Pibow (a colourful case for your Raspberry Pi)

[FX4]

I too like the idea but would also prefer a single colour.

Yeah, this design seems perfect for my intentions, however I find the colour slightly distracting. It's great and I understand that it's part of the name, but it's just not for everyone.

Personally I'd prefer a fully clear 'enthusiast' variant of this design. I'm sure any colour variants will be easy once you perfect your design. I'll be sure to order if anything like this happens. Subscribed for updates & bookmarked your site.

You can add me to this list.. I just can't do the rainbow color scheme.

[Montala]

Well, my Pibow arrived this morning... one of the first batch, I believe!

I haven't had time to 'build' it yet, but it all looks very professionally produced product, with a nice large printed and very clear assembly diagram.... and yes, that small irregular shaped pink plastic piece with a hexagonal hole in the middle, is intended to be used as a 'spanner'!

The hardest part is going to be peeling the protective plastic film off the pieces, I think!

It all comes in a fairly thin, but strong, cardboard sleeve, which should fit through most letter boxes I would have thought, so you don't have to be 'at home' when it is delivered.

Thanks to all those involved with this project... it does indeed look really smart!

[JonB]

Mine arrived today.

It's a really solid case, holds the Pi securely and is very easy to assemble. Has a nice weighty feel to it which will help prevent the various cables from pulling it about. Top notch protection that looks pretty sweet in the flesh. I did think a single coloured one would look better, but I am not so sure now. The rainbow colouring seems appropriate, somehow.

I particularly liked the assembly instruction sheet, which looks like an Ikea instruction booklet. Funnily enough, on the sheet they spell Pibow with 2 dots over the O which really makes it look Swedish... You'll see what I mean if and when you get one.

I would expect this case to come at or very near the top in any comparison of the alternatives available today. I have no affiliation with the manufacturer; I just wanted to say how happy I am with it. It's definitely money well spent. The GPIO slot is camouflaged, as it is sort of recessed, so if you're not using it the look of the thing isn't spoiled.

Speaking of GPIO, I wonder if it is practical to engineer a matching case for the Gertboard...?

[fos]

I would certainly purchase a PiBow case for the Gert Board...

Jeff

[djsxxx]

I personally prefer the cheaper ModMyPi case - https://www.modmypi.com/shop/

[liz]

Mine just arrived and it is *lovely*. There's a bonus thing in there too, for early adopters.

Unfortunately, I don't actually have a Raspberry Pi at the moment - I keep meeting people who deserve one and giving mine away. Must be more disciplined about this.

[Montala]

Mine just arrived and it is *lovely*. There's a bonus thing in there too, for early adopters.

Unfortunately, I don't actually have a Raspberry Pi at the moment - I keep meeting people who deserve one and giving mine away. Must be more disciplined about this.

Not perhaps, a 'thing', Liz, but more a little something which adds to it's appeal, for those of us who ordered early!

I 'assembled' mine yesterday, and was very impressed just how well it all goes together, fitting the Raspberry Pi like a glove!

It is also something which a photograph doesn't really do full justice, I don't think, as it actually looks far more attractive than I thought it would, and also, as mentioned by a previous poster, it does feel quite substantial with a Raspberry Pi safely inside.

You really have to stop giving your Pi away Liz... and ask Eben (again) if he can find another one for you in his 'magic box'!

[klaatu]

My Pibow arrived this morning, and my Pi is now inside it. It's lovely; I keep having to pick it up and fondle it...

Steve

[JonB]

What is this bonus thing? Mine came with a plastic spanner thing and a spare screw / nut; that's all.

I'm very curious!

[Montala]

What is this bonus thing? Mine came with a plastic spanner thing and a spare screw / nut; that's all.

I'm very curious!

Have a close look at the clear perspex 'bottom' piece!

[JonB]

I see nothing special:

- PIMO RONI logo
- PIBOW.COM logo
- A row of five heart icons, the last one is half filled.
- Some ventilation holes.
- SD Card icon, indication the orientation.

That's all I can see. Stop being mysterious and answer the question... please.

[piglet]

Mine arrived today. It's lovely.

The only feedback I have is that the power hole is too small. I can't now power it!

A quick measure of the hole by micrometer checks out at 10.40mm.

