PROJECT: Raspberry PI Foundation

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard.  It plays high definition video, can do spreadsheets, word-processing, games, and a host of other things.  There are two versions, which cost either $25 or $35!

It’s been designed by a non-profit in the UK call the Raspberry PI Foundation. The idea behind the foundation is to create a cheap computer that’s easy to program that EVERY kid could own, and that would thus create a conducive atmosphere to teaching basic computer science and programming in schools.

Schematic of the Raspberry PI

The design does not include a built-in hard disk or solid-state drive, instead relying on an SD card for booting and long-term storage.  The $35 version has ethernet, two USB ports, and a dongle for wireless can also be used. (but it does not have wireless built in)  The first versions of this will not have a case either!

The Raspberry Pi Foundation plans to support Fedora Linux as the initial system software package/distribution, with support for Debian and Arch Linux as well. Also planned are tools for supporting Python as the main programming language, with support for other languages coming later including BBC Basic, C, and PERL.

Raspberry PI held in hand of Eben Upton

The idea for a VERY inexpensive computer had  been percolating in the minds of the creators of Raspberry PI since 2006, and after a number of prototypes, computers have become powerful enough and cheap enough and small enough to make it possible.

The Raspberry Pi  Foundation sales partners started taking orders for shipments in late February, and they have been inundated with demand.

To find out more about the Raspberry Pi, visit http://www.raspberrypi.org

There will be a Raspberry PI programming webinar with one of the founders of the group, Eben Upton, (pictured above) on April 4.

If you want to attend, you’ll need to sign up for the event at Element 14′s website (Element 14 is one of the selling partners)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Adam Gertsacov is the co-founder and co-organizer of Digital Family Summit.  He wears many hats, including those of a professional clown, an author and publisher, an artist/educator, a non-profit administrator, a P.T. Barnum impersonator, a flea circus impresario, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland.