Some website i know which create and share Bitcoin Core folder no longer online. But FYI, Bitcoin Core have UTXO snapshot feature which allows you to jump sync to certain block height. After you synced to latest block height, you can use most of your full node features while it download older blocks in background.
3 days ago, Jameson Lopp write a great article about it (with download link) on
https://blog.lopp.net/bitcoin-node-sync-with-utxo-snapshots/.
The Assumeutxo feature is very handy for people who don't have the best hardware but want to interact with the blockchain right away.
I'm using an Azure VM and paying for each GB. I'd like to download a pruned node and interact with the blockchain without the high storage costs before pruning.
As reminder, that article also mention you can use assumeutxo while enabling pruned mode. In addition, you can enable pruned more before start sync.
I think a Raspberry Pi combined with the Assumeutxo feature could solve my problems.
It's good choice, if you want to save few hours - days syncing using Azure VM. Although you also could copy Bitcoin Core from Raspberry Pi to your Azure VM.
But why isn't there an official pruned version of the blockchain available?
I would guess Bitcoin Core developer don't want people trust them so much.