Raspberry Pi 3B+, explained like you're an idiot (no offence - we all start here)
One-sentence version: a Raspberry Pi 3B+ is a full, working computer - the size of a credit card - that costs about the same as a couple of takeaway meals and can be programmed to do almost anything you'd trust a "real" computer to do, just smaller, slower, and a lot cheaper.
No tower case, no monitor built in, no keyboard included - it's just the bare circuit board itself. You plug in what you need, install an operating system onto a memory card, and it boots up like any other computer.
Wait, what does "3B+" even mean?
Raspberry Pi boards come in generations, same idea as iPhone models. The "3" means it's the third major generation, "B" is the standard full-featured version (as opposed to the stripped-down "A" versions or the tiny "Zero" boards), and the "+" means it's a slightly improved refresh of the original 3B - faster processor, better wifi, that sort of thing.
It's an older board these days, not the newest Pi on the shelf - but that's actually good news for a beginner. It's cheap, it's proven, there are years of tutorials and forum answers built around it, and it's still genuinely capable for most starter projects.
What's actually inside one?
- A quad-core processor - basically the "brain," four cores working together
- 1GB of memory - enough for lightweight everyday tasks, not for anything heavy-duty
- Built-in wifi and Bluetooth - no extra dongle needed
- USB ports, an HDMI port for a monitor, and a slot for a microSD card, which acts as its hard drive
Compared to your phone or laptop it's modest hardware. But most of what people actually use one for doesn't need much horsepower to begin with.
Okay but what can you actually DO with one?
- Retro gaming console - install RetroPie or similar and play emulated classic games through a proper controller, plugged into your TV
- Network-wide ad blocker - run Pi-hole and block ads and trackers for every device on your wifi at once
- A basic home server - a lightweight file share, a simple website, or a small home automation hub
- Learn to code - it was originally built for exactly this, and still comes with beginner-friendly tools ready to go
- Little robotics and electronics projects - wire up sensors, lights, motors, buttons - a genuine gateway into hands-on electronics
- A silent, low-power "always on" gadget - it sips barely any electricity, so leaving it running 24/7 costs next to nothing
Most people don't set out with a grand plan. You pick one small project that sounds fun, get it working, and the ideas for the next one usually follow pretty quickly.
What do I need to actually get one running?
- The Raspberry Pi 3B+ board itself
- A microSD card (this is where the operating system and your files live)
- A phone-style USB power supply
- Optionally: a case to protect the bare board, plus a monitor, keyboard and mouse for initial setup (or none of that if you're setting it up "headless," meaning controlled remotely from another computer)
You download the free Raspberry Pi Imager tool on another computer, use it to write an operating system onto the microSD card, pop the card in, plug in power, and it boots up.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Plenty of Pi projects are genuinely point-and-click, especially the popular beginner ones like retro gaming or Pi-hole - you're mostly following a setup guide, not writing software. Coding is available if you want to learn it later, but it's not the price of entry.
The takeaway
A Raspberry Pi 3B+ is a cheap, tiny, slightly underpowered but very capable little computer that punches well above its price tag for beginner projects. Pick one small thing you'd like it to do - a retro games machine, an ad blocker, a first taste of home automation - and go find a guide for that exact project. It's a genuinely great, low-stakes way to start tinkering with hardware.
What would be your first Pi project? Let me know in the comments.