Teach Yourself VISUALLY Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi packs a lot of power into a tiny board, but you'll need to roll up your sleeves and get your hands on its insides to unleash that power in your projects. If you're feeling overwhelmed or aren't sure where to dive in, these quick tips will help get you on your way.

• Buy a boxed kit: Even if you have a spare phone charger, mouse, or keyboard, they may not be right for the Pi. For roughly twice the price of a bare board, you can buy a boxed kit with all the extras you need - and they're guaranteed to work.
• Buy the right kit: Some kits sell you boxes of loose electronic parts, wire, and other hands-on extras. You may want a kit like this if you start building custom electronics projects around the Pi, but when you're just getting started, you need essential USB extras, not loose components.
• Use a monitor or new TV: The Pi has a video output that works with old TVs, but you'll get a sharper and clearer view of the desktop with a new TV with an HDMI input or with a computer monitor. Remember, if you're using a monitor, you may need an HDMI adapter cable to get connected.
• Don't expect a PC: The Pi uses a hands-on operating system called Linux. Linux doesn't hold your hand and can seem like hard work if you're new to it. But, with its easy access to hundreds of free software add-ons and increased control, using the Linux OS is completely worth the time it takes to learn it.
• Get creative: Linux is like a kit of software parts. You can use it to build a small web server, create your own small software projects, or to make the tools work together in bigger projects. If you've got an idea for a project, go for it. You'll be amazed at all the things the Pi can do with a little creativity.

Raspberry Pi offers so many possibilities for creativity and innovation. Take your time and enjoy exploring. There's a lot to learn so don't try to do it all at once. And, don't forget there's plenty of help and advice available online from other Pi users if you get stuck along the way.