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If you’ve bought a new Raspberry Pi, or just got your hands on an older model that someone else didn’t want, there are many ways to put that little computer to good use, and here are six of them.
6Retro Gaming Galore
One of the most popular uses for Raspberry Pi computers is as a retro gaming emulation system. Which systems can be emulated depends on which specific model of Pi you have, but even the oldest ones can do a great job with retro 8-bit and 16-bit titles, or MAME arcade titles. In fact, building your own arcade cabinet with a Pi at its heart is a common project, and you’ll find lots ofinstructional guideson the web to that effect.
5Make a NAS
A NAS or Network-Attached Storage device is effectively a local file server that lets you store and access data on your local network using hard drives. you may go out andbuy a NASor you can follow theofficial Raspberry Pi NAS tutorialand turn your old USB hard drives into a NAS using stuff you already have, or can get for just a few dollars.
4A Basic Streaming Server
Everyone loves local streaming tools like Plex or Jellyfin, but not everyone wants to dedicate an expensive computer to act as the streaming server. Well, as long as your requirements aren’t too fancy, you canuse a Raspberry Pi as a Plex server.
Just don’t expect it to handle heavy-duty transcoding. The good news is that most of your client devices can probably play back videos without the need for transcoding.
3Make It a Home Automation Hub
Home automation hub devices can cost hundreds of dollars, but if you have an old Raspberry Pi, you may run your smart home off it.The most common and effective solution is an open-source app calledHome Assistant.
2Build a Weather Station
If you’re interested in the weather, want to contribute to weather data, or are just sick of getting rained on when you least expect it, you have the option of getting a weather station kit for your Raspberry Pi or using something like theRaspberry Pi Sense HAT, which can detect pressure, humidity, and temperature, but not wind speed. However, there are also generic wind and rain sensors you’re able to buy, and, of course, don’t forget anoutdoor project enclosure.
There are a few guides on the web, but thisweather station guide for Raspberry Piis a good place to get some ideas.
1A Home Web Server
Another fun project to do is hosting your own little web server using a Raspberry Pi. you may make a website that only works on your home LAN, or even host something that people from outside your home network can access. Using open source software to host your own web resources is highly educational, and it can also be a way to do something genuinely useful without having to rely on a cloud service somewhere on the internet.
Imagine having your own little bulletin board at home, or hosting content like ebooks, music, or audiobooks?
Despite lacking in the raw power department, all Raspberry Pi devices are little miracles—single board computers that can (in principle) do anything their bigger cousins can. Just more slowly. So if you have a few old Raspberry Pis hanging around, don’t be too quick to retire them yet.
