Since its launch almost a year ago, tinkerers, developers and general PC enthusiasts have snapped up close to a million Raspberry Pi microcomputers.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently revealed that one of its two official distributors, Element 14/Premier Farnell, has manufactured a staggering 500,000 boards to date. That doesn’t take in to account RS Components, who are equally as popular for Pi sales, so in theory sales of the Raspberry Pi must be very close to the 1 million mark.
Launched in February of last year, the Raspberry Pi is a very basic barebones computer that’s about the size of a credit card. It features an SD card slot from which you can run all sorts of Linux-based software, a HDMI connection for your TV or monitor, audio out ports and USB connections for peripherals such as mice, keyboards and WiFi adapters, and a micro USB port for power.
The Pi has become hugely popular thanks to its ability to run so many types of software; specifically Linux operating systems, which open up a world of opportunity for developers to create new software, young people to learn how to write code and much more.
An interesting fact to ponder – 500,000 Pi boards stacked end to end would reach a height higher than Felix Baumgartner’s record breaking sky dive from last year.