Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

This is the Big Bad Brother to the legendary Pi Zero W. What is is not is a replacement Desktop, Though it can and does run a desktop better than its previous generation of Zero! I have used the zero previously as parts of projects like webcam and music player of a received stream and this "Zero 2" can be overkill or just the exter bit of computing grunt that makes this thing worth the effort. As I am writing this I have been using a HD camera module and the Pi Zero 2 as a webcam for a zoom call and it worked so much better (powered of the computer via USB one cable data and power). I have been using it as a desktop with some software called Z Ram with surprising results for usability when ram is necessary though that is not the target market of this device, Just ... MoreThis is the Big Bad Brother to the legendary Pi Zero W. What is is not is a replacement Desktop, Though it can and does run a desktop better than its previous generation of Zero! I have used the zero previously as parts of projects like webcam and music player of a received stream and this "Zero 2" can be overkill or just the exter bit of computing grunt that makes this thing worth the effort. As I am writing this I have been using a HD camera module and the Pi Zero 2 as a webcam for a zoom call and it worked so much better (powered of the computer via USB one cable data and power). I have been using it as a desktop with some software called Z Ram with surprising results for usability when ram is necessary though that is not the target market of this device, Just because it can Should I? One of the tests was playing back the crab rave Video from file running from the BASH console Yep it can do that over HDMI in 1080p in the demo world Job done Game over next challenge!Thing is this is a more than capable Computer things like running PI-Hole should be no issue, print server, capture device for a live webpage or any number of projects where the power and heat of a big full size Desk Top or laptop are just not needed So Far I have 5 Pi's each doing a job and when a job is found I have to buy more!!!

A worthy, though a little dated, successor to the Pi Zero

This super-charged clone of the original Pi Zero offers a significant update in CPU power while maintaining the tiny size and lower cost of the Pi Zero lineage.It's easy to see a number of shortcomings -- let me give you a brief tour! Its size suggests it's begging to be used with a battery, but this isn't designed to be a super low powered board, and there's no integrated battery management. The oddball mini-HDMI port is still not very common, so don't forget to buy an adapter. There's only one available USB port, and it's microUSB running at USB 2 speeds. And the CPU here is quite a few generations old when compared to more current ARM CPUs. But the biggest limitation for me is the skimpy 512MB of RAM. Though it's tons compared to microcontrollers, you need to ... MoreThis super-charged clone of the original Pi Zero offers a significant update in CPU power while maintaining the tiny size and lower cost of the Pi Zero lineage.It's easy to see a number of shortcomings -- let me give you a brief tour! Its size suggests it's begging to be used with a battery, but this isn't designed to be a super low powered board, and there's no integrated battery management. The oddball mini-HDMI port is still not very common, so don't forget to buy an adapter. There's only one available USB port, and it's microUSB running at USB 2 speeds. And the CPU here is quite a few generations old when compared to more current ARM CPUs. But the biggest limitation for me is the skimpy 512MB of RAM. Though it's tons compared to microcontrollers, you need to run an entire modern OS in this little memory. It also means you'll be using the swap file heavily, which slows things down and puts a ton of wear on microSD storage. For example, running the Raspbian desktop and trying load an average web page is sllloooooowwww.But despite these limitations, it runs a full, actively supported Linux distribution crammed into a tiny space - and that, combined with the huge library of hardware add-ons available for the Pi ecosystem and the ocean of Linux apps, utilities, drivers, and documentation... it makes for an incredibly versatile little sidekick.This board will find its way on many high-altitude balloons, embedded musical instruments, security cameras, etc. - just be prepared to work a little with Raspbian to optimize it for running with such a small amount of RAM.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Pi Zero 2 W

