In the subculture that has grown up around the credit card-sized Raspberry Pi CPU [1], the star for 2015 is the Pi-Top [2]. A modular, do-it-yourself laptop made of mostly free hardware and software, the Pi-Top raised more than twice the target in its first fundraising campaign [3] and should reach well over three times the target in its second one [4]. "I've been very impressed with how far and how fast it's developed," says Eben Upton, the founder of Raspberry Pi, and he is far from the only one, as several thousand Pi-Tops have been shipped in the first month of doing business.

If you are a computer technician or an experienced member of the Maker movement [5], you will likely have few problems assembling a Pi-Top. The structure is simpler than that of most computers, and you might assemble it in less than an hour. However, if – like me – you have almost no experience with hardware, you will probably need more time.

Some people might welcome the chance to learn from their mistakes. However, for those who just want to get their Pi-Top up and running, here are some hints to make the experience quicker and smoother – not only in putting your new laptop together but also in customizing and accessorizing it afterwards.

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