One cannot help but wonder how much lower can computer prices get. While all models of Raspberry Pi are instantly checked off the list of gamers and video editors, programmers may find them very interesting, particularly if they are just getting into coding. Raspberry Pi Zero represents an even more appealing option in this sense, since it only costs $5.
Raspberry Pi computers are meant to be used in schools and developing countries for teaching programming. Given their dimensions and components, it’s understandable that these don’t offer crazy performance, but for programming it’s more than enough. Needless to say, since the first Raspberry Pi was launched, people have found various uses for it.
The above image is a great way of advertising the newly launched Raspberry Pi Zero, as the $5 banknote reflects the price of the device, and it’s also used for size comparison.
“Of all the things we do at Raspberry Pi, driving down the cost of computer hardware remains one of the most important. Even in the developed world, a programmable computer is a luxury item for a lot of people, and every extra dollar that we ask someone to spend decreases the chance that they’ll choose to get involved,” stated Eben Upton, the founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, in a post on the company’s official blog. Might as well check out that post for a complete list of components, and a short assesment of Raspberry Pi Zero’s capabilities.
As Upton explained, even though the previous models were cheap, not everybody could have access to them: “The original Raspberry Pi Model B and its successors put a programmable computer within reach of anyone with $20-35 to spend. Since 2012, millions of people have used a Raspberry Pi to get their first experience of programming, but we still meet people for whom cost remains a barrier to entry. At the start of this year, we began work on an even cheaper Raspberry Pi to help these people take the plunge.”
Raspberry Pi will offer Pi Zero for free on the cover of their own magazine, as Upton revealed: “One more thing: because the only thing better than a $5 computer is a free computer, we are giving away a free Raspberry Pi Zero on the front of each copy of the December issue of The MagPi, which arrives in UK stores today. Russell, Rob and the team have been killing themselves putting this together, and we’re very pleased with how it’s turned out. The issue is jam-packed with everything you need to know about Zero, including a heap of project ideas, and an interview with Mike Stimson, who designed the board.”
Unfortunately, the magazine is out of stock on the company’s newly revamped Swag Store, and just in case you can’t buy it yourself, you’ll have to wait until Raspberry Pi Zero makes it to the shelves of retailers. Until then, you can check Amazon for various Raspberry Pi kits and parts.
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