ElecrowCrowpi2 Laptop for Raspberry Pi, Compatible with Raspberry Pi 4 Programming Learning Kit for Kids Adult - Basic Kit, RPI Not Included

I got this and didn't realize that the Raspberry Pi was not included. I ordered one separately and installed it. The instructions could have been a bit better. I have large hands and I don't like to force things if I'm not sure that's where they should go because often times I end up breaking things. The square peg actually does go in the round hole if you force it enough, but the round hole suffers for it. In this case the installation of the board didn't make it clear how to plug in the Raspberry Pi board to the laptop. However, if you align the pins with where they plug in on the motherboard that is a good guide for getting it in right. At first I wasn't sure if I had the right board but once I aligned with the pins I was able to get it into place.Also, you need to use the sd card that comes with the kit, not the Raspberry Pi. When you start it up it takes a little while to boot. If you see the colored shapes when you turn it on then you are good. You just have to wait.I did get an error with the monitor - saying it wasn't hooked up. I forget the exact error message - but I reconnected it and it worked. Probably didn't have it pushed in enough.So once I got it working I found the kit to be exactly what I was looking for. I've been playing around with the Arduino, but programming in C/C++ puts too much work on the coding end and less on the electronics end. Also, every time I'd build something in the Arduino kit I'd have to tear it down to use with something else. In this kit, many of the components are already set up so I don't have to pull them out, lay them down, hook them together, etc... Saves a lot of time and allows me to focus on playing around with the electronics.It comes with a keyboard and mouse. Not sure if you can use another one or not. They are OK, and the keyboard fits over the case so it works like a regular laptop, but I'd like to hook up a better mouse and add an extra keyboard.Anyway, I am happy with the kit. I just wish they'd make it clearer you need to buy either the more expensive kit with the Raspberry Pi or buy it separately.

This might be a good product, however, the listing fails to inform the customer that it does not include essential components. It does not include the RaspberryPi4 operating system, nor does it include the 5V power supply. The 5V power supply has been extremely difficult to find online, and I have reached out to customer service for help with the matter, and have not received a response.

As a happy owner of the original CrowPi, I was great to see the CrowPi2 released! This device is an all-in-one electronics projects center which uses the Raspberry Pi 3b or 4 as it's core. Even the Basic version comes complete with IR sensor and remote, LED's, switches, resistors, RFID Cards and Key as well as tons of built in components such as Segment Display, 8x8 LED Matrix, LCD Display, Button Matrix, Breadboard, GPIO interface with LED's, Touch Sensor, wireless keyboard and mouse, nice size screen and camera just to name some of what's included. I was able to open it up, quickly connect my Raspberry Pi 4 with the included O/S and software on an included Micro SD card and was up and running in minutes. I was even able to hook up some LED's and resistors to the GPIO Interface and run a Python program I wrote for a generic Raspberry Pi. (See video). I recommend this great product for any student, programmer or hobbyist as the potentials are unlimited. ELECROW customer service is also the best! I'm sure you will be as happy as I am when you purchase this quality device!!

Awesome, great learning computer for all ages. Comes fully ready with programming apps and learning resources from scratch to java python C and that's just the programming aspect the electronics portion looks awsome and will be experimented with that soon.Bottom line, this hits computer science from all different angles, with plenty to grow and learn with.

Generally, when I review items on Amazon, I look at them from the standpoint of value for the price.However, when you move away from items with commonly sourced alternatives, you have to do it some other way. The ELECROW Crowpi2 Laptop (Gray) is an example of a niche item that's difficult to evaluate as a value proposition.You see, you can get an RPi and a STEM kit of sensors, motors, LEDs, and the like. Some of those kits even come with PDF walkthroughs and tutorials. Also, it's not hard to add an LCD monitor to the RPi, and equip it with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Once you've done all of that, you're in for less than HALF the cost of the Crowpi2. But that's not the point, is it?The Crowpi2 brings you the convenience of having everything bundled. It's also storable and transportable in a way that IoT projects generally aren't. The form factor, in my opinion, is more of a gimmick. Sure, the Crowpi2 works, but it's a little weird that a modern machine would look a bit like an old Compac 80286 laptop. Considering how closed-ended the kit is, I kind of wish that the RPi was entirely external.Still, everything works, so that's something. For me, the primary criteria that makes the Crowpi2 a practical purchase is age. If you have a STEM-centric kid that's under 13, and you have the money to spare, I think the Crowpi2 is a fine buy. However, once you're dealing with teenagers, they may actually PREFER the more prototype-centric feel of working with the items outside of the confines of a boxed kit. Conditionally Recommended