This is a definite upgrade from the previous zero.Much smoother to work with.I don't run a desktop, normally ssh.This seems much better as there are more core's so even with ssh and other activities ongoing the zero 2 keeps running smoothly.The ram is still 0.5GB which may limit some processes. However, any heavyweight stuff can be offloaded to a more powerful host, if needed.With the extra performance however, I haven't needed to do that.What I do like is that the power consumption is only slightly more than the original pi zero, and much less than any of the full pi's. This is great for portability or devices that you want uptime for 24/7, as this will save energy and costs.I did have some weirdness after a vanilla install of Buster where ssh would ... MoreThis is a definite upgrade from the previous zero.Much smoother to work with.I don't run a desktop, normally ssh.This seems much better as there are more core's so even with ssh and other activities ongoing the zero 2 keeps running smoothly.The ram is still 0.5GB which may limit some processes. However, any heavyweight stuff can be offloaded to a more powerful host, if needed.With the extra performance however, I haven't needed to do that.What I do like is that the power consumption is only slightly more than the original pi zero, and much less than any of the full pi's. This is great for portability or devices that you want uptime for 24/7, as this will save energy and costs.I did have some weirdness after a vanilla install of Buster where ssh would lock up, a quick edit in the ssh and sshd configs resolved that, that never happened on the previous zero.I have tried a standard pi desktop (Buster) on it and was surprised as it worked well enough to browse the web and get Gmail. I also managed to watch BBC iPlayer, YouTube didn't work well though. None full screen at 1080.But you are not likely to be buying for that. Worth noting though it can perform very basic desktop stuff. The previous zero was pretty useless at it and web was so slow or fail I never bothered with it.So if in a tight spot yes pop in a desktop and you can get email basic web and Google office suite up and running sort of smoothly. If that makes sense.When running the zero it gets slightly warmer than the original zero, but not too hot to touch. Cou temp in region of 50c when maxed up with no cooling needed.The for factor is the same but some components are in different places so may not fit in those hugging cases that get close and personal to the main board.I also see that the CPU is slightly different position, so any integrated cooler case may need to be checked prior to using, not that I have found any need for more cooling.So it's a great device, a little less power than 3b+ but way mor grunt than a standard zero.I fully recommend this device especially given the cost to performance it has.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

The pi zero 2 was received within two days, and I was very pleased to have received it so quickly. Right away I soldered on the header pins for the GPIO, downloaded from github the latest piTube files, copied them onto sdcard and plugged everything together with a piTube card into my BBC Master, also adding some wires to a switch on the back panel to switch the piTube in or out. All as per the standard instructions. And it works great. I ran some old BBC BASIC files from the 1980s that did lots of calculations to produce scientific graphs and found, using the fastest 6502 emulation, that the net speed went up 77-fold (depends on the balance between processing time - itself sped up over 300-fold) and graphics time (not sped up at all as its done on the host BBC ... MoreThe pi zero 2 was received within two days, and I was very pleased to have received it so quickly. Right away I soldered on the header pins for the GPIO, downloaded from github the latest piTube files, copied them onto sdcard and plugged everything together with a piTube card into my BBC Master, also adding some wires to a switch on the back panel to switch the piTube in or out. All as per the standard instructions. And it works great. I ran some old BBC BASIC files from the 1980s that did lots of calculations to produce scientific graphs and found, using the fastest 6502 emulation, that the net speed went up 77-fold (depends on the balance between processing time - itself sped up over 300-fold) and graphics time (not sped up at all as its done on the host BBC Master). Its been a bit fun (but totally of no practical use to me whatsoever) messing around with the Beeb Master finally getting the use of its Tube interface. Thanks, once again, piHut. BTW the last thing I bought from you was a pi400 and it is still going great. Don't regret that purchase one bit. I recommended that to a mate of mine and he is even more enthusiastic about it.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

A great upgrade to the original Raspberry Pi Zero, I use a lot of Raspberry Pi's and always found the performance of the original Raspberry Pi Zero lacklustre. There are lots of scenarios where a full size Pi is just not suitable and this is where the form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero comes in. This difference in performance with the Pi Zero 2 compared to the original Pi Zero is huge, fortunately it retains the same form factor as the original which makes it fully compatible with any existing cases or peripherals.I recently replaced an original Pi Zero W in an MMDVM Hotspot with a Pi Zero 2 W and even in that application the difference is staggering, the PiStar built-in Webpage runs a lot faster making it much easier for me to change settings or configurations ... MoreA great upgrade to the original Raspberry Pi Zero, I use a lot of Raspberry Pi's and always found the performance of the original Raspberry Pi Zero lacklustre. There are lots of scenarios where a full size Pi is just not suitable and this is where the form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero comes in. This difference in performance with the Pi Zero 2 compared to the original Pi Zero is huge, fortunately it retains the same form factor as the original which makes it fully compatible with any existing cases or peripherals.I recently replaced an original Pi Zero W in an MMDVM Hotspot with a Pi Zero 2 W and even in that application the difference is staggering, the PiStar built-in Webpage runs a lot faster making it much easier for me to change settings or configurations when I'm using my Hotspot mobile. I have several MMDVM Hotspots and I will replace every single original Pi Zero W with a Pi Zero 2 W.I also have a JustBoom! Amp Zero that currently has the original Pi Zero W and I can't wait to replace that with the Pi Zero 2 W.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

