Sometimes there comes along a little piece of technology worth noticing. This is the case of a mini (credit card size) computer that will cost a small fortune… a whole $35. It is called the Raspberry Pi. It is scheduled to be released in the next 4 – 6 months.
Powered by the ubiquitous 5V micro USB cable (the standard charging method for most small mobile devices), the computer boasts a 700Mhz processor. While that is a relatively modest speed, it remains capable of about everything from internet browsing to high definition video playback and is designed to be programmable. Check it out : http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs.
Part of what attracts our attention to this device is the possible impact this little computer can have for developing countries or for that matter even for any wallet in size as well as in cost. The latter seems a bit obvious, but the most telling part of the story has to do what with why this Raspberry Pi came to flourish in the first place. While discussing the topic, the developers mentioned “We could try to do something about the situation where computers had become so expensive and arcane that programming experimentation on them (by children) had to be forbidden by parents” (See About Us section on www.raspberrypi.org/sample-page)
And certainly a statement like this is very disruptive to the corporate computer world we are living in. Further on, the developers continued saying “we want to see cheap, accessible, programmable computers everywhere; we actively encourage other companies to clone what we’re doing” and “we want owning a truly personal computer to be normal for children.”
Over the last 15 years we have witnessed how the internet can give wings to world democracy. Who will be the main players and who will dominate the “computer pie” in years to come? This freshly baked Raspberry Pi might just bring to the table a slice of the answer. From its conception to its launch, it offers great hopes and a welcome alternative to conventional and inflexible hardware. Imagine a tiny inexpensive computer that works!
