Raspberry Pi 500: Best Linux Keyboard PC?

[@JeffGeerling]

5:40 you had me for a moment there!

[@russelltindale9428]

Me too.

[@jack74593]

it’s the raspberry pi man! really happy to see you here :D

[@daveac]

Nearly spilt my tea!

[@77slevins_video_channel]

That was plainly diabolical.... i like it!

[@H3cJP]

well at least it has a free m2 inside, not available without opening the keyboard but it is there (as you showed on your video opening it)

[@lrob3391]

The thieves that stole the pi 500 locked to the desk: "We only wanted the desk but were forced to take the pi 500 too..."

[@michaelwright2986]

Now I come to think of it, most desks would sell for more than the Pi. Oh, I've just though of a desk with a Pi 5 built in, for more graceful cable management.

[@dave_lawrence]

I think the internal strength of the case wouldn't stop a thief jetking the Pi500 hard against the end of the Kensington cable and breaking it off easily.

[@yoruneko34]

@@michaelwright2986still no room for a m2 drive i’d wager

[@michaelwright2986]

@@yoruneko34 Not even a little 2230? Just a teeny one?

[@jimtekkit]

"We only wanted the cable but were forced to take the desk and a Pi 500"

[@juanignacioaschura9437]

The lack of NVMe support is really a dealbreaker, not because of its omission, but rather because of the Raspberry Pi Foundation's statement justifying its omission, which struck me as patronising at least.

[@grendelicious]

"we're going to make you buy a new one in six months for more money and you will like it"

[@iHawke]

The Pi Foundation only cares about raking in as money as possible these days.

[@WiseAcres-i4d]

Their reason?

[@jackal7823]

I must be dreaming

[@juanignacioaschura9437]

@@WiseAcres-i4d My bad, it was an exchange between Jeff Geerling and the foundation during the time of release; he asked why there wasn't an M.2 slot and their reply was "We feel the feature set we've picked for the Pi 500 is the right one." A foundation that prides on the maker capabilities of their product suddenly slashing features because they believe *they know* what the consumer wants?

[@tonyhampton7736]

Loved the sarcasm about no M.2 SSD slot. I agree about the HDMI port. Just use mini display ports

[@albundy7718]

There is actually a placeholder on the board for a m.2 SSD but without the electronics and the connector. You can see it for example in Jeff Geerlings test.

[@luca7069]

Why wouldn't they go for mini DP? Does it require more expensive licencing and stuff?

[@MeriaDuck]

Hdmi can support audio, which as far as I know DP can't. However, I'm unsure whether the raspberry pi supports audio via hdmi. Linux generally does.

[@luca7069]

@@MeriaDuck DP most definetely supports audio

[@gfdggdfgdgf]

Well if the choice is a connector that everybody knows and uses or a connector more than 99% of computer users would not even recognize the choice is obvious. Should be full size HDMI though.

[@RickUsesComputers]

I would have bought the Pi 500 if it had full sized HDMI ports and an M.2 slot. Personally, I think your maker build is the winner of the four keyboard computers, because it has got full sized HDMI ports and an SSD unlike the real Pi 500.

[@fetchstixRHD]

For me, RTC functionality as well - I might even be able to have accepted the lack of the other features, if that was present.

[@TheJalister]

I would have bought one of it had a full keyboard with number pad. Would have been great Amiga and Atari ST emulation.

[@RoshiGaming]

@@TheJalister Full keyboard, nvme slot, full-sized HDMI. That would convince me to get one, but as it is, absolutely not.

[@iqbalhamza9917]

And the best thing about the maker's build is it's retro design and colour

[@RickUsesComputers]

@@iqbalhamza9917 That's for sure!

[@JeSuisUnePatate]

Honestly, for a moment, my jaw dropped when I saw that M.2 SSD slot! You 100% got me on that!! 🤣

[@d.barnette2687]

Me, too. But I kept wondering, why the screw on the door, and not a thumb latch. That screw was just begging to be dropped on the floor, bouncing 3 miles away, winding up under the neighbor's refrigerator. So RPi Foundation, when you DO put a door there, PLEASE do NOT use a screw!!! :)

[@jinxterx]

@@d.barnette2687 It's a captive screw so can't fall out.

[@kneekoo]

No kidding, my jaw dropped too. I thought they updated the Pi 500, but they probably won't. It's more likely to happen on the next generation.

