Solid Learning Resources for Raspberry Pi Arrive

With the holidays approaching, some of us are looking for good technology to tinker with when faced with more free time than usual. If you fall into that category, you may want to consider getting a Raspberry Pi. As we've reported, the diminutive $25/$35 Linux computer dubbed Raspberry Pi has emerged as one of the biggest open source stories of this year, and the two millionth Pi device recently sold. There are a number of good resources for Raspberry Pi-related news appearing, including a free magazine you can check out, and an updated user guide for the device. Here are details.

The MagPi is a free magazine that chronicles cool Raspberry Pi-related projects, and the latest issue features a mini helicopter that is powered by Pi.  The new issue provides lots of content for beginners, including a tutorial and a tour of the Pi Store. Look into the current issue here.

Meanwhile, The Raspberry Pi User Guide, co-authored by project founder Eben Upton with Gareth Halfacree, is now out in a second edition and is a complete guide to the Raspberry Pi. It includes setup and installation information, instructions for using the Pi to power music and video, instructions for using the Pi in electronics projects, and there is a guide to networking Pi devices. Currently, it looks like the title is sold out, but there should be more copies available very shortly, as noted here.

Finally, Eben Upton also appears in a new video that you can watch here.  It's a short interview with him, where he discusses his early work with electronics and how he came to be the steward of one of the most interesting Linux-centric stories of this year. If you're not British, the accents in the interview are a little thick, but it's worth listening to. 

The Pi devices first began selling in February of 2012, and the two millionth device sold in November. As I've written before, what the Pi needs in 2014 is a solid roadmap. There are lots of tinkerers working with it, but it can become a much bigger project if the right planning takes place.