When the incredible $5 Pi Zero was launched, the usual suspects were so busy snarking how it wasn’t really $5, that they completely missed what an important moment in computer history this is. You know the type. The ones who would have ridiculed Tim Berners-Lee’s design for the web. Or would have told Linus in no uncertain terms that he was misguided and that microkernels were the future.
Whilst you can’t turn on a #PiZero for $5, you also can’t connect to the LAN with your $1500 Macbook Pro without buying an adapter.
So assuming we don’t factor in electricity costs, carbon credits and depreciation on your chair, how cheaply can you build a fully functioning Raspberry Pi Zero, living in the UK?
Here’s what you need:
- Pi Zero £4 + £3 shipping
- Powered USB Hub £1.48
- USB OTG adapter £1.10
- Wifi Adapter - £1.25
- Power Supply - Either spare phone charger or anything like this £2.05
- USB to Power converter - 62p
- SD Card - 16GB Class 10 MicroSD + Adapter - £3.95
- Keyboard and Mouse - Any recycling centre for free. Or if you really can’t beg borrow or steal one. This is £10.26
- Mini-HDMI cable/adapter - Cable = £1.30 or Adapter = 97p
Total: £29.01
Or with obvious re-use/borrowing of stuff: £16.70
In Ireland? Add £1 extra for shipping the Pi Zero. Possibly a bit for the SD card from Amazon. Everything else free P&P from China.
Do you need a screen? Yup. Now walk into the sitting room and see if you can spot one. Well done.
A £29 fully fitted-out computer, that you could build the next global webapp on, remains completely revolutionary. All for around the same price as an Apple Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter :-)
