The new pi-top modular laptop introduces a breakthrough combination of hardware, software and tools, creating an ideal electronic design platform for inventors, designers and makers of the future.
London, UK, 13th October – Education technology company pi-top today launched a brand new modular laptop designed to make experimenting, coding and building electronics, simple and fun. The new pi-top laptop is a powerful platform that is ideal for both consumers and students and includes a “sliding” keyboard that allows users to access and engage with internal components and upgrade with kits for a host of inventions and experiments.
“pi-top’s mission is to provide powerful, inspiring products that bring science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to life,” said Jesse Lozano, CEO of pi-top. “Our newest-generation of modular laptops helps achieve that goal. Now, anyone from young musicians to scientists to software developers to inventors can explore and create wonderful new projects using the pi-top laptop. We’re offering learning beyond the screen and keyboard, enabling wider exploration of computer science and basic electronics, ensuring that young learners have the opportunity to be inspired by a world of STEAM-based learning.”
Following the global success of its first generation of products – which were sold in 80+ countries – the new modular laptop, pi-top, features several key enhancements, including:
- Beautiful display with a 14-inch 1080P Full High-Definition LCD screen
- A full-sized sliding keyboard to allow easy access to an in-built modular rail which enables custom-built invention projects
- The latest Raspberry Pi 3 micro-computer with custom Cooling Bridge
- 8 – 10 hours of battery life, providing lots of power for making
- Built-in cloud management to provide additional storage and remote access to user data
The new pi-top comes with an engaging, fun inventor’s kit, which includes all the components needed to create projects ranging from music to space themes. Step-by-step guides in the pi-topCODER app describe dozens of invention pathways that enable the user to explore three engaging journeys together – Music Master, Smart Robot and Space Race.
The pi-top laptop also offers educational entertainment applications, including Minecraft for Pi and CEEDuniverse, an exciting space exploration game designed by pi-top to help develop coding and computer science skills. End-users complete the final assembly of the pi-top laptop through a few simple steps, giving them a real-world, hands-on computing experience.
Beyond this, the pi-topOS Polaris software suite remains the only education technology platform endorsed by UK awarding board OCR (Oxford Cambridge RSA Review Board) and comes with dozens of powerful coding and office apps. Using the included software suite, users can browse the web, check emails, have access to a full Microsoft Office compatible work suite, and more, enabling a seamless experience between a pi-top laptop and other laptops.
As part of the development process, the pi-top R&D team incorporated feedback from over 1,000 teachers, students and schools to create an engaging platform which integrates all elements of STEAM learning, making them accessible to users at any stage of learning.
“As we look at the challenges facing this generation of children, our mission, to inspire and develop the makers of tomorrow, is more important than ever. This is why we have designed a creative platform that draws on multi-disciplinary STEAM strategies where new knowledge is constructed rather than transmitted,” said Mr. Lozano.
The new pi-top laptop is available on the 13th October 2017 from the pi-top website and resellers around the world. The system is priced at $319, and is also available without a Raspberry Pi for $284.99. To learn more about pi-top please visit: www.pi-top.com.
