How much pc power do you need?

What is the lowest powered computer you can get away with using? It sounds like an unnecessary endurance, I know but, it also is about power consumption. More memory means more processor power and then drains more power on the battery. This is fine, if you are plugged into the wall in a office, home or hotel room. If you're in a tent on the side of a cliff, then power is a restriction. Sitting in my car with the engine off, walking into central London, hiking round a nature reserve or cycling 40 plus miles, my battery power is limited to the device and the device chosen carefully for the task. This is where the Raspberry Pi comes in to it's own, it's low power and low cost, well it was up until the 500+ came out. Then the cost of pi's suddenly started to rise to match much of the pc's on the market. That observation has nothing to do with this blog post.

I have a pi 5 as a main computer, that I have upgraded and modified. I received it as a present in Christmas 2023 and I have been using it continuously since. Once I had finally upgraded my main pc to a linux Ubuntu ex office from eBay, I moved my pi to my office down the road and it became the main computer in my work network (pun intended - if you know). The pi links my windows 11 pc and my Mac whilst still being able to use pi os from all of my work over the past 2 and a bit years. I haven't noticed any dip in power or sluggish behaviour from the pi controlling both computers. I also have been able to use and control my pc from home at the same time. So that is the 5. Up until I received the 5, and, when it was released, I didn't think I was going to get one, so I bought myself an additional Raspberry Pi 4 but with 8gb instead of the 4gb I already owned. Now my 4gb pi, I used as a hard disk recorder for my small bedroom studio running reaper audio. I was already aware at the time of the uses of the 4 and I wasn't convinced it could be used as a main computer and dstill hold that view. I did know it would make a great camera and I have made a few videos to evidence this. I am writing this on my tablet, this is my new mobile set up. I used this as a screen for the pi 4 as well.

The function so far, is to record my podcasts on the Tascam and then transfer the recordings to the tablet and then edited and published. Various scenes are filmed on the pi4 and transferred to the tablet, which then contacts the pc with DaVinci to edit and then uploaded to the web. There are various simple functions for use with this set up and using the pi 4 with the tablet and my phone as a hotspot is the most efficient and effective set up, plus it is light weight. Now to make a video about it.