Whilst you can pick up a Model B Raspberry Pi for just $35 there are some hidden costs to that.

Here is a check-list of everything you need to make use of your Pi:

1. Micro-USB mains charger
2. Ethernet Cable (or usb wifi adaptor)
3. SD Card 2GB upwards (4GB recommended)
4. USB Mouse & Keyboard
5. HDMI Cable

There are optional cables such as a 3.5mm lead for any of your audio output equipment or an RCA out though I won't be mentioning this in the guide from now on as HDMI is pretty much standard nowadays.

Whilst choosing many of these things on the list are easy a tricky one is the SD Card and it is very important you choose a good quality one to get the best speeds from your Pi.

On the next page I will explain what makes a good SD Card.