Review on Raspberry CrowPi2 Laptop Programming Professional Computer Components by Draven Louton

I have the original Crowpi and started a little late with it. but life sets the pace. I'm really impressed with how Elecrow built the system and made it easy to use. I didn't think anyone could beat Crowpi but damn I was wrong! Elecrow has released Crowpi2 which takes usability to a whole new level. I spent some time on their website reading about this new learning environment and was tempted to take the plunge. The original Crowpi comes in a metal briefcase with a 7" touchscreen that screws onto the inside of the lid, so when the lid is open the screen faces straight at you. The circuit board at the bottom of the case is neatly positioned, and the entire Crowpi2 comes in a laptop-like case. The wireless keyboard is held in place with magnets and can be easily removed if you want to play around with the components inside. The removed keyboard looks almost like the original Crowpi but with more components to experiment with. The screen is larger (11.6 inches) and has a higher resolution than the screen on the original Crowpi; However, it is not a touchscreen. When it matters. Touchscreens are great for smartphones, but I think they're limited for laptops or desktops where a mouse makes a lot more sense. Removing and installing a Raspberry Pi with Crowpi2 is much easier than with the original Crowpi, and the operating system is preinstalled on an SD card so you can start using the Pi right away. The configuration of the laptop intrigues me the most, and it's almost the tipping point where I want to get rid of my Crowpi and upgrade to a newer model. However, there is one small detail that prevents me from making the jump. Crowpi2 is a type of laptop and comes without a battery. I have to say that it no longer comes with a battery as it used to be. But as of February, they stopped turning on the battery. When have you ever seen a laptop without a battery? I think for the price this thing sells the battery might be included. There must be no "should". So here it is. A great idea that turns into a great product in a small detail. I would like one, but the problem with the battery is bothering me. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Obviously international shipping regulations made shipping batteries very difficult (impossible?) so Elecrow's solution had to be followed. In the meantime, I've decided to take the plunge and invest in Crowpi2, but it's not being bought from a regular seller; Rather, I was able to find a brand new device in the box that was purchased in the Kickstarter stage and comes with a battery. The owner put it in his closet and recently decided to sell it because he didn't want to use it. How successful was it? So once I have the Crowpi2 I can give you my impressions of how well it serves its purpose both as a laptop and as a development machine. In the meantime, I'm actively updating my review of the original Crowpi to compare the two devices and list their strengths and weaknesses. I don't expect any major downsides from either, but time will tell. I contacted the good folks at Elecrow and upped my rating to five stars before I even unpacked the car. They explained to me the reasons for removing the PSU from the new kits and I can see they didn't like that decision. As I started working on some features of my original Crowpi, I know I will be even more impressed with the new one! Stay tuned while I review the new device. 07/10/2021After unpacking the Crowpi2 Deluxe Kit, I took a close look at it. The device is made of plastic rather than more traditional laptop materials, but the plastic doesn't feel brittle. It feels comfortable and makes the device lighter than usual. Remember, this is a learning/development tool designed to be portable so you can use it pretty much anywhere, not as an everyday replacement for your Laptop. The power supply (battery) drawer is quite small and does not hold many components, nor does it fit a very large power supply so you have to carry most of your supplies in your suitcase. Bag. A carrying case is included, but most people will likely opt for the more traditional carrying case, which they likely already have on hand. I like that the device has a built-in power button and volume control, which gives the feel of a real laptop. I also like that the Raspberry Pi OS is a desktop environment very similar to Windows (probably Mac-like, but I have no personal experience to build on), making it easy for a Linux newbie. The Crowpi2 Deluxe Kit comes with a Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB of memory, enough to run a wider range of operating system packages than just the standard Raspberry Pi operating system. The 11.6-inch screen blends in well with the rest of the device and is the size of a range of compact notebooks. The keyboard is one of the really great features of this device. It is held securely with magnets. and yet it's very easy to remove if you need access to the breadboard underneath. With the keyboard included, no one would think this device was anything other than a Pi laptop unless that person is familiar with Crowpi2. Keyboard removed The whole world of Crowpi2 development is revealed, just waiting for you to experiment. Be prepared for the inevitable questions and comments from bystanders when removing the keyboard in public. Most of them will be completely at a loss as to what they are. This was a real work of genius. You can enter all the code needed to make the circuit work, then remove the keyboard and voila! It's ready for testing. Or you can remove the keyboard and code with an uncovered breadboard with the keyboard on your lap. The choice is yours as the keyboard is wireless. In the original Crowpi's design, the Raspberry Pi was mounted top of the board up (it makes sense to have the top up), but that means the SD card slot is on the bottom and only accessible with the Pi away. . In the case of the Crowpi2, the same orientation is used, but access to the Pi is now through a door on the bottom of the unit, and when the door opens you are looking at the bottom of the Pi and the SD card slot is on top To the right. there in front of you No more removing and reinstalling screws when you want to replace SD cards. So much easier! One thing hasn't changed from the original Crowpi: the ease of prototyping and experimentation. There is so much equipment installed and connected at all times that you can experiment by just writing code and running it without jumpers, etc. Of course, not everything is on the board, so some circuits still require jumpers. But it's a big step up from a bag full of wires, resistors, components, breadboards that have to be assembled by hand every time you want to build even a simple circuit. Both Crowpi and Crowpi2 make experimenting with electronics and robotics fun again. If something like this existed in my childhood and I was lucky enough to own one, I would have been a happy backpacker! So get ready Once you've bought this for your own use, the kids will invade your party and you'll be forced to share it with them. you have been warned Is this set worth the price? Having bought both the original and this one I can say it was worth it from my point of view. But you will have to make that decision yourself. If you have kids involved in STEM education at school and you want them to have something at home to help them study, then I think this would be first on your list. The old-school axiom of three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic has now been updated to four Rs: reading, writing, arithmetic, and robotics. Your kids are probably building robots at school and putting them up for competition. Or you can experiment yourself and look for a good way to do it. Either that or the original Crowpi would be my pick.