CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Ultimate Starter Kit (32 GB Edition) with Clear Case: Everything You Need to Get Started Review

It was fun to build and came with (a bit vague) instructions for some basic projects. I know the Pi 3 isn't the newest so maybe this kit just seems put together after some thought. With preinstalled software options, all python modules for that thing are installed as root, so they are not accessible even if the IDE points to those folders. I tried a few things and finally decided it might be easier to just install plain Raspbian and manually install what I need (without all the extra bells and…

A nice little kit that has everything you need to get started in just minutes. Two things I would like to fix: The included instructions should show how to connect the GPIO breakout board to the Pi and the breadboard. It seems simple enough, but there are four different ways to attach a ribbon cable. Two are working and only one"correct". There should also be versions of the sample connection diagrams showing how to connect using the breakout board. I burned out four LEDs to fix the circuit…

This is a great option to start your Raspberry Pi development system. Lots of parts to play with and a fully functional RPi with case, heatsinks and 32GB memory card. The mini USB power button didn't work, but the company contacted me and immediately offered a free replacement. ! My only minor complaint is that the pushbutton switches don't fit well into the breadboard. I have found that if you straighten the wires with a small needle nose pliers they will grow long enough to be planted. All in

The main reason I bought this product is because of a video on the Microsoft Developer website, the Raspberry Pi 3 as a platform for Windows 10 Core used products. Unfortunately Windows 10 Core is NOT installed on 3 PLUS. Apparently the implementation of 10 Core is still a few months away. I won't waste time getting it working including downloading a pre-build that SHOULD work with B-Plus. B plus works fine with Raspian but not with Windows 10 developer tools. If you want to use 3Plus with…

The manual is useless. First came bright colors. This was followed by a series of scroll commands, ending with two red crosses in the top right corner. It turned out that they didn't respond to any commands and were completely dead. Also, they didn't respond to other inputs like "sudo apt-get update". I've given up trying to get anything to work.

I have this to play around with lots of different things. I wanted to learn GPIO and code for it. I wanted to teach my kids how to code. I wanted to improve my Python skills. I wanted an online ad blocker. I wanted a retro gaming platform. Well, the Raspberry Pi can do all that and more! I was pleased with the quality of this cana kit. It was easy to assemble and set up. Installing Raspbian requires a bit of work, along with a quick start guide and educational playground afterwards. You get as…

This thing was fun to build and it comes with (a bit vague) instructions for some basic projects. I know the Pi 3 isn't the newest so maybe this kit just seems put together after some thought. With preinstalled software options, all python modules for that thing are installed as root, so they are not accessible even if the IDE points to those folders. I tried a few things and finally decided it might be easier to just install plain Raspbian and manually install what I need (without all the…

The Raspberry Pi itself (I assume Canakit isn't made but by an authorized manufacturer) still works great. But the item bundled with the CanaKit brand really sucks: the power adapter. When stress testing the Pi (no overclocking; fully within the operating limits of the RPi), the Pi claims "under voltage" when running at 100% CPU. Note that this is not a Pi bug. When I use the official Raspberry Pi Foundation 5V 2.5A WHITE power supply instead, it works GREAT and does intensive calculations for…

Update: Below I've written about how 4 of the 8 Pi kits we bought failed. I contacted Canakit and they said they would either trade them in for the Pi 3B+ or if we prefer the Pi 3B instead. That's a great (and unexpected) move on their part, which is why I'm bumping this review. As I said in the original review below, we've never had an issue with Canakit's Pi, so I'm guessing it could just be bad luck. I bought 8 of these for classroom use. On day one, one of the IPs refused to boot out of the