Six years ago, I was proud to work with The MagPi Magazine on a feature which saw the world’s first cover-mounted computer attached to the front of every print copy: the Raspberry Pi Zero on Issue 40. Now, I’m just as proud to have been involved in putting the newly-launched Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller on the front of every print copy of HackSpace Magazine.

Launched today, the Raspberry Pi Zero represents two firsts for the company: it’s the first microcontroller development board, after years of single-board computers designed to offer a desktop-like experience; and it’s the first board to feature a silicon chip, the RP2040, designed entirely in-house. Not that it’ll be the last: companies including Adafruit, Arduino, Pimoroni, and SparkFun have already confirmed plans to launch their own RP2040-based boards.

Having been working with the Raspberry Pi Pico since the prototype stage, as part of preparing Get Started with MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico: The Official Guide, it’s fantastic to see it launch – and HackSpace’s launch coverage is nothing if not exhaustive. From technical details to interviews, there’s plenty to get stuck into in Issue 39 – and all you need to get started with the cover-mounted Pico is a micro-USB cable and a handy computer.

HackSpace Magazine Issue 39 is available now from all good newsagents and supermarkets, or online with global delivery. It’s also available as a DRM-free Creative Commons-licensed download – but, naturally, the digital version doesn’t include the cover-mounted Pico.