Raspberry Pi launches its first touch screen display
Raspberry Pi has finally released its first official touch screen display a year after the company first revealed it.
The Raspberry Pi touch screen display is a 7-inch device that has a price tag of $60 (£48). With the new device, the credit card–sized computer can now be converted into a tablet or a touch screen console for entertainment systems, according to Expert Reviews.
The Raspberry Pi screen only has a resolution of 800 x 400, compared to the iPhone 6 Plus' full-HD display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. However, it all comes down to the cost of components. The Apple phone costs more than $922 (£600), while the Raspberry Pi touch screen costs less than 10 percent of that price.
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The new device has a 10-finger capacitive touch and can be connected to the Pi using the DSI connector. Users can also connect a second display to the pint-sized computer. Users can connect the Pi to the back portion of the screen and both devices can run on the same USB power source, the report details.
Raspberry Pi hackers can use the new display as an infotainment system or as a controlling device for streaming media. They can also use it for smart appliances.
The touch screen display comes with cables, screws, and jumper wires that users will need to attach to the Raspberry Pi. Unfortunately, the screen does not come with a stand so users will have to buy that one on their own. The next versions of the device will already be assembled, PC World reports.
Pi Foundation director of software Gordon Hollington said the touch screen was released later than expected because a lot of issues cropped up during its development. Among the problems they had to deal with were the quality of color reproduction, pixels, contrast ratio, viewing angle, and the price of the device.
"I honestly believed it would only take us six months from start to end," PC World quotes Hollington. "But there were a number of issues we met."
The company also had to consider the ability of the manufacturer to deliver the same quality for a long stretch of time. Thus, they came up with the final specs of the Raspberry Pi touch screen display and launched it on Tuesday.
