An incredible little computer that fits in your hand, the Raspberry Pi is officially a hit. Don’t believe us? Consider the fact that following pre-order sales in the tens of thousands, the foundation behind the devices has had to ramp up their manufacturing capacity to keep up. The device which runs on four AA batteries and cost $33 US is an absolute dynamo.
The Pi features a 700 MHz processor and 256 megabytes of RAM. In true Swiss Army fashion, the device features an Ethernet, HDMI, USB and standard audio jack. The full HD capable device runs a Linux operating system from an SD card. The Pi is also excellent for word processing and standard spreadsheet work, a true miniature computer.
Seeing the immense potential as a teaching or business tool, the team behind the device has allowed for bulk orders, much to the delight of many. The devices have been in high demand, even garnering resale prices in the $200 range on eBay. Ironically, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, who are behind the project are a not for profit organization. Based out of the UK, the NPF builds these incredible PC’s in order to offer a means of fostering computer programming skills and knowledge that is truly available to all due to the price point.
It was also recently announced that a 5MP camera board was in the works, bringing even more versatility to the Pi. Production has been ramped up to 4,000 units per day to meet the growing demand.
We believe that the team and the cause are worth commending and we wish them the very best of luck moving forward. The Pi devices are available internationally through element14 and RS Components. It can also run Quake 3.