I want to buy a raspberry pi

[SquirmOfEels]

Can I ask for some advice on how best to shop for one? A 3, and (probably) with all the bits to you can just plug it in and get going.

I like buying in actual shops if possible (in London)

Is there anywhere that MNetters would recommend? Ditto online stores if that really is the best way to buy this particular bit of tech.

What screen are you going to use with it?

I'd have to check (once he leaves for school, and I can look without him wondering what I'm up to)

His main two screens came from Chillblast and are attached to his PC. Would those work with a pi? He's borrowed one before and I'm pretty sure he used one of his current screens.

Oh, if he already has two screens, they will be fine! I was more wondering whether he was going to be using it with the family TV or something else...
We were recommended the Kano starter kit, but if your DS already has a lot of kit you might want to look at a simpler (and cheaper) starter - maybe look at the PiHut kits?

I was just looking at these and was considering buying one second hand on eBay. Do you know if they can be taken apart and remade?

In fact, I was looking at the Kano. Is the pihutkit the same just without the keyboard? It's less than half the price

I think you have to decide what Operating System you are going to use as well as looking at the hardware. You can download Raspbian (or something else) easily enough - but I was quite tempted by the Kano OS. I really wanted something that came with a manual too!

bumping for you

My husband has two but he brought direct from the makers I think. He has used his on both the tv and on a pc screen

My son uses an old screen from a skip.😂

Snag is, I don't want to ask him what operating system he wants.

Starter bundles seem to come with NOOBs, though I did like the look of the retro gaming bundle, that comes with blank SD card (licensing issues) and suggestion you download it yourself. Can NOOBs be downloaded separately?

Googling Pi sites puts the official 3 starter kit at anywhere between £99 and £120. Anyone know if it can be bought for this price in an actual shop?

Thanks a million for putting this on (and bumping).

Maplin are generally pretty good, and stock a few different kits. Their staff usually seem helpful when I've been in.

NOOBS can be downloaded from the raspberry pi website
www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/

If anyone has a good project book to recommend I'm all ears. DS is asking for one but without some ideas of what he could do with it I imagine it would quickly be forgotten.

What age range is this good for, do you think?

Not sure about recommended age ranges, and I am not an expert, but my own take on it is:

Raspberry Pi - good for all ages, popular with adults. Very cheap.
Basic Pi starter kits (mostly hardware only - you have to work out for yourself how to interface the hardware and download software etc) - good for teenagers. Medium price.
Kano - easier and more engaging for younger children (or complete tech novices...) as the Operating System leads them through step by step. More expensive.

Thanks!

Thanks all!

It's for a teen, so I'm going for the Pi 3, basic hardware and NOOB card only (as we already have lots of leads)