CanaKit Raspberry Pi 2 Complete Starter Kit (9-Items)

I keep finding new things that this little box will do. It comes with XBMC for Pi. Called RaspBMC (a.k.a. RBMC). It works well and does high-def video just fine. You can mount NAS (via SMB) & NFS folders and play movies or audio files and you can add a hard drive to the Pi and play movies from that on your computer or TV in HD. There are lots of add-ons, too. I just put on Shoutcast and started listening to an audio stream. As for the Raspbian (Debian Wheezy), it works just the way you would expect. You have access to everything you need to get going then load on other programs including a C compiler and so much more from the "apps store". Also add a camera and stream video or take snapshots. It runs all this from a flash "drive" by default.I moved the operating system for Raspbian to the hard drive so the flash "drive" will last longer. It boots just as fast, as far as I can tell and you get lots more space for downloading and installing programs or movies or audio.It does audio and video just fine without additions. It is fairly fast initially and there is an overclocking option. I did not do this. It causes lots of heat and shortens the life of the unit. Be sure to get a heat sync if you want to overclock. And maybe blow a fan on it, too. Heat is the enemy here!There is LOTS of help on the web. Also videos (at the usual place) to get you started. It installs and configures fast and easy. Read the web pages, look at the videos and go for it. Great little box at a great price!!The real reason it was invented was for experimenting and learning for school kids and it has that capability, too. You can control external devices like lights or motors and accept and act on input from switches (digital) or analog input. I have not begun to get into the depths of this unit as of yet. Get one. If you don't like it, give it to the kids for experiments in computing and digital control.Now I have to say something negative or be labeled a company shill. The biggest problem is housing the beast. Cables stick out from all four sides which makes it difficult to contain in a box. Solutions are coming but, for now, it looks somewhat awful. "Techy's Delight, Spouse's Nightmare". But you can hide all that behind your TV with double-sided sticky tape and it gets much better for the spouse.

Let me start off this review by giving a HUGE shout out to Amazon for their amazing service. I ordered this kit on Monday, Cyber Monday, and received it the very next day! Amazon Prime is well worth it to get expedited delivery. So thank you Amazon!Now, on to the product review. I had first heard of Raspberry Pi last year and didn't think much of it. Then about a week ago I saw an article about the Raspberry Pi Zero, the $5.00 computer. So I decided to look into it. I did a search on YouTube and founds hundreds of videos about the Pi 2. It is of course a bit more expensive than the Pi Zero, at $35.00, but has better functionality. So here I am, on Amazon. I found a couple of different Pi 2 kits and went through the reviews and found that the CanaKit had the better reviews. So I went with this one. The kit has just about everything you need to get started for just under $70.00. The hard plastic case is sturdy. I would have liked the clear case offered in the other kit, but that's just a personal preference and has no bearing on the overall value or functionality. The WiFi dongle in this kit has much better reviews than ones offered in other kits, and so far I have not had any issues at all with it.As you can see from the description and pictures, the kit does not come with a mouse, keyboard, or monitor. The included HDMI cable allows you to use any HDMI capable monitor, or just plug it into any HDMI capable TV. However, the Pi 2 has four USB ports, so keyboard and mouse selection is no issue as you can either use a wired or wireless keyboard and mouse. I highly recommend getting one of the wireless keyboards with the built-in touchpad.Now, I did find one issue that I must list. The included 8GB micro SD card comes already formatted and loaded with NOOBS, which allows you the option of choosing which OS to install. While that feature is nice and saves some time with the initial setup, the micro SD does NOT come with an SD adapter. So, if you end up with a corrupted micro SD card and have to reformat and reload software, you will find yourself having to buy an adapter yourself. This is only a minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience all the same.Overall, this is a great little piece of electronics and is quite fun to use. It should go without saying that it is more than limited in its capabilities when compared to your average laptop or desktop computer. But for the price, it can't be beat.

After a few days of pondering between a RasPi and a Fire Stick, I chose to go with the Pi. Best decision ever so far. Needed only to run XBMC/Kodi/Plex on my TVs to replace ATV2. Got one to start and test it out, since one TV has a network drop nearby and the other one will run only WiFi. Will use this upstairs as soon as I replace the power board on my Samsung 46".But enough with the details and on to the Raspberry Pi itself...First time I get into Linux in ages, and have to say it was an easy process to set it up and get it running. The NOOBS card comes with a couple OS ready to install and a few other choice that need to be downloaded. Opted for the OpenElec and it took about 25 minutes, download and install time included. Easy very easy, even for someone who never touched anything other than a Wintel machine (Mac here). Fast, I mean really fast...Navigating through Kodi and my video collection takes no time at all compared to the now outdated ATV2. Simplicity is what I was looking for, is connected to a TV as a Media Center after all, no need to have complexity and intricacy to just watch a movie or stream some music.Remote control with the Kodi remote app for iphone or yatse on android, can't go wrong with that.Added bonus, this is a real functioning computer if needed be. Just use a different OS and the possibilities are pretty much endless.Definitely worth the small price.Make sure you have a USB keyboard and mouse available around the house, they are needed for the first time install.