[@WildkatPhoto]

I seriously love how this is essentially a back to the future. Its a Vic20/C64/Sinclair/Acorn all over again.

[@johalun]

Indeed! This is the perfect Amiga :D My Pi400 is an Amiga 4000.

[@Tailslol]

Actually arm is from the acorn family.

[@ChrisShawc]

You had me with the nvme 'door' on the base 😄. I thought maybe there was a model B already.

[@ultrium2000]

Yes he got me too. I was excited for about 15 seconds.

[@justyx846]

As he can imagine the door into existence, surely it would have been trivial to imagine the presence of the m2 interface as well? 😆

[@JeffGeerling]

It was a very good photoshop job.

[@Mizai]

one of the last great youtubers on youtube keep up the good videos

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@Johnnyvtg]

For some reason I read that as "one of the least favourite youtubers on youtube"

[@jamescollins6085]

The door on the base of the system got me. Love your sense of humour.

[@RoboNuggie]

Thank you for an honest appraisal. I think that Raspberry Pi is in danger of resting on it's laurels akin to how Sinclair did where we get iterations of the same thing (more RAM, different colour etc) rather than pushing forward.... cheers Chris!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support. :)

[@Wythaneye]

4:30 I'm glad I'm not the only one disappointed in the choice to continue with micro HDMI. They should have taken notes from the Orange Pi 800, which in my opinion is a better designed machine.

[@EvanOfTheDarkness]

I can understand it on the 4/5, because of the limited board space. The 400 was their first keyboard computer, so while it was a disappointment, I also find it excuable. But for the 500 this is just lazy. It's not like they reused anything from the 400, the ports are in different places, they made new molds and PCB-s for the 500 anyway.

[@Zerzayar]

Sadly the Orange Pi doesn't have the software support of the Raspberries.

[@billfusionenterprise]

plus vga

[@drewnewby]

Genuinely impressed with the temps, was not expecting those results.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Nor me! :)

[@troyt4969]

I love this channel. Not flashy, straight to the point.

[@patricktierney3269]

Great endorsement for the Pi 400!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Indeed!

[@danirichard470]

My first Raspberry Pi is the 400. As an Information and Computer Scientist with 43 years of experience, I learned a lot from the Raspberry Pi 400. The educational environment is top notch. It was my first Linux machine and I wanted to dive in. I am still learning a lot. My experience ranges from late 1960's mainframes (Burroughs 5500, Univac 1100, and CDC 6600) to Macintosh to Supercomputers, I recommend the learning experience of the Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi 500 is another advance in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. You learn on Raspberry Pi and you can take that knowledge and skill to other systems, including Macintosh. Am I going to buy a 500? No. My next Raspberry Pi would be a 16 GB Raspberry Pi 5. But so far I have not out grown my 400. And I have other Linux boxes (Intel) and Macintosh systems (Intel and Arm) as well. For a first system, the 400 or 500 would be good system.

[@susmoys]

even though these videos were recorded in the '80s I am surprised how up to date the information is.

[@Robbie-mw5uu]

It's crazy that the man in the video hoarded these supercomputers without telling anyone.

[@jamesdecross1035]

@@Robbie-mw5uu Would you tell anyone? Just wait until that retro time-machine appears on his second channel!

[@ivancho5854]

Well it is the Tomorrow's World format! 🤣👍

[@FacialVomitTurtleFights]

It is impressive how he makes them seem so old in the modern age. I'm here for it.

[@DylanWilsonYT]

Another great video Chris! I do love watching a raspberry Pi video with a cup of tea and a yorkie bar!

[@ExplainingComputers]

You're fully prepared there it seems. :)

[@ypat90]

Eben Upton and team refreshed the Pi 400, control the cost envelope, and sought to avoid cannibalising sales of other products in the range. However, I am left underwhelmed by the 500 compared to its older sibling the Pi 5 with equivalent appropriate accessories. I don't have any personal need for the 500. like I didn't for the 400. I run my PIs mostly headless. Thank you for this well-rounded presentation.

[@jayjay_yah]

Can you explain how to run headless with a direct connected ether cable

[@ypat90]

@@jayjay_yah I responded in the wrong spot. Sorry. But responding I did. ;-)

[@kevinm3586]

You had me with the SSD joke; my jaw almost hit the table when I saw the "door". If the Orange Pi manufacturers weren't already designing an Orange Pi 1000 I'm sure they were scrambled to do so right after this video aired. Enjoy your work as always. Thank you.

