ELECROW CrowPi Sensor Kit for Learning Programming (Basic Kit, Black)

The CrowPi is a wonderful device chuck full of everything you need for any Raspberry Pi project and more! I had some minor problems which the support team was able to resolve for me quickly via email. The team is very knowledgeable and very responsive. I also wanted to use the CrowPi with a Raspberry Pi 4B but this unit did not come with a Mini-HDMI adapter only the standard which I can use with my Pi 3B's. I also mentioned this to the support team and they were kind enough to send me an adapter at no additional charge. The Elecrow Crowpi 1 is a great all-in-one, all encompassing testing platform featuring either the Raspberry Pi 3 or 4. Now that the Raspberry Pi 4 8gb model is out, the possibilities are endless! Most components are preinstalled in a great looking hard "briefcase". It would be great if there was some storage room for other components and power supply. I use a bluetooth keyboard with an embedded trackpad and a bluetooth mouse. I've already spent multiple hours testing several of the included components, servos, displays, etc. and haven't even explored half of what's available. Not to mention you can go beyond what's included and expand out from the case. The touch screen is also a nice, crisp display. I connected a small external speaker which lets me view videos and music. It's great for kids as well as producing serious real-world applications. My 5 and 9 year old granddaughters love using CrowPi with me. I had previously purchased components separately and know it's a big savings having just about everything included in one unit. Plus you can't lose the parts! And of course all the separate parts I had are usable with CrowPi's included Breadboard or you can hook up external expansion. All-in-all I would give CrowPi 1 a 10 out of 10 rating and can't wait to see what the CrowPi 2 is all about! Elecrow Customer Service is also #1. I had a few issues in the beginning and they were resolved quickly after reaching out to Customer Service! I recommend CrowPi 1 for kids, school kids, adults, testers and developers! It's a wonderful all-in-one kit to own! Richard Rutkowski, Matthews, North Carolina, USA

Getting the system put together does require some elbow grease to connect things, but once it's all connected and secured, the system runs very well. The instructions that come with are well documented, and the software and libraries the instructions point to help ensure everything works wonderfully, almost right out of the box. Ultimately this is a great purchase for people who want to do a lot of experimenting and prototyping, as well as just get a really good education in programming. If this had a battery pack, it would make for a perfect on-the-go portable testing environment.

So I've seen a lot of reviews complaining that it doesn't include a micro hdmi adapter to support the Rapsberry Pi 4. But it's actually worse. I purchased this item thinking it has a fullsized HDMI connector (as stated in their description), but instead, the connector I have is a micro hdmi. No where on the box does it state it has a micro hdmi connector. In fact, the silk-screened label on the CrowPi itself still says "Raspberry Pi 2/3", indicating that it *shouldn't* even have a micro hdmi connector. Their micro-hdmi connector is also attached via a breakout board with an FFC connector, so they could have provided both the HDMI and micro-hdmi breakout boards to maximize compatibility. Do not purchase this item unless you are a gambling man as there's no guarantee which variant you're going to get until you get it and open it up Update: they did provide me with the appropriate breakout board after I've contacted them. This not great to wait and see, but at least they've made it right

One of the issues I did run into was the location of the case hinges and the plugs to the Pi itself: you have to be very careful, or you'll pinch the cables. Also, I wish there was a way to keep it powered when the case was closed (in case I want to install a chargeable battery. Also, a place to store the AC adapter when the case is closed without worrying about ruining any components. I have considered altering it a bit, but I want to get some more learning done before I do that. Overall, though, nice setup.

I got this so I can whip up some API emulators and have physical world interfaces to write code against. It fits the bill for my needs, but while I have worked through some stuff I was struck by how I wished I had had this when I started out. buy the kit, learn on...

Amazing way to get into programming! This is an intuitive and rewarding way to get into using your pi!!!

