Single-board computer Raspberry Pi turned 10 years old. First released on February 29, 2012 and has since become popular worldwide, the Raspberry Pi has powered a wide variety of hobby projects and commercial products. Here are some key points on what a Raspberry Pi is and why it matters.
Raspberry Pi’s hardware, of which 46 million units have been produced to date, has developed and changed shape within 10 years. Faced with the chip crisis in 2022, the device still has no less importance for technology enthusiasts.
What is Raspberry Pi and why is it important?
St. John’s College computer science major, Eben Upton noticed a decline in student numbers in the computer field. He thought this was due to the lack of an accessible computer, which, like the 1980s, encouraged children to learn computer programming.
After working as a SoC architect at Broadcom, Upton became involved in a low-cost computer project to encourage kids to program. The project aimed to make computers as cheap as possible. Upton and his team of volunteers created the Raspberry Pi with a reference to the Python programming language.
The compact and low-cost design of the product greatly benefited from chipset technology developed for mobile devices such as mobile phones. Upton also turned the resulting design into a charity called the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which oversees the development of Raspberry Pi hardware and manages the associated intellectual property, rather than chasing profits.
If you’re wondering why Raspberry Pi is important, here are a few features:
- Historically, the prices of Pi boards have ranged from $25 to $45. Despite the price increases due to chip shortages, the Pi series is still relatively inexpensive. However, once you determine the cost of the accessories you will use, the price of the Pi system can be very volatile.
- Most Raspberry Pi products can be used in any project without significant or expensive licensing restrictions.
- Many organizations provide software for applications and custom operating systems Pi. Also, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has committed to supporting software updates for its legacy (discontinued) hardware until 2026.
- Unlike some nonprofits, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is dedicated to supporting computer education and encouraging children to learn to program and develop their own special projects.
But what is Raspberry Pi for you? Do not forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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