Though it seems like the Raspberry Pi has been with us forever, this groundbreaking single-board computer just turned 7 and has hit an amazing sales milestone, with the 25 millionth unit having shipped in February. According to Raspberry Pi Founder Eben Upton, the company passed the 25 million threshold sometime last week.
"When we started Raspberry Pi back in 2008, we hoped to provide maybe 1,000 units to young people to encourage them to apply to study Computer Science at the University of Cambridge," Upton told us."To have sold 25,000 times as many units, with no end in sight, feels completely outlandish. The most gratifying thing has been the community that has grown up around the device, and how supportive the more knowledgeable members of that community have been towards people who are just starting their journey in computing."
Though Upton started work on the Raspberry Pi all the way back in 2008, the first unit shipped on February 29, 2012, exactly 7 years ago. Since then, this inexpensive system has gone everywhere, from St. James's Palace to the International Space Station.
The 25 million unit number consists of all Raspberry Pi models, from the original 1B to the high-end 3B+ and even the Raspberry Pi Compute Modules. However, accessories like the official Raspberry Pi Camera are not included in the total. Upton said that he estimates the foundation has sold 1 to 2 million first-party accessories.
To celebrate the computer's anniversary, fans are hosting hundreds of Raspberry Pi Jams on March 2 and 3 in different locations around the world. At these gatherings, you can learn more about programming with the Pi or see some inspiring Pi projects that others have made. You can find a Jam near you on the official Raspberry Pi website.
Raspberry Pi by the Numbers
In honor of the occasion, we've gathered 7 Raspberry Pi stats.
- Two Pis in space: Back in 2015, the Pi Foundation built a couple of rugged Raspberry Pi setups, which it calls Astro Pis, and shipped them to the International Space Station where they remain today. The two "space hardened" systems are based on the original Raspberry Pi B+. Children can submit programs to be run on them using the European Space Agency's Mission Zero program.They can also submit to have the Astro Pi run space-based experiments using its Sense Hat.
- 5 EOLed Products: The Pi Foundation continues actively making and selling older products, because some industrial clients may still need the outdated systems. To date, the organization has only discontinued five products in its history: The Pi 1A and 1B, which are nearly identical to the more-advanced 1A+ and 1B+, two camera modules and the official Raspberry Pi Wi-Fi dongle.
- 9 grams: That's the weight of the smallest Raspberry Pi, the Pi Zero W. It also costs as little as $5, depending on where you buy it.
- 15 Different Pi Models: There have been 15 different models of Raspberry Pi ranging, from the original Pi 1B that came out in 2012 to the Compute Module 3+ that shipped in 2019.
- 35 U.S. Dollars: That's been the maximum MSRP of the regular (non Compute Module) Raspberry Pi since 2012. The Pi 1B cost $35 7 years ago and the Pi 3B+ costs that amount today. Consider that, due to inflation, $35 in 2012 dollars is over $38 today.
- 40 GPIO pins: Each current-gen Raspberry Pi has 40 General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) pins you can use to connect it to lights, motors, sensors and other devices. Some older models had just 26 pins.
- 250,000 kids take part in Raspberry Pi competitors, clubs and other programs every single week, according to the Pi Foundation.
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