Pi-to-Go Turns The Raspberry Pi Into A Mobile Computer

Portable MIDs were a beautiful thing — an almost pocketable device running a full version of Windows that’s fully usable without a table in sight.  While smartphones and tablets have, pretty much, eaten up any market for them, they remain a viable form factor for mobile computing.  Those MIDs are exactly what the Pi-to-Go reminds me of. A custom build using the hacker-friendly Raspberry Pi, it turns the humble mini-computer into a functional portable rig.  Sure, it’s a bit too thick for unbridled mobile comfort, but it should get the job done quite impressively. The Pi-to-Go sports a 3D-printed computer case, complete with custom parts pulled out from a variety of sources.  The 3.5-inch LCD is a low-res (640 x 480 pixels) display pulled out from a backup camera system, with a store-bought USB mini-keyboard and touchpad combo installed for input.  Additions to the stock Raspberry Pi include a laptop battery for power (Dell Latitude D600, removed from case), a powered USB hub to hook up all the peripherals (gets power from the battery), 64GB SSD, and wireless dongles (Bluetooth, WiFi) stored inside the case.  It runs a stock version of Raspbian Linux, with a 10-hour battery life. Want to build something similar?  Nathan Morgan shares step-by-step instructions on how he put it together, complete with links to where you  can get each component, wiring schematics and STL files for the 3D-printed case.

Before even getting the 3D-printed case, the entire Pi-to-Go system should cost you just shy of $400, so it’s far from the cheapest computer out there.  You can hit the link below to learn more.

Check It Out