We’ve been pretty confident about Raspberry Pi 4 for the last couple of months, repeatedly asserting that we think it’s the first Raspberry Pi you could comfortably claim is a desktop PC replacement.

This month, we put that claim to the test. We asked one of our best makers: PJ Evans to use a Raspberry Pi for a week as their main desktop computer, and report back to us!

The result is a fabulous insight into just how far Raspberry Pi has come. The MagPi magazine issue #85 is packed with tips and tricks for using Raspberry Pi 4 as your one-and-only computer.

Click here to buy The MagPi magazine issue #85

Amazing projects: like Pi Fighter and My Pi

Every month we feature the best projects built with Raspberry Pi. We were stunned by Pi Fighter, a real-world boxing build that gamifies the sport using a Raspberry Pi-powered punchbag. We’ve also got incredible retro-gaming builds like MyPi, and afterwards pour yourself the perfect drink  the Immersive Bar – a cocktail-making master.

Build a Bird Feeder

From boxing to bird-watching. For those who want something a little more scientific take a look at this amazing bird-box build by Stephen B Kirby. With a Raspberry Pi, capacitive touch-sensor and camera, Stephen captures amazing pictures from the garden.

Amazing tutorials: like this NAS drive

Ever since Raspberry Pi 4 came out with full gigabit Ethernet, our readers have been asking for an updated NAS Drive tutorial. Add an external hard-drive to Raspberry Pi 4 and use it to share files around the house. It’s ideal for media server projects and a low-cost alternative to cloud storage services.

Retro gaming: Make 8-bit graphics in PICO-8

We’ve been falling in love with PICO-8 a little bit more every month. Dan Lambton-Howard continues his sequence of tutorials for this great little retro gaming package. Discover how to make incredible 8-bit sprites using PICO-8’s custom colour palette (that helps ensure all your graphics look great). This month Dan builds a space-shooter to demonstrate PICO-8’s amazing sprite editing tools.

Plus! Win Raspberry Pi cases

The MagPi is available as a free digital download, or you can purchase a print edition online or in stores.