[@andrina118]

I just bought one of these for my totally non-techie disabled artist friend who I do IT support for, to replace her ageing Pi4. I asked her if she wanted a i686 instead of the Pi but she really likes the PiOS and she insisted I get her the Pi 500. It went so well. Installed Pi Apps and imported her Chromium settings & passwords etc. She is now a longtime Linux user, ever since I wiped her malware-ridden copy of Vista on her under-powered PC many years ago and replaced it with Debian xfce I'd certainly recommend the Pi 5 to those looking for a cheap and easy to use browsing machine who is on a tight budget who wants to escape the MS trap , although they really need to sort the NVME issue ASAP.

[@backgammonbacon]

What on earth is a i686? Lol what year is it? Using the Pi as a desktop PC is the worst use case for it buy a proper PC if you need a proper PC you can put PI OS on it. Even though the PI5 can be a desktop PC its still a terrible choice.

[@andrina118]

@@backgammonbacon point me to a new PC for the same price and form factor

[@clangerbasher]

You are doing God's work there young andrina!

[@grarea9532]

@@backgammonbacon Why is it a terrible choice? I have been using a pi5 as a desktop pretty much since it came out. Find me a £73 desktop pc that idles low watts and maxes at about 7W. It will be repurposed in the future when I need to upgrade, I love the GPIO I can play with, especially with all the hats available. I love me my low electricity bill.

[@ivancho5854]

​@@backgammonbacon She obviously meant X86.

[@johncundiff7075]

I have watched other videos on the Pi 500 and was almost convinced to get one, until I saw this video. I really can't believe they didn't put an m.2 slot on it.. that's CRAZY!! the micro HDMI is also a major negative. Thanks for always being complete and honest Mr. Barnatt!!! I really love your videos as always!!!

[@perrymcclusky4695]

As with all of your reviews, I find this a fair one. Looking forward to your next video!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks Perry. :)

[@perrymcclusky4695]

@@ExplainingComputers You are welcome. :)

[@jasonmonk7336]

I have to confess, didnt actually realise there were other linux keyboard pcs!! Well played Chris 👍🏻

[@MSThalamus-gj9oi]

When you said it had a door through which one could install an M.2 SSD, I thought "OH! They must have released a revised edition that fixed my only gripe! Where's my credit card?!" But, sadly, the RPi foundation must wait for my money still.

[@janPolijan]

I think I love your MakerBuild Pi the most, it's so good. The M2 SSD slot was a really fun joke.

[@junewastaken]

nice video! i still have a pi 400 deployed to turn an old tv in to a smart tv. one thing though, i noticed during the KZbin test, you can see the 'stats for nerds' screen is decoding h264 video (avc) on the pi 500, but it chose to decode vp9 on the pi 400, for some reason, a codec that is more complex and it doesn't have hardware decoding capabilities for. the browser extension h264ify should be installed by default on both to my knowledge, so i'm not sure why this happened, but also one more thing to note is that KZbin's ambient mode can be very demanding on GPU performance on any system, and it sometimes is crunching away cpu cycles even in full screen, so i'd recommend turning it off during these tests! i somehow also missed the release of the pi 500 in december so thank you for the video

[@schtive81]

It's amazing how much of a stealth launch the raspberry pi 500 had. I found out about it maybe a week ago. The one reason why I didn't purchase a Pi 400 was because of the 4GB of RAM. 8GB is a lot more interesting to me for a form factor of that size. The Pi X00 series really are modern equivalents of the microcomputers from the past. Like the ZX Spectrum. Your Raspberry Pi 5 prototype is pretty nice looking too.

[@Winnetou17]

There were videos from some of the big(ish) KZbinrs that have Raspberry Pi content, so I wouldn't call it stealth launch.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

The Orange Pi 800 has by far the best keyboard layout, and I/O connectivity of the 4 machines you've shown. I think it's very silly that neither Raspberry Pi, or Orange Pi hasn't made either of their machines with a full-size keyboard layout, a numberpad overlayed on standard keys accessed via the Function (Fn) key is not good enough, imo. It would also be nice if the USB-C port that is included had full support for DisplayPort, so that you can have just 3 wires coming out of the machine, 1 for the mouse, 1 for the Kensington Lock, and one to the display for video and power.

