London - It sounds like a dessert, is as small as a credit card, and could inspire the next Mark Zuckerberg.
The creators of the £22 (about 260) Raspberry Pi computer, which launched on Wednesday, hope it will encourage children to design their own apps.
But the first task for the next generation of Zuckerbergs and Bill Gateses could be to build a new website for the product, after the current page crashed under the weight of demand.
The gadget looks rather odd next to sleek modern offerings such as the iPad, and appears to have more in common with the crystal radio sets of the 1950s.
However, the machine is a fully-fledged computer and can be connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse, as well as speakers and printers.
Robert Mullins, co-founder of the Cambridge-based Raspberry Pi Foundation, said: “The primary goal was to build a low-cost computer that every child could own, and one where programming was the natural thing to do with it.”
The launch follows criticism of technology teaching in the UK.
Typically, this has focused on how to use a computer, rather than how to create hardware or software.
Last August the chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, said the lack of proper computer science lessons in schools was hindering Britain’s chances of success in the “digital media economy”.
His call for the UK to reignite children’s passion for science, engineering and maths was seized upon by Education Secretary Michael Gove, who wants computer teaching to place greater emphasis on skills such as programming. In a recent speech, Mr Gove said “initiatives like the Raspberry Pi scheme will give children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming”.
He added that the gadget was “a great example of the cutting edge of education technology happening right here in the UK”.
Another of the Pi’s creators, Eben Upton, said academics and technology experts decided to pursue the project after seeing the number of computer science students fall.
“It has been six years in the making,” he said. “The number of things that had to go right for this to happen is enormous. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
In the long term, Dr Upton hopes the device will help create an additional 1,000 computer engineers in the UK each year.
The foundation had intended to build the device in Britain. However, after finding that it would not be able to do this and keep the price at £22, it opted to use factories in China.
The organisation has formed a partnership with two UK distributors, Premier Farnell and RS Components, which should be able to increase production quickly to meet demand.
Dr Upton said the popularity of the Pi - and the resulting pressure on its website - were positive signs. “We didn’t realise how successful this was going to be,” he said. “Now we can concentrate on teaching people to program.” - Daily Mail