Introduction
Microsoft has announced that there will be a Windows 10 core free OS available soon for Raspberry PI. Right now it is released as a preview for testing and feedback. Many of you might be thinking of getting your own Raspberry Pi (the cheapest computing device). In this article I'll be explaining the models available in the market and what you should choose for your hobby projects. The following is the image of (a earlier version of) the Raspberry PI 1 Model B+ showing the details of the modules on board.
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Figure 1: Raspberry PI 1 Model B
When the initial version of the Raspberry Pi was released it had 256 MB RAM and it was targeting the schools and for kid's learning projects. This model supported a VGA cable and 2 USB ports. Then later on a 512MB version known as Raspberry PI 1 Model B+ was released with a HDMI interface. But now it has become the base module for developing Internet of things (IOT) because of it's compact size and cheap price. The other competitor of this device is the Arduino based Intel Galileo. But the prices don't match, not even close, though Galileo has it's own benefits in terms of extensibility and performance. However, Raspberry is a good place to start if you're new to playing with circuit boards and modules.
If you're looking to work on embedded projects then you can choose any of the preceding. But you must consider the compatible OS you want to choose to run on this device. Here's a list of recommended somethings that shows the comparison of various OSs from big brands. The Raspbian is recommended since it is optimized to run on this module.
Window 10 and Raspberry PI
Recently, the Raspberry PI next gen has been released with 1 GB ram and quad-core processor. This model comes with 4 onboard USB ports making it more extensible. It seems to have much more speed and capabilities to do more with this small computing device. If you visit the preceding link then you can see the hardware specs and can predict what this module is capable of.
To regard the device capability, Microsoft is providing Windows 10 Core (currently in preview).
If you are planning to have a hands-on installation and experience the new Windows 10 on the Raspberry PI, the recommended version is Raspberry PI 2 Model B. The great thing about it's makers, Elemen14, is that they kept the cost the same as the previous device. This make it more admirable.
Go ahead, play, make and share what's your experience with this combo. Keep posted for more fun.