Great little pi this one. After using the zero-w (which was good) I got the chance to get hold of one of these and so far its been excellent. I use mine (believe it or not as a miniature nas running samba shares and fitted with a tv hat (from pi hut) running tvheadend. I used the older zero-w to do this too and it worked really well but this newer version is much more crisp in everything it does. I do recommend using it with 64 bit rpi-os though. The wifi is a tad faster too than the zero-w.I have several nas setups one running openmediavault (rpi4-4gb) a synology ds118 and an asustor nas. By using the zero 2w I can have these setups all switched off until I need to backup to them maybe once every week or two.The power saving is fantastic as the zero 2w uses ... MoreGreat little pi this one. After using the zero-w (which was good) I got the chance to get hold of one of these and so far its been excellent. I use mine (believe it or not as a miniature nas running samba shares and fitted with a tv hat (from pi hut) running tvheadend. I used the older zero-w to do this too and it worked really well but this newer version is much more crisp in everything it does. I do recommend using it with 64 bit rpi-os though. The wifi is a tad faster too than the zero-w.I have several nas setups one running openmediavault (rpi4-4gb) a synology ds118 and an asustor nas. By using the zero 2w I can have these setups all switched off until I need to backup to them maybe once every week or two.The power saving is fantastic as the zero 2w uses very little power. I use rsync to backup the the zero 2w all works very well.So to sum up very happy with this little beast.Service as always from pi hut fast and efficient.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

The Pi Zero 2W is a great little machine and worth 5 stars. Unfortunately the first one I received died after about 24 hours. I ran a number of checks to confirm it was the Pi at fault and then contacted support reporting the symptoms and checks I had completed. That is when things got more difficult than they should have been. I was asked to carry out further checks and advise which version of Raspbian I had used. I did so and reported back. I had inadvertently advised I had installed the previous version of the O/S so was asked to try installing the latest version. I think we all know that one version difference in the O/S is not going to make a difference when the Pi was showing no sign of life whatsoever. It felt like support were grasping at straws to stall me ... MoreThe Pi Zero 2W is a great little machine and worth 5 stars. Unfortunately the first one I received died after about 24 hours. I ran a number of checks to confirm it was the Pi at fault and then contacted support reporting the symptoms and checks I had completed. That is when things got more difficult than they should have been. I was asked to carry out further checks and advise which version of Raspbian I had used. I did so and reported back. I had inadvertently advised I had installed the previous version of the O/S so was asked to try installing the latest version. I think we all know that one version difference in the O/S is not going to make a difference when the Pi was showing no sign of life whatsoever. It felt like support were grasping at straws to stall me returning the faulty unit. I've been working with Unix and Linux systems in a professional capacity for over 30 years and have several Pis fulfilling various functions - I found the whole process rather patronising. Had I purchased from Amazon I could simply have initiated a return without being challenged in this way and obtained a replacement far more quickly...

