On November 10, the Raspberry Pi Model A+, a mini PC that had yet to be officially announced by the Pi Foundation, got leaked by several online retailers. Later that day, the company confirmed the model’s existence, and announced its price.
Raspberry Pi may not be the most powerful mini PC out there, but it definitely is among the most popular ones in the world. It got all that fame by packing plenty of features into a board that easily fits in your pocket. On top of that, it is very affordable, and enables DIY enthusiasts to create all sorts of projects. The latest model brings even more features, hardware-wise, and at $20, it really is a steal.
Just to make things clear, the Model A+ is not Pi Foundation’s best model, as it only comes as a mere improvement over the original Model A. If you’re looking for the best Raspberry Pi, Model B+ should be your choice. That being said, let’s take a look at what Model A+ has over Model A.
First of all, the A+ comes with a microSD port instead of the larger SD one present in Model A. That’s a logical choice, as smartphones and tablets work with microSD cards nowadays, and the smaller format became more prevalent. That also helped the manufacturer make the Model A+ board smaller than of its predecessor.
Secondly, the GPIO header now has 40 pins, a clear improvement over Model A’s 26 pin. Compatibility with the previous generation was retained, though. Another improvement refers to the energy efficiency of the A+. Power consumption has been reduced considerably. Not at last, the A+ comes with better audio, just in case that aspect matters to you.
The A+ still doesn’t have an Ethernet port, so if that’s something you need for your DIY projects, you’re better of with one of the Model B or B+ Raspberries.
Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the SmartiPi Raspberry Pi case with room for LEGO bricks and GoPro cameras, or the Raspberry Pi-powered Cupcade that runs Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong.
