Your PC has broken down, and you cant get to the repair shop until the weekend.
A deadline is due, and all you have is a Raspberry Pi single-board computer.
What do you do?
Well, you use the Raspberry Pi.
But what about all those important office and productivity apps?
Can You Really Use a Raspberry Pi as a Main PC?
The Raspberry Pi 3B+ and the Raspberry Pi 4, meanwhile, can be used as a desktop.
Indeed, I spent a week in 2019 using the Raspberry Pi 3B+ as my main computer.
Since the release of the Raspberry Pi 4 in 2020, things have improved.
With 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB options, the computer is more than adequate for most office tasks.
So, the hardware is sound.
But what about the software?
Well, the Raspberry Pi OS comes with Chromium installed as the default web app.
With many productivity tools now web-based, this is the ideal primary tool for any office tasks.
1.LibreOffice
The common feature of any work or office PC is word processing.
Whether a primary purpose or used only occasionally for reports, you need a tool for creating documents.
In addition, you may also need spreadsheet software and a tool for creating presentations.
This comes pre-installed with most Linux OSs, including Raspberry Pi OS.
With an active VPN, your connection is encrypted, protecting potentially sensitive data.
You might even need to remotely access your PC at the officeusing a VPN is perfect for this purpose.
OpenVPN relies on dedicated server-specific configuration files, supported by most well-known VPN services.
It also offers its own logless VPN subscription service.
CUPS for Printing
If you oughta print from your Raspberry Pi, the answer is CUPs.
The results are typically better than on Windows, with no unnecessary additional software required.
Incredibly a WhatsApp app is available, which can be installed in Pi-Apps.
This works on Chromium, which is preinstalled on Raspberry Pi OS.
Even if Mozilla Firefox is your default online window, you will need to keep Chromium installed.
5.AndroidBuddy
There is a very good chance you use an Android phone.
AndoidBuddy is a Python tool requiring Python 3.
Simple installation is via Pi-Apps, but you could also use the command line.
Note that some devices (such as Xiaomi phones) require you to enable USB Debugging.
See our guide toUSB debugging in Androidfor more information on this process.
6.CloudBuddy
One of the most important things you need on an office PC is cloud storage.
Zoom
Incredibly, Zoom is also available for Raspberry Pi via Pi-Apps.
This is made possible thanks to emulation.
This includes advanced features like virtual backgrounds and gallery view.
Problem with the app?
you might use theZoom Progressive Web App (PWA)instead.
Like WhatsApp, you will need to have Chromium installed to use this.
Sure, its not as flexible as a laptop, and might be lower powered than a tablet.
