Chapter 1. Meet Raspberry Pi
Figure 1.1. The Raspberry Pi provides an excellent platform for learning to program in Python. It includes many input and output ports to give you flexibility in how you connect it. As you would with a desktop computer, you need to connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power cable before you can start using your Pi.
Figure 1.2. A case protects your Raspberry Pi from damage while making it easy to access the ports. Some people use a case to give their Pi a unique personality. You can purchase a case or, better yet, make your own. Plastic cases are the most common, but these pictures show examples of cases made from paper, plastic, and aluminum. You could even try using LEGOs to make one.
Figure 1.3. The Raspberry Pi’s system on a chip (SoC) contains its computing and graphics processing power and working memory. The Pi uses the ARM11 microprocessor as its CPU and the VideoCore IV for its GPU. The ARM11 microprocessor is found in handheld electronics such as smart phones and gaming systems. The SoC in the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B comes with 1 GB of RAM.
Figure 1.4. The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B has four USB ports. They’re on the board in two sets of two, side by side. The USB ports are useful for connecting a keyboard and mouse to your Pi. A USB hub can also be plugged in to allow for even more peripherals.