14 DAY TRIAL // It has been just over a week since we reported on the Raspberry Pi getting CE certification and, now, the small PC has begun to ship once more, worldwide this time.
An official announcement has revealed that RS Components (RS) and Allied Electronics (Allied) have started shipping the credit card-sized PC.
It was about time too, and it is fortunate that no hardware changes had to be made in order to secure CE compliance.
At any rate, the Raspberry Pi is sold for $35 in the US and £21.60 (£31.86 including VAT) in the United Kingdom.
"There has been a huge wave of anticipation and extraordinary levels of demand for Raspberry Pi since it was launched, so we are delighted to be delivering the first boards to initial customers," said Glenn Jarrett, head of electronics marketing at RS Components.
"We are working very closely with the manufacturer to bring subsequent batches of boards into stock so that we can fulfill every customer order for Raspberry Pi as quickly as possible."
We, the media, are mostly responsible for the level of interest people are showing in this small gadget.
The Raspberry Pi foundation invented it as a means for children to learn and apply computer programming.
Once it got out that the product can also turn any TV into a smart TV/PC hybrid, its potential as a cheap consumer electronics basically took over as selling point.
For those who need a reminder, the Linux-running Pi relies on a 700 MHz CPU, but also boasts 256 MB RAM, an SD card slot and uncannily good graphics.
"This is an exciting and momentous phase for Raspberry Pi as the boards start heading out to customers from our distributors,” said Eben Upton, Raspberry Pi founder and trustee.
“We know from the incredible amount of interest in Raspberry Pi that there is a huge impetus among enthusiasts and educators for a product that brings computer programming to the masses, and we encourage these new programmers to share their experiences and results with us."