After 3 weeks of frustration with this device, I just found out that they are releasing a new version. I have decided to return the Crowpi for the numerous issues that I cited below and will read the reviews of the Crowpi 2 to see if it is for me. Summary of problems: - Crowpi is not directly compatible with RP2 or 3, the screen only connects with the RP4 - The way the RP fits into the device makes it very difficult to switch out the memory card and impossible to use a second monitor, you are stuck with the tiny 7 inch monitor - Instructions are poorly written, coding lessons are extremely limited with no explanation how the code actually works - No schematics included; if something goes wrong (which it will), it's very difficult to figure out what the issue is and how to solve it. I like the idea of the Crowpi but the execution is terrible. The Crowpi 2 looks promising as it has a larger screen and the keyboard fits into the case making it easier to transport. The Crowpi 2 is probalby made with the RP4 in mind where as the original was clearly originally designed for the 3 but then modified for the 4. Overall, I am very thankful for Amazon's generous return policy. Original: The product description on the website, box, and instruction manual all clearly state that this is compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 and 4. RP4 has a micro hdmi, RP3 has a standard hdmi; the crowpi only has a micro hdmi so it is only compatible with the RP4. Can you buy an adaptor? Sure, but given how tight the space is it probably won't fit. Either way; it's false advertising as they claim it is compatible with both out of the box. Reading other user reviews, it looks like some of these come with a standard hdmi (for RP3) while some come with a micro hdmi (for RP4). None of the models come with both. The instruction book clearly states that it is compatible with both but only show pictures of the RP4; there is no mention about the difference between the models or what to do if you have the "wrong" one. The instruction book itself is poorly written and missing several steps of how to set the whole thing up. The product itself is very compact and seems to be well built; whoever is in charge of the company's advertising and technical writing is screwing over everyone else who contributed to the product. Until the company stops this false advertising, this product gets one star (Update a few days later) I went ahead and bought a RP4 because I really wanted to make this thing work; it still doesn't. I've followed the instructions included and it simply doesn't work. The instructions are missing several steps and doesn't explain how anything actually works so which makes "trouble shooting" very difficult. I've had to take the whole thing apart and put it back together several times in attempt to get the "crowpi image" to work to no avail. I can't even get Noobs, Rasperian, or Retro pi to work! No matter what I do, the monitor says nothing is connected. The design of the crowpi makes it very difficult to remove the sd card which, according to the internet, is the source of my issues. This is the SD card that came with the device and I am following their own (poorly written) instructions. It simply doesn't work and every time I try to fix it I have to take everything apart again. I am now worried I might be damaging the device because everything is such a tight fit and these are fragile components. I'm going to give this one more day because I love the concept but the actual device, the instructions, and the company in general seem pretty sketchy. Very upset as I have already invested over $300 on what appears to be a cool looking paper-weight. (Update 2, one day later...) I've decided to add an extra star to my review for two reason: 1. The company reached out to me immediately after I posted my first review and they seem to be making an honest attempt to remedy the situation; if it gets resolved than I will certainly bring the rating higher because I truly appreciate good customer service and I want to get this product to work. 2. I was able to get retropi to work with the device. I still haven't been able to get noobs, raspbian, or the crowpi image to work which makes me think there is an issue with the raspberry pi itself and not the crowpi. To be clear; the instructions for the crowpi should have be more detailed as it would have made it a lot easier for me to figure out why the raspberry pi wasn't connecting to the crowpi. I'm gonna give it two more days of tinkering before I consider returning it. I did buy the crowpi to help me understand how computer hardware works and although I haven't gotten it to work, I am learning a lot from my frustration with the crowpi so I guess that counts for something. Update 3: I returned the elecrow and am very happy that amazon gave me a refund. I also returned a raspberry pi 4 that I purchased to make this work; amazon claims that they never recieved the return and are billing me. One star for this product, one star for amazon's customer service.

The Scratch documentation is for Scratch 2 which has been discontinued because it uses Adobe Flash. Scratch 3 is different and the examples have to be rewritten to run in Scratch 3. The documentation overall is poor because it assumes too much prior experience for someone who is new to Raspberry Pi and Programming. The documentation is also full of formatting and grammar mistakes. Hardware wise it is OK but I would like to have seen a better setup for the HDMI plug that would easily allow to use a second monitor. I finally got a 90 degree Micro HDMI cable and raised the Raspberry PI up using spacers to get the second monitor connected. The resolution on the Crow Pi monitor is really not good enough to program in Scratch, hence adding the second monitor. I bought it for my great nephew and I think he will enjoy it after I finish rewriting the documentation.

If you want to investigate whats going on with Rasberry Pie? This is for you

Gute Verarbeitung!

A collection of sensors & actuator plus touch-screen 7-inch monitor deployed inside a compact carrying bag, great for learning to program python with raspberry pi. However, the touch screen monitor should have been like 10-inch for easier viewing, cos the case have enough space to accommodate such.