Raspberry Pi 4: What is it and how can you use it?
Published: 2019-08-23 10:38:04

The Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools and developing countries. The original model became far more popular than anticipated, selling outside its target market for uses such as robotics. It does not include peripherals (such as keyboards and mice) and cases. However, some accessories are packed in several official and unofficial bundles.

The Raspberry Pi 4 has a lot of improvements.
The organization behind the Raspberry Pi consists of two arms. Raspberry Pi Foundation developed the first two models. After the launch of the Pi Model B, the Foundation set up Raspberry Pi Trading. At that time, Eben Upton was the CEO. Furthermore, the Foundation developed the third model, the B+. Raspberry Pi Trading is responsible for developing technology while the Foundation is an educational charity to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools and developing countries.

What’s new in Raspberry Pi 4?
Dual display (4K) support: With this feature, you can now connect two displays to this desktop computer, and that too in 4K.
Better performance: The new Raspberry Pi 4 comes with a new, updated processor and RAM, which guarantees you a new desktop experience.
Fast networking: The Pi 4 comes with Gigabit Ethernet, along with onboard wireless networking and Bluetooth.
RAM: Raspberry Pi 4 comes in three variants based on RAM: 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4 GB.
USB 3: The new Raspberry Pi 4 has upgraded USB capacity: along with two USB 2 ports, you will find two USB 3 ports, which can transfer data up to ten times faster.
Technical specifications
Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM (depending on model)
2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE
Gigabit Ethernet
2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports.
Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backward compatible with previous boards)
2 × micro-HDMI ports (up to 4kp60 supported)
2-lane MIPI DSI display port
2-lane MIPI CSI camera port
4-pole stereo audio and composite video port
H.265 (4kp60 decode), H264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics
Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage
5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A*)
5V DC via GPIO header (minimum 3A*)
Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled (requires separate PoE HAT)
Operating temperature: 0 – 50 degrees C ambient
* A good quality 2.5A power supply can be used if downstream USB peripherals consume less than 500mA in total.

Setting up the Raspberry Pi 4
What you will need

A power supply: There is a USB Type-C port included in the device. You need a power supply with at least 3.0 A power.

Micro-SD card: You will need this to store its files and the Raspbian OS. The minimum storage requirement is 8 GB. Many sellers provide micro-SD cards with the Raspbian OS pre-installed, so you’re ready to go.

Keyboard and mouse: To start using the Raspberry Pi 4, you need a USB keyboard and a USB mouse. Both are mandatory for the first installation. After setting it up, you can also use Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

TV/Computer screen: To display the content inside the computer, you need a TV or computer screen, and a cable to link Raspberry and the display. If your monitor has speakers installed in it, Pi 4 will use it. The port required here is a micro-HDMI port. If you have a different cable like standard HDMI, DVI, and VGA cable, then you will need their respective micro-HDMI converters. For instance, if your monitor supports VGA, then use a VGA-to-micro-HDMI adapter with it. This way you will be able to use your VGA cable.

These are the essential requirements needed before setting up the Raspberry Pi 4. You can also install add-ons like a protective case, headphones/speakers, and Ethernet cable.

Setting up the SD card

If your SD card does not have the Raspbian operating system, you can do it yourself. All you need to do is to use a laptop with an installed SD card slot. Most of the latest laptops have this feature.

Download Raspbian OS via NOOBS

Using NOOBS to install the Raspbian operating system is the easiest way to go.

Most importantly, advanced users who want to install a particular operating system should refer to this guide to install operating system images.

Steps to download and transfer NOOBS to the micro-SD card

Visit the Raspberry downloads page. Then click on the box which has NOOBS written on it.

For more details about this Article read here:-https://codersera.com/blog/raspberry-pi-4-overview-specs-uses/