Use the Raspberry Pi!

This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back; as I’m learning and improving about how to use the Raspberry Pi I read this article called “Stop using a Raspberry Pi for everything”.

But I tell you, use the Raspberry Pi! It sits in the middle ground from Arduino and a computer, so you can achieve most of both tasks. Want some easy I/O for motors or sensors? You got it. Want to do SSH or put a webcam and stream something to the internet? You also got it.

It is perfect for the DIY intersection between hardware and software. I would say it is the hardware equivalent to React, while Arduino would be more similar to jQuery.

However, I really think for programmers trying to get into hardware OR for hardware folks trying to get into software it makes a lot of sense.

Once you get started, you’ll get better and better over time. It is perfectly okay to use it even with projects where it might be overkill. In the same way that using React for a landing/static page is over the top, using the Raspberry Pi for blinking a LED is way too much.

HOWEVER, if you are a beginner or learning, do it! There’s not better way to get good at something than to practice at every chance you got, so making a blinking LED (Hello World) in the Raspberry Pi is totally worth it.

In the same way that you don’t browse this list every time you want to make a website, it’d be silly to tell someone to start learning about NodeMCU, Arduino, ESP and many other devices every time they want to make some hardware.

At some point after you have learned enough you might want to switch to something more appropriate for your project, be it lower level or higher level. But saying not to use it is like saying to a beginner web programmer not to use jQuery or React. There is a place for everything, and using Raspberry to get started or a prototype ready is perfectly okay.

PS, many of the points in the article are valid, however you should start learning with one tool, stick to it and after you know your way around switch to the next one. Don’t try to learn N tools at the same time or you’ll get Hardware Fatigue (;