think about a few additional peripherals that will make your life with the Raspberry Pi easier. While
not absolutely necessary, these peripherals are helpful:
A case for the Raspberry Pi
A USB mouse
A self-powered USB hub
Networking peripheralsChoosing a Case
Your Raspberry Pi will come as an exposed single circuit board in an antistatic bag for protection.
You don’t have to have a case to protect your Pi, but having one is a good idea. Cases for the
Raspberry Pi come in all kinds of shape, sizes, and colors. Figure 1.5 shows a very professional-
looking case with all the ports nicely labeled.
FIGURE 1.5 A professional Raspberry Pi case.Many Raspberry Pi enthusiasts like using a clear case to protect the Pi’s circuit board but allow it to
be proudly displayed. You need to decide which kind of case meets your needs. You can easily
switch your Raspberry Pi to a different case if you change your mind later!
Watch Out!: Static Electricity
Static electricity and circuit boards do not mix! A small spark from your hand on the
exposed circuit board could permanently damage your Raspberry Pi. This is a good
reason for keeping your Pi in a case.Using a USB Mouse
If you plan on using the Pi’s graphical user interface, a USB mouse will be very handy. Keep in mind
that a USB mouse and a USB keyboard will draw between 50 and 100mA as well as consume both of
your Model B’s USB ports.
Looking at a Self-Powered USB Hub
If you want to connect a USB keyboard and a USB mouse, how will you connect your other USB
devices at the same time? What if you want to connect an USB external storage device to your
Raspberry Pi? No worries. Just purchase a self-powered USB hub, which gets its power by being
plugged into an electrical outlet.