[@asiano3385]

Also you can see that they cared about the design in the past because both Raspberry Pi 400 and Orange Pi 800 were color coded on the bottom side matching their logo. That was a nice touch.

[@alanturner1184]

Great video as always still chuckling about SSD slot on the back

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@DLiberator78]

5:30 You had me there also. I thought you had an updated version of the Pi 500. I love the new Pi 500 but like you, I am disappointed with the micro HDMI connectors. Would it have killed the Pi foundation to fit 2x full size HDMI outputs and a slot for a NVME drive? Eben Upton said they based the design of the 400-500 with that of the Amiga with its all in one computer and keyboard but neglected to replicate its trapdoor upgrade slot. Great review as always Chris, thanks for the detailed overview.

[@flotowncomputerguy6243]

Always a treat when you review something new!

[@kencreten7308]

My arbitrary measure for these kinds of systems is that they could play 1080 smoothly and this does that. So that's cool. Thanks for the vid.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I agree on this measure. :)

[@daveginboav]

If I was pressed to make the same decision I did a year or so ago, I would still opt for a mini PC. Mine can dual boot win11 and LM from 2 separate drives and I mainly use it as a file server with its attached WD 4TB external drive.

[@manuelmagic9000]

Thanks

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support, appreciated. :)

[@gregholloway2656]

Seems like there would be room for an alternative 500 that ditches the GPIO pins, and uses the space for full sized hdmi, plus 3.5mm audio jack, plus nvme slot. Clearly a keyboard isn’t going to be incorporated into a “robot project”, so I feel the gpio is less useful on the 500, compared to the 5. Thanks for the video Chris.

[@christopherbohling5719]

At that point, though, it feels like you might as well just buy a used X86 desktop or laptop, though. The GPIO pins are what makes the RPi different. Unless you really need the low power draw of the Pi, if you're going to just be using the PC for normal desktop PC stuff, you'll probably get a better experience with a cheap used X86 machine.

[@someonesays8022]

I disagree. The GPIO pins belong there, because they spark creativity for the maker. You can think of midi stuff, input platform for a machine etc. Some things you might be able to do with a normal keyboard, but other thing not and the p500 can be used for. I think you come more from a software point of view. And most users probably, so I get your point. But there is more than only software 😉 The GPIO pins are great for electronic projects.

[@Some-guy-on-the-internet]

If it helps, there is a GPIO DAC for the Pi 400 called the DACBerry 400. It should work in the Pi 500 too, though the new I/O layout means you'll need some kind of adapter to stop it from blocking the HDMI ports. They are discontinued now but if you can find one, it gives you a way to have audio without using up a USB port.

[@PS_Tube]

Greetings Chris! Comprehensive review video as always. 👍🏼

[@kolpin78]

Another great video I was looking forward to. Thank you! Perfect as always.

[@ivanbaggett3303]

Great video, Chris. I keep hoping for a return to sanity for the RPi. I pretty much gave up on RPi during the scarcity years. I bought a 400 back then because it was the only way to get a RPi 4 without paying scalpers' prices, which I refused to do. The continued use of micro HDMI and no M.2 make the 500 a hard pass. Going forward, it's either NUC style PC or RPi Zero variants for me.

[@spartaninvirginia]

I get that there's expansion through it's IO, but this really should have an NVME slot.

[@ExplainingComputers]

It should. And briefly, in this video, it does!

[@HerrNilsson2]

Actually there’s a M.2 slot inside but it’s not enabled. 😢

[@juanignacioaschura9437]

There are M.2 traces in the mainboard, but they aren't logically nor electrically connected or enabled. Jeff Geerling already disassembled the Pi500 and tried soldering an M.2 slot, to no avail.

[@grarea9532]

Or, at least the option. I imagine they will bring out a V2 with it.

[@kensmith5694]

There also really be attachment points built in robustly around the expansion connector. If I made an expansion thing to fit and 3D printed a house for it, I would want a solid way to connect it.

[@richardwernst]

I think your observations about drawbacks/expecatations over the 400 are right on. I'm amazed they made the keyboard writing so small as well as weakened(?) the case so it flexes however.

[@richardreich8044]

Thanks for another highly informative video. Also, highly amusing, especially your mention of "the story of" and "the story of the story of" videos. Still chuckling....

