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Souvik Mandal
Souvik Mandal

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Raspberry Pi 4 : quick review

In the month of June of 2019 raspberry Pi foundation introduced a new model of SBC(single board computer) named 'Raspberry Pi 4 (model B)', which was 50% more powerful and 30% more efficient than its previous version. this was one of among most powerful ARM devices in the first two decades of 21st century.

Spec.:

Raspberry Pi 4 (overview)

         RAM: 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB (DDR4)
         CPU: 4 cores (64-bit ARM cortex A72)
         GPU: VideoCore VI
         Clock Speed: 1.5gHz
         Storage type: micro SD card, USB(external)
         Wireless connectivity: bluetooth 2.4/5 gHz, Wifi 802.11ac
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I/O:

Specifications

         2x USB type-A (3.0)
         2x USB type-A (2.0)
         1x USB type-C 
         1x Ethernet port (RJ-45)
         2x micro HDMI
         1x headphone jack (3.0)
         1x CSI connector
         1x DSI connector
         40x GPIO pin
         4x PoE hat
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software:

Raspbian OS
• Raspbian OS (officially supported)
• Ubuntu 20.4 LTS (officially supported)
• Windows IoT version
except these a wide range of linux distros is supported unofficially.

pros.

       •  Most powerful Raspberry Pi to date.
       •  Offered in three RAM amounts.
       •  Supports two 4K external displays.
       •  Gigabit Ethernet jack onboard.
       •  USB 3.0 support.
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cons.

       •   Needs fan and case.
       •   No built-in storage.
       •   Alternate operating systems need higher-spec, more expensive versions.
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pricing:

    (from electronicscomp.com)

     •   1 GB - ₹2690.00 (tax excluded)
     •   2 GB - ₹3085.00 (tax excluded)
     •   4 GB - ₹4185.00 (tax excluded)
     •   8 GB - ₹5695.00 (tax excluded)
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conclusion:

As an educational & development and introductory computer, it's hard to bet to Raspberry Pi. Every new release has managed to do more without fundamentally changing the size of the board, adding more powerful features day by day while still supporting the same interface for third party hardware, supporting a wide range of Operating Systems. As someone who grew up with 1980s 8-bit or 16-bit computers, there's a certain nostalgia in a device like this, but this category of hardware clearly looks forward, building on its heritage and aiming to encourage more developer and engineers.

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