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| The Raspberry Pi computer goes on general sale | The Raspberry Pi computer goes on general sale |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A credit-card sized computer designed to help teach children to code goes on general sale for the first time today. | A credit-card sized computer designed to help teach children to code goes on general sale for the first time today. |
| The Raspberry Pi is a bare-bones, low-cost computer created by volunteers mostly drawn from academia and the UK tech industry. | The Raspberry Pi is a bare-bones, low-cost computer created by volunteers mostly drawn from academia and the UK tech industry. |
| Sold uncased without keyboard or monitor, the Pi has drawn interest from educators and enthusiasts. | Sold uncased without keyboard or monitor, the Pi has drawn interest from educators and enthusiasts. |
| Supporters hope the machines could help reverse a lack of programming skills in the UK. | Supporters hope the machines could help reverse a lack of programming skills in the UK. |
| "It has been six years in the making; the number of things that had to go right for this to happen is enormous. I couldn't be more pleased," said Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation which is based in Cambridge. | "It has been six years in the making; the number of things that had to go right for this to happen is enormous. I couldn't be more pleased," said Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation which is based in Cambridge. |
| Massive demand for the computer has caused the website of one supplier, Leeds-based Premier Farnell, to crash under the weight of heavy traffic. | Massive demand for the computer has caused the website of one supplier, Leeds-based Premier Farnell, to crash under the weight of heavy traffic. |
| School tools | School tools |
| The device's launch comes as the Department for Education considers changes to the teaching of computing in schools, with the aim of placing greater emphasis on skills like programming. | The device's launch comes as the Department for Education considers changes to the teaching of computing in schools, with the aim of placing greater emphasis on skills like programming. |
| In a speech outlining those changes, Michael Gove mentioned the Pi, suggesting devices like it could play an important role in the kind of computer class the government envisages. | In a speech outlining those changes, Michael Gove mentioned the Pi, suggesting devices like it could play an important role in the kind of computer class the government envisages. |
| "Initiatives like the Raspberry Pi scheme will give children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming," he said. | "Initiatives like the Raspberry Pi scheme will give children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming," he said. |
| "This is a great example of the cutting edge of education technology happening right here in the UK." | "This is a great example of the cutting edge of education technology happening right here in the UK." |
| Initially the £22 ($35) model of the Pi will be offered for sale. A cheaper £16 ($25) version will go on sale later in the year. | Initially the £22 ($35) model of the Pi will be offered for sale. A cheaper £16 ($25) version will go on sale later in the year. |
| The machine, which runs on open-source operating system Linux, can be hooked up to a typical computer monitor - with additional ports used to attach a keyboard, mouse and other peripherals. | |
| It also features an ethernet port, meaning the device can make use of high-speed internet connectivity. | |
| Supporters hope the thousands-strong community of people that has grown up around the Pi will help develop additional software and suggest uses for the device. | Supporters hope the thousands-strong community of people that has grown up around the Pi will help develop additional software and suggest uses for the device. |
| The Pi going on general sale is likely to add to the buzz around the machine, but there are already a number of similar stripped-down computers on the market. | The Pi going on general sale is likely to add to the buzz around the machine, but there are already a number of similar stripped-down computers on the market. |
| These include devices such as the Beagleboard and the Omnima MiniEMBWiFi. | These include devices such as the Beagleboard and the Omnima MiniEMBWiFi. |
| Bottle-necks banished | Bottle-necks banished |
| The Raspberry Pi Foundation says it has already produced thousands of the machines, using a Chinese manufacturer. | The Raspberry Pi Foundation says it has already produced thousands of the machines, using a Chinese manufacturer. |
| It had originally hoped to produce the devices in the UK - "we want to help bootstrap the UK electronics industry" the group wrote in a blog post - but that turned out not to be possible at the right price. | It had originally hoped to produce the devices in the UK - "we want to help bootstrap the UK electronics industry" the group wrote in a blog post - but that turned out not to be possible at the right price. |
| But while production remains overseas, deals with two distributors, Premier Farnell and RS Components, mean that production volumes will be able to grow much faster than previously thought. | But while production remains overseas, deals with two distributors, Premier Farnell and RS Components, mean that production volumes will be able to grow much faster than previously thought. |
| Rather than the foundation having to fund production, distributors have agreed to handle orders and deal with manufacturers paying the foundation a royalty on sales. | Rather than the foundation having to fund production, distributors have agreed to handle orders and deal with manufacturers paying the foundation a royalty on sales. |
| Mr Upton says that will help the project grow much more quickly then previously thought. | Mr Upton says that will help the project grow much more quickly then previously thought. |
| "We didn't realise how successful this was going to be," he said. | "We didn't realise how successful this was going to be," he said. |
| "This means we can scale to volume. Now we can concentrate on teaching people to programme." | "This means we can scale to volume. Now we can concentrate on teaching people to programme." |