Chapter 6 ■ Building low-Cost MysQl data nodes
What happeNeD tO the $20 raSpBerrY pI?
if you have been following the release of the raspberry pi in various media, you have probably heard
that the boards were priced at a mere $25. however, most retailers list the raspberry pi for $35 or
more. why is that?the simple answer is the Model a+ is the one priced at $25, whereas the Model B’s cost a bit more
at $35. this is because the Model B has a few more features specifically ethernet. if you do not need
ethernet or other B-specific options, you can save a bit by buying the a+.however, because of supply and demand, you are likely to see average prices for either board (in the
united states) at $40 or more. shop wisely.Figure 6-2 is a good representation of the Model B series. The Pi 2 and Pi 1 are difficult to distinguish.
You must examine the printing on the board itself to determine the differences. There are subtle differences,
but they are difficult to see. Fortunately, since they use the same layout, most Model B cases will fit
both boards.
The examples in this chapter and the remaining chapters use the Model B variant.
A Tour of the Board
Not much larger than a deck of playing cards, the Raspberry Pi board contains a number of ports for
connecting devices. This section presents a tour of the board. If you want to follow along with your board,
hold it with the Raspberry Pi logo face up. I will work around the board clockwise.
In the center of the near side you see an HDMI connector. To the left is a microUSB connector used
to supply power to the board, and on the right is an audio port. The power connector is known to be a bit
fragile on some boards, so take care plugging and unplugging it. Be sure to avoid putting extra strain on this
cable while using your Raspberry Pi.
The HDMI port is the primary way to connect a monitor. However, there is a small ribbon cable
connector on the left called a DSI video connector. The 7" Raspberry Pi Touch Display (http://element14.com/
community/docs/DOC-78156?ICID=hp-7inchpidisplay-ban) can be connected here to provide a really nice,
small tablet-like experience. Figure 6-5 shows the Raspberry Pi Touch Display.