[@rickster2317]

Hey Chris! I think the PI500 keyboard computer looks nice, but has entered the arena of the "cube" computer market, when adding all options to make it complete. Plus, the lack of an internal NVME option is a big oversight. On Amazon today, a "Mini PC, Intel Twin Lake N150(Upgraded N100) 8GB RAM 256GB M.2 2280 SSD, Mini Desktop Computer Support Windows 11 Pro/Dual HDMI/WiFi6/BT5.2 " sells for $139 US, will run circles around the PI 500, and can run all the same operating systems as the PI, plus (the dreaded) Windows 11. Unless one is a die-hard PI user, the Mini PC is a better bang for the buck. In my opinion. Thanks for all your hard work Chris! Take Good Care.

[@stephenaustin3026]

And it has a 3.5mm audio socket!

[@clangerbasher]

Raspberry Foundation should launch an enthusiast version with the 'features' corrected. Yes it would cost more but I think it would be a good marketing move for them. Especially as 'proper' ARM boxes are now becoming available that are true Intel competitors.

[@Kw1161]

Thanks Chris I ordered the PI 500 Kit plus the official monitor last month and I am waiting for it to come from PI-HUT. I have a Clockwork Pi Uconsole with a CM4 module that works well considering its size, but I wanted a full size keyboard to type on with the PI5 speed. I also am planning to buy the CM5 module when available to replace my CM4 module in my Uconsole because fellow users have already wrote a operating system update for it! You had me at 5.40 ....! Have a great week!

[@Andy-fd5fg]

They could have saved a lot of money in R&D if they just built something similar to your "Maker" version, where they could just dropped a standard RPi into, that plugs into a daughter card the Argon One, and similar cases. Not having an accessible m.2 slot is just madness. And they really do need to rethink there stance on micro HDMI on a device like this. Having one full size HDMI would be a better choice.

[@asystole_]

Or even better, multiple USB-C ports that can interchangeably be used for power, USB connectivity and DisplayPort.

[@mikestewart9088]

You were a menace in my eyes for a moment when speaking on the nvme door. 😂 loved the tone and sarcasm. Literally when I saw the image I said “what are they on about in the uk that we don’t have here?” Then I was heartbroken. Then I laughed.

[@DerekFrampton]

I've been WAITING for this one!

[@tonytenbreock8546]

Thanks for pointing out defects that might have slipped by.

[@floatingbonesjournal]

Oops. I'm still in the alternate universe where my Pi500 has the M.2 NVMe slot, full-size HDMI, and an option for 16GB of memory.

[@ExplainingComputers]

:)

[@CoPoint]

Well, the 16GB Pi5 model is out by now, and the board of the 500 has all the places for the M.2 parts, (they just left them out) so I wouldn't put something like a "500+" past them at a later date. Only problem may be, they may have p'd off way too many of their potential customers for that one with the 500, so it may end as a 'commercial' failure, if it ever comes out...

[@nz.pcguru]

@@CoPoint actually, I'd say they've 'hurt' the sales of the original pi 500. I reckon there's a lot of people like me - who would quite likely buy a Raspberry Pi 500 - but after seeing the 'missing pieces' on the board of the Pi 500 are putting off the purchase in favour of speculation that there'll be a 'plus' model in the (hopefully near) future.

[@linuxforpunks]

and 3.5mm audio jack, or did they fix that?

[@francis400]

Always ahead of the curve as usual!!😁

[@zachkurth]

Aptly timed video! I was on the fence, but your video is enough to convince me. Thank you Christopher!

[@DaddyCrow]

I’d like to see a video of you modifying it, for example adding support brackets so the keyboard doesn’t flex as much and printing out stickers with a much larger font to place over each key, stuff like that could be a cheep way to improve it 😎

[@AstroSmoke.]

I suspect design decisions were made before more recent market releases of mini pc's specifically of the N100 range. I purchased the N100 based Mele Q4C (Astronomy version with the 512GB NVME) for my astro project, and apart from the pain in the neck and difficult usb-c PD power supply cables (12vDC barrel to usb-c input) it has been a good experience with this mini pc. I am increasingly finding the Pi5 nearly there but left wanting at the price point.

[@tonesfreeman1769]

Have ordered mine from the Pi Hut with a couple of adapters for 3.5mm audio jack and VGA monitor. Great video, thanks.

[@Oharafolk]

Thank you so much Chris, great review!

[@srtcsb]

Excellent review Chris. Thanks for another great video. 😎👍

[@senior_ranger]

I agree. I got a 400 when new, and it's never been out of the box.

