Compact RP2040‑based microcontroller board with 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi for affordable embedded and IoT projects.

The Pico W is still my favorite quick-deploy microcontroller. For $10-ish you get the dual-core RP2040, built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and enough RAM to run MicroPython web servers or C++ FreeRTOS projects. I’ve used it for Home Assistant sensors, MQTT air-quality probes, and even a tiny serial console for my Pi cluster. CircuitPython support has matured nicely and the UF2 bootloader makes firmware updates as simple as dragging a file. The official SDK exposes Wi-Fi primitives for C/C++ and there’s now native support in MicroPython 1.22, so you can stand up sockets with a few lines. My only nit: there’s still no BLE radio, so if you need Bluetooth you’ll need an external module or the Pico 2. For Wi-Fi-enabled tinkering and teaching embedded basics, nothing competes at this price.

Compact RP2040 microcontroller with built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Perfect for IoT projects and embedded development with MicroPython, CircuitPython, or C SDK.

Raspberry Pi Pico W with Built-In Wi-Fi and RP2040

Raspberry Pi Pico W

Starter kit including Raspberry Pi 5, power supply, case, and cooling—everything needed to set up a capable single‑board computer.

CanaKit’s Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO has become my go-to recommendation when coworkers want to jump into Pi development without chasing parts. The bundle ships with the 8 GB Pi 5, 27 W USB-C PD supply, active-cooling case, pre-imaged 128 GB microSD, HDMI cables, and even a USB-C power switch—everything you need to boot into Raspberry Pi OS in minutes. The new active cooler is whisper quiet yet keeps the board under 65°C while I run Docker stacks or compile Rust projects, and the case exposes all headers so I can still hook up HATs. I appreciate that CanaKit includes a printed quick-start sheet plus a USB card reader for re-flashing the SD when I experiment with Ubuntu or Home Assistant. You’ll still want peripherals (keyboard, mouse, display), but as a one-box platform for tinkering with GPIO, Kubernetes, or retro emulation, it’s excellent.

Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO with Active Cooling

Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO

Raspberry Pi projects and development kits we use for home automation, servers, and learning. Real projects, real results.

Raspberry Pi Products

Raspberry Pi Pico W

Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO