The credit card-sized Raspberry Pi computer has suffered a setback due to a manufacturing issue relating to the Ethernet port, which may force stock shipments back until the end of the month.
The revolutionary tiny computer has been received incredibly well since going up for pre-order a little over a week ago. Despite only two retailers in the UK – RS Components and Farnell – selling the product, the first batch of 10,000 sold out in seconds, resulting in both retailers’ sites crashing.
RS Components has now announced it has received over 200,000 registrations of interest for the product. Unfortunately it has also confirmed that stock availability has been pushed back until the end of the month, which is likely due to a recent manufacturing problem that has come to light.
The Raspberry Pi features, among other things, an Ethernet port, in order to connect it to the web. Unfortunately a large number of the first batch were made using Ethernet port parts that did not feature integrated magnets, which would effectively leave each Pi with no internet connectivity. Thankfully the manufacturers have spotted the issue and simply need to remove the port and re-solder a replacement in its place. While it’s only a minor setback, many are extremely eager to get their hands on a slice of Raspberry Pi, so it’s sure to be a bind.
A British charity has developed the Raspberry Pi in an attempt to encourage the next generation of software programmers and computer enthusiasts. For just £21.60 (+ £4.95 shipping) you can get your hands on a circuit board around the size of a credit card that can do almost anything. It runs on a Dual-Core processor, has two USB ports, a HDMI port to connect to a monitor or TV, an Ethernet port to connect to the web and an SD card slot in order to load an operating system, such as the free Linux Fedora OS.
RS Components says that it will dish out stock on a first-come-first-serve basis for those registered on the site. You can register interest by heading over to uk.rs-online.com.
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Via: Electrocomponents