[@horusfalcon]

Thanks for the comparison to Orange Pi 800. Kinda makes up my mind, it does.

[@TomMannCenturia]

Perplexing story of missed opportunities. Thanks for the review.

[@josemanuelsenoransrodrigue9102]

Thanks for another interesting video

[@waitingtoconnect]

Love the channel Chris. I recently picked up a mini Pc from Amazon for about 200 pounds with a ryzen 6900hx in the post Christmas sales which runs brilliantly at 35w. The Pi5 family doesn’t compete anymore in my opinion given these sort of prices but I do love the retro 1980s computer feel to these keyboard devices.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. The deals on some mini PCs these days are amazing.

[@wanyman]

Fabulous video, with eye opening comparisons. I learned a lot and it makes intelligent buying decisions much easier. Thanks!

[@waynebickell1793]

You've got yer mitts on one at last! Well done! I was thinking about ordering one but with the only internal storage being an SD card, and no headphone jack, I've changed my mind. I'll order a Synology NAS instead! 🤣 The Orange Pi 800 is ¥25,999 from amazon with a power supply! No thanks, my more powerful mini PC cost about the same!

[@fbushphone]

Nice review Chris. I really appreciate your honesty and unbiased observations. I see that many others have commented on this Pi's configuration and especially what it lacks compared to some mini PCs. I got a couple of 400s for my grandchildren a while back - my plan is to show them another option apart from Apple and Microsoft. The 400s Linux and open source creative and educational programs give them a lot of fun and confidence in IT and hopefully a glimpse into another side of tech. Rather like the glimpse I had in the 80s when computing in the home became a reality.

[@redrobbosworkshop]

Thanks Chris, excellent video as always. I bought myself a 500 and the new Pi Monitor for Christmas. Having used the 400 previously I agree the 500 is more capable but really only for media consumption in the real world, be that video or busy websites but that does make it a better solution as low power general desktop computer. The keyboard flex point is interesting and we can probably fix that with a couple of strategically glued spacer posts between the underside of the keyboard and the metal heatsink sitting immediately behind it. I shall investigate. No internal SSD support is disappointing though the XD card reader is faster now. On that point perhaps a follow up video with recommended XD cards and also low profile fast USB thumb drives would be useful. I suspect it won't be too long until someone figures out what components need soldering to the empty spaces on the 500 pct to make that SSD space useable....

[@peterloader974]

I was amazed when you showed me the NVE slot! I'm buying one today. Then bummer.

[@alanthornton3530]

Another interesting Sunday video, the lack of full size HDMI ports & nvme m2 socket is a deal breaker for some, the Pi Foundation have missed a trick with this one, Chris's Pi 500 version is better by far!! :)

[@MrPitki]

I hope they will release an upgraded version with M.2 slot.

[@dotapark]

Honestly your DIY build of Pi5 computer is so cool. It inspires me to make my own version of it, but more expensive one cause I like to use Mac 😅

[@imperiajor]

Amazing review, I loved it 😇 now I hope someone invents the "Linux Keyboard PC" with a "Touchpad" included

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, a touchpad included would be great.

[@mojojojo1529]

OK so this might not mean much, but I much prefer the color scheme of the RPi 400. I know it is superfluous, but let's be frank, using a Raspberry Pi is not about practicality, it's about the feels.

[@ExplainingComputers]

A very good point.

[@wereoctopus]

One small benefit of the Pi 500 over the Pi 400: the Pi 500's keyboard microcontroller is an RP2040. The Pi 400 uses some Holtek one-time-programmable chip instead. So if you want to reprogram the keyboard firmware, or physically modify the keyboard, the Pi 500 makes that easier. On the 400, you'd either need to: a) cut the traces to the Holtek chip and wire in a new microcontroller board, b) design your keyboard to use the same matrix as the original keyboard. This matrix is pretty weird (to minimise ghosting, since the keyboard is diodeless). (anyone wanting more details about the Pi 400's keyboard should check out the Orthopi project on the "40% Keyboards" blog)

[@MickHealey]

Another great video Christopher, thank you. Personally I don't like the form factor (if that's the right phrase). Having everything plugged into the back of the keyboard seems somewhat retro, like a Commodore Vic-20, Amiga, etc. I much prefer a tidy desk with wireless keyboard and mouse, but perhaps that's because I'm old a grumpy 🙂

[@johnglielmi6428]

I've gotten every model of Raspberry Pi since they've been making them. I'm now going to purchase the 500 , to go with my 400. I'm trying to keep the Raspberry Pi SBC's archieved.

