Tonight (December 9th, 2020) we had our first deployment of a prototype computer system designed for seniors on a budget. These systems are built around the low cost “Raspberry Pi” line of computers and they plug into any HDMI television screen. The total cost for the computer, keyboard, mouse, power supply, and cables can be less than $40 for the entire system. For example, the following Raspberry Pi 3 A+ starter kit is available for $34.99 (at the time of this post) through Micro Center Computers & Electronics:

The model used for this evening’s first deployment was the slightly more powerful Raspberry Pi Model 3 B shown here:

The Model 3 B (and 3 B+) can also be purchased from Micro Center:

These Model 3B prices (quoted at the time of this post) are for the computer alone. You will also need a power supply, HDMI cable, keyboard, mouse, and Micro SD card for about $35. This price would include a wireless keyboard and mouse which is very convenient.

Tonight’s proof-of-concept demonstration was conducted on a Raspberry Pi Model 3B with a $20 Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse. The demonstration included surfing the web via a cell phone hot spot, word processing with Libre Office, and playing a few free games.

This demonstration was just the first of many steps toward increasing computer skills and access within the park. Please contact us or post below if you would like to help out with this important new project.