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

The original Pi Zero W is a great little computer for a variety of projects, but for use as a basic desktop computer it really isn't powerful enough. The Pi Zero 2 W is another thing entirely with faster boot times and, in some simple benchmarks I've done, nearly 3 times as much computing power in general use. This extra computing power means you can play higher resolution videos and perform tasks such as video encoding or compiling software much faster. I've not tested how much faster the Pi Zero 2 W is at 3D graphics, but I imagine there will be a significant improvement over the original Pi Zero W.For use as a retro gaming device it represents a big improvement over the original Pi Zero W. Whereas the Pi Zero W struggled with some Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64 ... MoreThe original Pi Zero W is a great little computer for a variety of projects, but for use as a basic desktop computer it really isn't powerful enough. The Pi Zero 2 W is another thing entirely with faster boot times and, in some simple benchmarks I've done, nearly 3 times as much computing power in general use. This extra computing power means you can play higher resolution videos and perform tasks such as video encoding or compiling software much faster. I've not tested how much faster the Pi Zero 2 W is at 3D graphics, but I imagine there will be a significant improvement over the original Pi Zero W.For use as a retro gaming device it represents a big improvement over the original Pi Zero W. Whereas the Pi Zero W struggled with some Playstation 1 and Nintendo 64 games the Pi Zero 2 W handles them much better and makes all the ones I've tried very playable. With the Pi Zero 2 W, for around £40 (including case, cables, microSD card and a cheap controller) you can get a nice little emulation machine. Well, at least that's how much I paid for all the parts.Overall, I highly recommend the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.One last note is that included in the Raspberry Pi Operating System is a variety of programming tools and a load of books about programming and various Pi related electronic projects. I've not explored these in detail, but on the surface it looks like this would be a good, affordably priced, place to start if you wanted to learn programming, both for children and adults.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Zero 2 W

Certainly! Here's a review for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W:"The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is an incredible little device that packs a punch. Despite its compact size, it delivers impressive performance and versatility. The inclusion of built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes it even more convenient for various projects.Setting it up was a breeze, thanks to the Raspberry Pi Foundation's user-friendly documentation. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced maker, you'll find plenty of support online.The performance of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is surprisingly good, especially considering its size and price. It handles basic computing tasks with ease and is perfect for IoT projects, retro gaming, and more.One of its standout features is its low power consumption, which ... MoreCertainly! Here's a review for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W:"The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is an incredible little device that packs a punch. Despite its compact size, it delivers impressive performance and versatility. The inclusion of built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes it even more convenient for various projects.Setting it up was a breeze, thanks to the Raspberry Pi Foundation's user-friendly documentation. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced maker, you'll find plenty of support online.The performance of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is surprisingly good, especially considering its size and price. It handles basic computing tasks with ease and is perfect for IoT projects, retro gaming, and more.One of its standout features is its low power consumption, which makes it ideal for portable and battery-powered projects. The GPIO pins open up endless possibilities for connecting sensors, displays, and other peripherals.My only minor complaint is the absence of full-sized USB ports, but this is understandable given its size.Overall, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is a fantastic addition to the Raspberry Pi family. It's affordable, versatile, and perfect for a wide range of projects. Highly recommended!"

VERY nice upgrade from previous version

I'll admit it, I've fallen prey to upgrade-itis! I'm also a geek.I use Raspberry PIs for most of the little electronics projects around my house: an Octoprint (3D printer) server, a CUPS (old printer) server, multiple SqueezeLite (audio) clients, assorted clocks, assorted sensors and combinations of these. Much of the software running on these is "off the shelf". I do write a bunch of software myself, though.I have one particular SqueezeLite (audio) client around which I've added a bunch of python code to show album art and "now playing" type information on the same HDMI port as the audio. The PI Zero I was using was pretty taxed and would deliver very small, inconsistent audio hiccups during peak computational spikes as art was acquired, formatted and cached ... MoreI'll admit it, I've fallen prey to upgrade-itis! I'm also a geek.I use Raspberry PIs for most of the little electronics projects around my house: an Octoprint (3D printer) server, a CUPS (old printer) server, multiple SqueezeLite (audio) clients, assorted clocks, assorted sensors and combinations of these. Much of the software running on these is "off the shelf". I do write a bunch of software myself, though.I have one particular SqueezeLite (audio) client around which I've added a bunch of python code to show album art and "now playing" type information on the same HDMI port as the audio. The PI Zero I was using was pretty taxed and would deliver very small, inconsistent audio hiccups during peak computational spikes as art was acquired, formatted and cached before song changes. I spent about two weeks tuning my code to allow the audio software to get more and more cycles but could never get rid of all the hiccups. I dropped this upgraded PI into the project and those hiccups are now gone. The computational spikes (in my software) and audio client software are now on separate cores instead of sharing one.I still need to sort out some start-up stuff but steady state works very well. Just what this geek needed!