[@222inverter]

Chris..I think everyone in the comments thinks that Raspberry Pi dropped the ball when not including nvme connection inside?... especially in 2025?...I understand it's ultimately about prices but I think they're missing out on customers requirements.

[@CyberDunk2077]

Maybe they use the micro HDMI because they buy components in the multiple billions and they are locked in on what they can use? Every time a new RPi product comes out with them, we are all scrambling for reasons why they include them when they are clearly inferior. Great video, as always, I’ll continue to wait for the PI 500 Pro Plus Ti Turbo Super Mega…😂

[@jeffdingle9677]

Excellent video as usual. I have tried out my 500 already and it seems to work well and seems faster and more responsive than the 400. Able to use my Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm) and Ubuntu Arm 24.04 LTS microSD cards from my 400 machine with no trouble - although at present have no sound on Ubuntu. Please note that my comments are purely an observation and not a criticism of the 500 itself but it must be noted, that if anyone is thinking of using another ARM OS directly swapped from your 400 - they may not work on the 500. At the time of writing, please be aware that the following do not yet work on my new 500: notably - Manjaro, Twister, Debian, MX Linux, Raspberry Pi OS (Bulls Eye/Buster), Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Chromium OS, POP! OS, Kali, Fedora, Fyde OS and OpenSUSE - in case you were to use them. I appreciate that it is early days and that the above OS may not yet be forward-compatible, but I am looking forward to getting them all working on the new 500 in the future. My 2025 project....

[@tranka6112]

Great video, as always! I use the 400 on a daily basis for about 2 years now, and i could tell a story about it, that would far exceed a yt cmmt. But, in short - the USB ports are a little bit rubbish, the tab key came off just after some weeks, and the micro hdmi, although still holding, also seem to reach their lifespan. 4GB is too less for extensive browsing, 1080p - like shown in this video - only works sluggish, and the system is too weak for acceptable office performance. The not so cheap USB drive I originally used as system drive went bad only after half a year,, but was the best and most costy "FIT" size I could get, that really went with the all-in-one design. When switching to an external SDD instead, I soon learned how unstable the USB connection is. Since the foundation didn't change the HDMI, did not include 2030 support, although they started selling branded storage themselves, and didn't bother to include an audio jack for headphones, I decided not to buy one. Instead I will build a hackintosh out of a used very cheap tower. I already ordered it. 2 years is really no time for a PC! I like software support though, and it makes me kind of sad, that my rasp days are nearing an far too early end...you summed it up in one of your videos - you switched to a N100 mini-pc because of connectivity! I hope I find a niche usage for my pi 400...

[@ExplainingComputers]

It is indeed bizarre not to have the M.2 port given that Raspberry Pi now sells M.2 SSDs as you say.

[@lebelame]

Good mention about the micro-HDMI, however, these connections are more problematic on monitors and easy to break. On this keyboard , good old Duck Tape should do the trick to keep the cable lock ( to a certain degree). Ref NVME , i'll be testing an external NVME enclosure connected to USB 3.0 ) enclosure is less than 1/2 the size of my present SSD. The beauty this last year is the Pi monitor.

[@CyborgZeta]

These keyboard PCs are always cool to see, even though I myself don't have a use for them. One of the things that keeps me away from these ARM SBCs is that you can't just install any distro like you can on x86. Someone has to make an OS image for the specific device. I can't just install Kubuntu or Bazzite on a device like this like I can on my desktop or laptops.

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Yes it is i love it so much ! waited a video about that keyboard pc for months! thanks ! you made my week even better.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for watching!

[@rager-69]

I was hoping they'd make a Pi 500, but was disappointed that they didn't populate the M.2 and stubbornly stuck with micro HDMI. Your review of the keyboard solidifies my choice of not getting one of these.

[@erickmirandacom]

Thanks for this video, very informative. I'll be waiting to pi 600 hopefully wirh more memory and better hdmi connecrtors and linux friendly our of the box

[@mdo]

I went by the Raspberry Pi store in Cambridge yesterday and came across the Raspberry Pi 500. I had no idea they were making it or when they launched it. Quite the surprise.

