Congratulations! You received a Raspberry Pi as a gift. So now what?

##(edit) HEY Y'ALL, keep PMing or commenting and I'll update this list :)

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus, Joyous Winter Solstice. Congratulations! Someone loves tolerates you enough to buy you a Raspberry Pi. So... now what do you do with it?

Here are some suggestions! Experienced RasPiers, throw more in the comments and I'll update this post!

IF YOU PREFER YOUR LISTS CHART-BASED CLICK HERE

##Only requires the Pi + basic peripherals

• Use a great low-powered computer for both beginner and experienced Linux users, with an available GUI
• Try different Linux distros easily with NOOBS
• Check out some awesome getting started tutorials with Gavin MacDonald
• Make a retro game emulator with PiPlay or RetroPie and make it look awesome. Here's a build guide a fellow Redditor posted.
• Play 1080 video and digital sound on your home theatre system with RaspBMC or OpenELEC
• Make a digital beer tap display for your home bar
• Learn to program Python on the Pi
• Or if you're new to programming or helping a new learner, try Scratch
• Or learn to program C
• Or program the ARM CPU directly
• Run a web server for your house or for the internet - and access it from anywhere with a free URL or this version that is Pi-specific
• Use miniDNLA / UPnP to stream video and audio files to your phones and tablets. This guide will give you the steps to get the latest version on the Pi as the pre-compiled version is old.
• Make a general file server for your home
• Make an FM transmitter with nothing more than a piece of wire! This nice fellow put together some scripts if you want to have your own Pi-Rat radio station
• Print from anywhere using Google Cloud Print
• HTPCGuides has a pretty good section for the Raspberry Pi, so if you're trying to maximize your Pi's home theater potential, check it out!

##Requires additional electronics or working with the GPIO

• Get started learning the GPIO and Python with the PiGlow learning board
• Add a USB or I2S sound card and make a high quality music player with Volumio or MusicBox you can control remotely
• Then go overboard and build an amazing audiophile quality case and controls for it
• Or if you're an Apple person, build an AirPlay Receiver
• Make a supercomputer
• Make your own arcade machine
• Or make it tiny and portable
• Hack a wireless control outlet to switch your Christmas lights on
• Or control them with relay boards
• Or just say forget it and control each LED's color and brightness individually
• Brew some beer to go with that sign with a BrewPi or a Mashberry
• Open your garage door with a text or through the internet Link Dead :(
• Open your garage door through the internet!
• Record 1080p video and take 5MP still photos from the command line
• Amateur Radio / HAM operator or scanner fan? Build a Digipeater or use it as a TNC for digital modes or set up a Software-defined Radio
• Build a ground tracking station and directly track airline flights
• Add one on to your 3D printer to make it more awesome!
• Build a robot!!!
• Build a handheld terminal that looks like something out of Snow Crash Link is dead :(
• DIY CCTV with optional environment recording (temperature, etc) - posted here by u/joelones

And so much more!

edit thanks to u/Squadz, u/JimCKF, u/markee174, u/ohnovino, u/xterraadam, u/plasmator, u/SrgMore, u/CyberconIII, u/okmkz, u/mfbfreak, u/shadow3264, u/geekprof, u/KeyMastar, u/cookrw1989, u/firstpantsthenshoes, u/kingrobotiv, and u/blindpet for their great suggestions!

edit January 21^st reformatted the list for clarity.