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PiDock provides Raspberry Pi 400 with laptop-style housing and 1080p display
Whether you're teaching programming in the classroom or want a small desktop for light browsing, there's a good chance you can find a Raspberry Pi to suit your needs. Those looking to create an all-in-one without the hassle of gathering components individually should look at this interesting product from Vilros: the PiDock, a docking station compatible with the Raspberry Pi 400.
The PiDock retails at $239, and it's worth emphasizing that because this is a dock, it does not come with a Pi 400. Despite having the design and form factor of a laptop, it does not have a battery. It reminds us of the CrowPi2, another Raspberry Pi-powered laptop experience that's worth a look if the PiDock has piqued your interest.
Although it doesn't come with a Pi 400, inside the PiDock, you'll find a custom PCB that powers the 13.3-inch 1080p display panel and all the other components. It also includes a mousepad so the unit can work as a regular laptop, taking the peripheral nature of the Pi 400 and transforming it into something compact.
The package includes an assortment of cables that let you customize the setup. You can connect things like gamepads, speakers, etc. It also includes a power supply for the PiDock that will power the Pi and all of the other components in the laptop housing. Vilros says you can easily route cables under the Pi 400 keyboard to reach the PiDock ports.
Staying true to the maker nature of the Pi, Vilros has ensured the GPIO pins are completely accessible. This means you could use the PiDock as a standalone machine or a device for tinkering and building Raspberry Pi projects. The system is confirmed to work with Raspberry Pi OS, but you could experiment with other operating systems.
The Raspberry Pi 400 form factor mimics the classic home computers of the 1980s, and introduces an interesting idea, "Could we see an official Raspberry Pi laptop one day?". Raspberry Pi has just announced a new 1080P 15 inch screen which can be powered from the Raspberry Pi's USB ports. With the Pi 400 form factor and the new screen, perhaps one day we will see an official Pi laptop. Others have done it. Pi-Top released two laptops which integrated the Raspberry Pi B+ to 3. But since then it has moved to external devices.
Could it work with the Raspberry Pi 5? It could be hacked to make it work, but you'd need to bring your own keyboard and mouse.
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Visit the PiDock product page at Vilros for more details and purchase options. As of writing, the PiDock is available for $239.
Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