The USB lead plug head I soldered to the input power of my hub is 12.5mm wide. My Kindle power lead is 11.2 mm wide

*searches house*

Ahah - I have a Nokia phone charger which (quite remarkably) has a 10.40mm wide plug and will just squeeze in. I don't really want to use that though as I want to have only one plug used. Maybe it's not remarkable. Perhaps the hole was sized to a Nokia charger lead!

What's the best way to widen the hole? Stanley knife or a file. Probably a moot point as I don't have any small files!

[PaulCheffus]

Mine arrived today. It's lovely.

The only feedback I have is that the power hole is too small. I can't now power it!

A quick measure of the hole by micrometer checks out at 10.40mm.

The USB lead plug head I soldered to the input power of my hub is 12.5mm wide. My Kindle power lead is 11.2 mm wide

*searches house*

Ahah - I have a Nokia phone charger which (quite remarkably) has a 10.40mm wide plug and will just squeeze in. I don't really want to use that though as I want to have only one plug used. Maybe it's not remarkable. Perhaps the hole was sized to a Nokia charger lead!

What's the best way to widen the hole? Stanley knife or a file. Probably a moot point as I don't have any small files!

Hi

Personally I would use a file as you would have more control.

Cheers

Paul

[piglet]

I found a file - and filed down the plug. There wasn't any way the socket's hole could have been made bigger without making the case wider in the first place.

[JonB]

Yep, had to file my plug down too (the one on my Lapdock Y connector). Unfortunately the only other cable I have - a Kindle charging cable - won't fit. I guess it's off to eBay to get one that does...

This is a bit of a design flaw in the case IMHO, but I still think it's brilliant.

(Oh, and I still don't know what the "bonus" is supposed to be!)

[Jongoleur]

My Pibow arrived yesterday:

Being a bear of little brain (especially on a Saturday morning) I assembled it without removing the protective film from the acrylic segments, though it soon penetrated that something was wrong when I found that the nylon bolts seemed too short and it clicked that perhaps the top and bottom panels should be transparent! Anyhow, 5 mins taking it apart, removing the film and reassembling about my Pi resulted in a sturdy, well secured little computer which looks perfect sitting in front of its little TV on my desktop. At present its still sitting on top of the foam block that came with the RS packaging - I may put some little rubber feet on the bottom panel to stop it skating about the desk!

[Montala]

(Oh, and I still don't know what the "bonus" is supposed to be!)

I can see that it is time for me to put you (and possibly other owners also) out of their misery! ;)

Personally I think that the designers possibly set peoples expectations a bit too high when they mentioned a 'bonus', as you had indeed already found it!

It is in fact (so they have told me) the special etching of five hearts (think Zelda)! The very first batch has five full hearts, the next 4.5 hearts, etc... Each batch is just 99 units, so obviously those who put their orders in early will have the 'full set'.

Not possibly what you were expecting, but as the old saying goes, "don't shoot the messenger"! :)

Edit: Don't worry 'Jongoleur'... you are not the first person to assemble your Pibow without realising that most pieces had a protective plastic film, which had to be removed first... and I am sure that you won't be the last!

[JonB]

Ahh, OK. Means mine is from the second batch as it has 4.5 hearts.

Thanks!

[thexman]

the fact it doesn't ship with any rubber feet is a little poor considering other cases available do come with rubber feet stopping the Pi from slipping around and causing damage to surface case or Pi.

[jojopi]

I thought the bonus was the fact that it originally sold for 9.95GBP, since whopped up over 30%.

[liz]

I got a furious and rather incoherent email from someone a couple of days ago (judging by the mail he was either drunk or not very well) demanding that we withdraw any Foundation support for the Pibow on the grounds that the screws were too short. Turns out he also had neglected to remove the paper backing on each layer. Read the instructions, folks!

[JonB]

I thought the bonus was the fact that it originally sold for 9.95GBP, since whopped up over 30%.

@pibow : any particular reason for this?

[liz]

I believe they had to buy another laser cutter to be able to cut fast enough to satisfy all the pre-orders - and those things are pricey. They also had to take on some more staff for P&P because there were so many orders.

[JonB]

Hmmm... interesting. Problem is the price rise puts it up against other cases.

[radug612]

Mine arrived yesterday and it is muuuch better than the other case I had - only problem as mentioned above was that the power plug wouldn't fit through the hole in the case. However, some judicious use of scissors to the edges of the plug (which was an HTC USB charging cable) and it now fits perfectly.

The Pi is now securely housed in it's PiBow