5 Ways to Turn Your Raspberry Pi into a Laptop

The Raspberry Pi is small, low power, and therefore portable. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your own Raspberry Pi into a home laptop? Well you can!

We’ve found five ways to turn your Raspberry Pi (or Raspberry Pi Zero) into a laptop using ready-made kits and/or 3D printed plans.

Why use a Raspberry Pi as a laptop?

It is compact, easy to set up and can be connected to various hardware devices. The question is why would to you not use raspberry pi as a laptop?

Two key options are presented: the (relatively) powerful Raspberry Pi 3B+ (available on Amazon) and the ridiculously cheap and thin Raspberry Pi Zero (available on Adafruit).

Just imagine the possibilities. With a Raspberry Pi powered laptop, not only do you have a laptop that you can use for productivity (the Raspberry Pi 3B+ makes an impressive desktop replacement), you can also use it for coding projects. What’s more, many Pi laptop designs provide GPIO access, allowing you to easily connect to other devices as if it were sitting on a table right on the table.

The following examples can turn a Raspberry Pi into a laptop. If you’re looking for a little use, check out our look at designs that make your Raspberry Pi portable.

1. pi-top

Modular laptop with Raspberry Pi Model 3B+ (although you can order without it), the pi-top is amazing. In short, it’s a laptop case with a slide-out keyboard that exposes the innards. You won’t find anything here but a circuit board that you can plug your Raspberry Pi into.

The header board and Raspberry Pi are mounted on a rail to which other boards can be attached. So you can slide the keyboard and boot up to enjoy the Raspberry Pi experience, and then when you feel like having some home electronics, you can slide the keyboard back and plug in another device.

For example, you can purchase a laptop case with an inventor’s kit. This includes the breadboard, resistors and LEDs for some basic electronics.

There’s even a dedicated heatsink to keep your Raspberry Pi cool, and pi-top has its own Polaris operating system (better known as pi-topOS).

Go to pi-top.com/products/pi-top to order a pi-top and turn your Raspberry Pi into a laptop.

2. Raspberry Pi and Arduino laptop

With a complete keyboard, DIY trackpad and 7″ display, this complete project will help you build your own Raspberry Pi laptop. This project uses a Raspberry Pi 3, but you can easily replace it with a Raspberry Pi Model 3B+.

In this detailed video, you’ll learn how to build a battery pack (you should get about five hours from your Raspberry Pi), hook up a charger, a boost converter, and even extend one of the USB ports for improved accessibility.

At the same time, the Arduino component displays the battery state of charge and also provides the connection for the sensor modules. It’s a useful all-in-one approach!

Featuring a keyboard from a 7-inch tablet sleeve, the laptop is built from reinforced cardboard.

3. Kano laptop kit

Kano takes a Raspberry Pi laptop

While the latest version of the Kano DIY computer kit for kids (available on Amazon) may not match the right laptop, it comes close. Featuring a Raspberry Pi 3 laptop, a 10-inch screen, a speaker, and the usual components of a complete Raspberry Pi set, the laptop element comes with device portability and a compact keyboard.

Designed by Kano, the computer is easy to assemble. The Raspberry Pi 3 can be mounted on the back of the display along with the display adapter. Colorful cables make it easy to connect the battery and other components. The keyboard, meanwhile, sits neatly on the back of the case.

Once launched, you’ll be running Kano OS (multiple operating systems are available for the Raspberry Pi), which features the best Raspbian tools, as well as a few other popular apps. While it may feel more like a tablet with a keyboard, it’s a great laptop experience nonetheless.

4. Raspberry Pi Pocket Laptop

With a keyboard, IPS display, portable charger, and Raspberry Pi 3, this laptop feels simpler than it is. There is a switch connected to the battery, allowing it to be easily turned on, although turning it off must be done from within the operating system (to avoid damaging the SD card).

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this build is the plastic chassis. While it doesn’t have room for the chosen Bluetooth keyboard (other input devices might be more suitable), it fits surprisingly perfectly.

What is particularly interesting about this project is that it is quite modest. Only absolute fundamentals are included here, giving you the option to make your own spin.

5. DIY 3D Printed Raspberry Pi Laptop

Raspberry Pi pocket laptop with 3D drawing

What could be more advanced than a 3D printed laptop powered by a Raspberry Pi?