Updated: Raspberry Pi Commercial Version in 3Q12
Raspberry Pi co-creator David Braben said a "commercial" version of his credit card-sized computer will be launched in 3Q12. Updated with a response from Eben Upton.
Note: this article has been updated based on information provided by Raspberry Pi. My apologies for any confusion stemming from the original publication. -KP
Just after Monday's report that the first batch of boards for Raspberry Pi will be completed on February 20, a "commercial" version of the $25/$35 credit card-sized computer was revealed for a 3Q12 release. Co-creator David Braben is hoping this will be the actual public release timeframe given the team doesn't endure additional delays as reported earlier this week.
"We've not got a pre-order [system] for the commercial one yet because we need to determine the price, determine roughly when it's going to be," he told Eurogamer. "We have a good idea that it will be sort of in Q3 this year, but we can't be certain. There are a lot of variables in terms of what we need to get ready. We don't know completely but we're moving very quickly."
According to the FAQ, the initial run of boards slated to launch this month will be 10,000 uncased development-style boards with further productions runs starting once these have been sold. Later on this summer, the team plans to sell Raspberry Pi with and without a case.
The educational release is scheduled to launch sometime around 3Q12 (as Braben indicated) , and will come with a kid-targeted software stack, a heap of written support materials, and a standard case. The FAQ doesn't mention anything about a "commercial" or "consumer" version.
Eben Upton, executive director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, sent over an explanation in regards to the boards offered this month, and the "commercial" version slated for later this year.
"Anyone will be able to buy model A and model B units, uncased, at the $25 and $35 price points from launch, with a Debian or Fedora software stack," he told Tom's. "Later in the year, we intend to add a case and a polished educational software stack; we hope to squeeze the cased version into the same price point, and we expect that educational users and people who wish to use the board as a home media center will choose this package in the long term."
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"The 'consumer release' that Eurogamer is talking about is actually the educational release," reads the latest Raspberry Pi update. Raspberry Pi also reassures everyone that model A will be $25 and model B will cost $35. These prices will not change.
"Price is such an important part of what we’re doing in trying to change the way people use computers that we’d be totally, totally mad to move the price point," the website states. "The educational release’s case will not add to the price if we can possibly help it."
To learn more about the two Raspberry Pi models, head here.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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Is that vapor I see wafting from these endless articles about the Raspberry Pi shipping dates being constantly pushed back?Reply
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joytech22 ReplyI'd drop 50-70$ on one of these.
Even I consider that to still be a bargain.
I'll buy one of the initial developer versions so I can start it as a little side-hobby and learn to solve problems I find as I use it.
This way I might be able to help other owners. I mean sure I have no real experience but I see this as a way of learning. I can experiment with the thing a little, build myself a case and mess around with power supplies to power it all and play with some coding at the same time.
It's the perfect tinkering thingy. And everyone here loves to tinker :p -
sn0-0ze Well this sucks.. So much for getting everyone's hopes up for the 20th of Feb release date that has been set! Great!Reply -
esrever I'd buy one if I had the time to figure it out. These things are some of the most interesting little pieces of technology I seen in a while.Reply -
EDVINASM There are a number of competitors. Some of them having 1GHz or bigger, up to dualcore CPU and 1GB RAM, WiFi, bluetooth. See Cotton Candy. Any of them can step in and end this nonsense with Raspberry Pi. Was great idea, poorly implemented and delayed too much. Next! Better! I'm off this train. This looks like with ASUS EEE PC line. Started very slowly but picked up very well and now we have loads of netbooks from each manufacturer.Reply -
__Miguel_ People, let's calm down a bit, OK? We're talking about two different things here: general "developer edition" availability and general "consumer edition" availability.Reply
What hopefully is going to be sold beginning late this month is the "developer edition", which is a barebones board, without ANY extras. You'll have to solder the non-standard I/O leads by hand (it already ships with HDMI, USB, Ethernet, Coax and 3.5mm, it will be fully functional out of the box, you only need those leads to connect to other devices, like serial buses, to control other peripherals), and you won't receive the SD card containing the OS, a power adapter or even a case. Just the board, period, you're expected to source your own I/O leads, SD card and power supply, which you may or may not already have. That's the reason the first version will be targeted at developers, you're expected to do most of the grunt work.
This article seems to clarify what most of the people hanging around the RasPi forums already knew about: the first "developer edition" (let's call it that way) batches are NOT targeted to schools and end users, though they may buy them if they so wish. From what I've read from Liz and others in the Foundation in the past, this seems to have been the general idea since the start.
I also remember reading that a "user-friendly" (meaning, with a case, power supply, maybe even I/O leads) was expected "later", and that one would be the one targeted at schools and general public.
I might be dead wrong here, but I REALLY don't think the RaspberryPi Foundation will prevent anyone wanting to buy a board from the first batches to do so... -
Let me add to Miguels post. The board will be going on sale to *whomever wants one*, at the end of this month, February. It's not really a 'developer' edition - it's the same board as will be sold all year. I have no idea where Tom's hardware got the idea it's not generally available until q3, that really is completely wrong, and they really need to change their article which contains a number of 'untruths'Reply
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elel jamesh65Let me add to Miguels post. The board will be going on sale to *whomever wants one*, at the end of this month, February. It's not really a 'developer' edition - it's the same board as will be sold all year. I have no idea where Tom's hardware got the idea it's not generally available until q3, that really is completely wrong, and they really need to change their article which contains a number of 'untruths'There you have it - unless I'm much mistaken, one of the developers has spoken.Reply