The Raspberry Pi 500 is a state-of-the-art keyboard PC…just like the Tandy 1000 in the 1980s
- Raspberry Pi releases new keyboard PC
- Inspired by the Tandy 1000 PC from the 80s
- Raspberry Pi 500 costs less than $100
The Raspberry Pi is already known for pushing the boundaries in what makes a small and affordable computer. Now the manufacturer is reinventing itself with the Raspberry Pi 500, a complete PC built into a keyboard that available now before purchase. What an exciting and new idea, right? It certainly is, although it is not the first time that this concept has been put into practice.
In 1984, 40 years ago, the Tandy 1000 was released by Tandy Corporation and based on IBM’s PCjr, which essentially fit most computer parts into the keyboard. The Tandy 1000 was successful in the consumer electronics market, spawning numerous models until its eventual discontinuation in 1993.
It used the then-popular home computer style case with the keyboard, motherboard and disk drives in one case, keeping the design simple and prices much more affordable for the time. Despite this level of success, there was no proper follow-up to this particular computer model, which is a shame because it was clearly ahead of its time.
Enter the Raspberry Pi 500, a complete PC packed into a keyboard with a starting price of just $90 (about £70 / AU$141). It seems to be heavily inspired by the Tandy 1000, but upgrades the concept to the most convenient and affordable form.
The Raspberry Pi 500 brings retro back
It comes with a Quad-core 64-bit ARM processor, 8 GB RAM, two micro HDMI ports and three USB ports. If you don’t have a monitor, there is a 15.6 inch portable raspberry monitor for $100 (about £80 / AU$157).
It’s exciting to see Tandy 1000-style technology making a comeback – as mini PCs have already made a huge impression in the industry thanks to their much smaller size and very reasonable prices. And it feels fitting that it would fall under the Raspberry brand, as it’s already known for its compact PCs, like the Raspberry Pi CM5.
And at a price of less than $100, which is much cheaper than even the best Chromebooks and best cheap laptops on the market, it’s absolutely worth the entry price. The compact form factor and affordable price tag are ideal for productivity work, as well as for students looking for an affordable machine to get their homework and class projects done.
Hopefully the Raspberry Pi 500 will inspire other manufacturers to release their own version of a keyboard computer. My personal hope is seeing a retro-themed machine, designed after the original Tandy 1000, as a tribute to the one that started it all is more than fitting.