Raspberry Pi 4 as your next desktop PC in The MagPi 85
By Lucy Hattersley. Posted

Can you do everything with a $55 computer? We asked PJ Evans to use nothing but a Raspberry Pi 4 for a week and report back. Discover the results in this month’s edition of The MagPi
Advertisement
Starter electronics: how to build and program circuits with a Raspberry Pi or Raspberry Pi Pico.
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.
The MagPi is available as a free digital download, or you can purchase a print edition online or in stores.

Lucy is Editor of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine.
Subscribe to Raspberry Pi Official Magazine
Save up to 37% off the cover price and get a FREE Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with a subscription to Raspberry Pi Official Magazine.
More articles
Sign up to the newsletter
Get every issue delivered directly to your inbox and keep up to date with the latest news, offers, events, and more.