[@hankhulator5007]

Hi Christopher, happy new year to you and your family, and above all, a good health.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@ghost_of_you_tube]

Im thinking 🤔 if the pi's mission is be an low cost sbc 😊 ... why they don't drop proprietary items with royalties 😐 like HDMI (replace with DP) and ARM (replace with risc-v)? 😅

[@Robbie-mw5uu]

Only the original Raspberry Pi had that mission. Now they are all about profit and politics. The owner of the company has said that if you support Trump, you don't deserve to use Raspberry Pi. lmao

[@kuriteufel]

It's not related to the Pi 500 at all; just wanted to say that your videos and your voice soothe my nerves harder than alcohol or valerian ever could. They /always/ have but I'm finally getting around to saying it. ♥ Honestly it feels like someone crowbarring their way through a messed up library and extending a hand to the person trapped underneath a bunch of bookshelves and it's such a breath of fresh air.

[@PeteVanDemark]

The 500 reminds me of stripped-down equipment requested by schools and government. No bells or whistles, just basic functionality at the lowest possible price. The Orange Pi shows how many more nice options can be added for under $10, albeit with slightly lower power. The Pi makers seem to be specifically targeting educators with everything at the lowest possible price. Just my hunch. Perhaps they should consider making two models; a “base” model, and a “loaded” model.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I think that you are spot on here. But as a lot of comments here show, not including an empty M.2 slot and a means of accessing it has cut out a lot of potential buyers.

[@FatNorthernBigot]

This would be perfect as an emulator for a dedicated computer, such as the Amiga or Spectrum, etc. However, there's precious little space for the relavent sticker. I understand most people would prefer a streamlined formfactor, and I know this is nitpicking, but the channel's own build is far more appropriate in this instance.

[@flemtone]

Anyone buying the Pi500 would have happily paid an extra few quid for a fully working nvme slot inside the case.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Agreed. Once the price is pushed to $90, they have entered new territory.

[@kensmith5694]

Or at least there should be an easy way to get the nvme in there. I really suspect that if someone traces out the lines on the PCB, they will find some dumb mistake. It doesn't make sense to have the place for it without the components.

[@RoshiGaming]

@@ExplainingComputers $90 and no NVME is insanity to me

[@welshtechie6832]

Hi Chris, I had that Raspberry Pi 500 as a Christmas present. With the PSU it does encroach on mini PC territory. However, in the UK with the pathetic price of electricity, its low power is a no brainer for me. Plays 1080p youtube fine. Not tried Ubuntu yet interesting that. However, it is obviously the best keyboard PC around! Love it!

[@ExplainingComputers]

It is indeed an amazing computer for the energy use. And one of the benefits of using a microSD card is that you can easily have another hard with another OS on it and very easily switch between them.

[@Bloor005]

I really, really want someone like Steinberg or Ableton to make a Pi based OS and DAW in one. Would make sense to me.

[@richleyden6839]

Thank you for a fair review. I assumed from the title the video was going to be a click-bait setup to answer in the affirmative. Mainly, this was because I didn't believe "Linux Keyboard PC" was a real category. Against my expectations you covered this well.

[@tremorist]

Waiting for the DE-löcalization to be published while I write this on my germän Pi 400. Thanks for the interesting video.

[@johnwilson3918]

You little tinker! I started to open another web tab to order the 500 when I saw the M.2 lid on the bottom. What a shame. I'll wait for the Pi500-2...the one with 16Gb ram and the NVMe slot.

[@heyarno]

I got really excited for the NVME support.

[@rivertees]

An excellent review of which I liked the alternatives on offer. A good all-round review. and gave me an understanding of the use of the Raspberry Pi 500 with a good comparison of the hardware in the keyboard. I am not a great fan of the Pi hundred series but I thought that your case had the edge, it is an aesthetic thing as I prefer shape better with the small shelf at the rear which may be used for expansion. I am sure that Raspberry Pi will catch up with you and include a bootable SSD eventually.

[@BarnabyFWNightingale]

Raspberry Pi’s unwillingness to make a really amazing PI that maintains a low price point is upsetting to say the least.

[@webmonkey44]

The naked reality the most expensive part of the pi is the ram chips. Better specs cost better money.

[@BarnabyFWNightingale]

@@webmonkey44 Honestly, I'm happy with a 4GB pi, but I'm aware I may be in the minority.

[@webmonkey44]

@@BarnabyFWNightingale for desktop computing workloads that is too low without making too many compromises as far i can tell even with linux.