 comments
Grunchy
SO COOL!
sidmehta
Keyboard computers were invented decades back. They didn't succeed because the keyboard gets bulky, there are issues around space for hard drives, heat dissipation, too many ugly and stiff wires coming out of the keyboard, etc.
FB36
Similar keyboard home computers (like C64 & ZX Spectrum etc) encouraged so many people to start learning programming (including me) back in 80s & 90s!

This seems really great but surely it can be enhanced a lot more:

Turn it into a fully self-contained (& so easily carried/used anywhere) tiny laptop!

Even pre-install emulators for all famous old computers (like C64 & ZX Spectrum etc)!
Catweazle
Shades of the old ZX Spectrum, especially the 128Kb model.
DavidB
A whole computer in just a keyboard? Unprecedented!

Well, except for the most widely sold personal computer of all time, available from 1982 to 1994:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
Username
Brings to mind the Amiga 500. You still need a monitor and I would rather have a thin keyboard so the iMac form seems better to me.
Arandor
It's the modern Commodore 64. Well, other than "THEC64".
AngryPenguin
Add a trackpad, and you've got a perfect Netflix/Youtube machine to have hooked up in the living room.