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News Devices Apr 2, 2026, 8:16 PM

My two Raspberry Pi boards cost as much as a laptop now: the device shift worth noticing

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. This piece sits on 3 source layers, but the real value is showing why the story should not be skimmed past too quickly.

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. This story is solid enough to treat the core shift as confirmed, so the better question is how far it travels and who feels it first.

Quang Huy Devices and Digital Infrastructure Editor
Verified The story is backed by strong or official sources.
Reference image for: My two Raspberry Pi boards cost as much as a laptop now: the device shift worth noticing
Reference image from ZDNet AI. ZDNet AI

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. ZDNet AI, ZDNet Security and ZDNet Mobile align on the core of the story, giving it firmer ground than a single headline on its own. On the device side, the useful angle is whether a technical change actually alters feel, lifespan, or upgrade cost in real use.

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What is happening now

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. The main references behind this piece include ZDNet AI, ZDNet Security and ZDNet Mobile.

Where the sources line up

ZDNet AI, ZDNet Security and ZDNet Mobile align on the core of the story, giving it firmer ground than a single headline on its own. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.

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Patrick Tech Store Accounts, tools, and software now available in the store This slot is temporarily dedicated to the Patrick Tech ecosystem.

The details worth keeping

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form . On the device side, the useful angle is whether a technical change actually alters feel, lifespan, or upgrade cost in real use.

Why this matters most

This story is solid enough to treat the core shift as confirmed, so the better question is how far it travels and who feels it first. Even when the core is settled, the next useful read is still the rollout speed, the real impact, and the switching cost for users or teams. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites.

What to watch next

The next readout is price, device coverage, and whether the change feels real once the hardware reaches users. Patrick Tech Media will keep checking rollout speed, user reaction, and how ZDNet AI and ZDNet Security update the next pieces. In this pass, the story was distilled from 3 signals into 3 source references that are genuinely useful to readers.

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