Origins
Raspberry Pi comes from Eben Upton’s (Cambridge) observation that early-2000s computer science students arrived with far weaker hands-on skills than those of the 1980s-1990s — when the BBC Micro was standard in British schools. The goal: an affordable and inspectable computer for education.
Founded in 2009 as a charity, the Raspberry Pi Foundation partners with Broadcom to adapt the BCM2835 SoC (ARM1176JZF-S at 700 MHz + VideoCore IV GPU) for an accessible price.
The launch
On 29 February 2012 (date chosen for rarity — leap year) it hits the market:
- Raspberry Pi Model B: 35 USD, 256 MB RAM (later 512 MB in 2012-2013), 2× USB, Ethernet
- Raspberry Pi Model A: 25 USD, 256 MB RAM, 1× USB, no Ethernet
The first 10,000 units sell out in hours, crashing the websites of distributors RS Components and Premier Farnell. UK production (Sony Pencoed) for subsequent Model Bs.
Key specs
- ARM1176 at 700 MHz (ARMv6)
- VideoCore IV GPU with hardware H.264 support
- HDMI 1080p + composite video
- 3.5mm audio jack
- SD card as primary storage
- 26 GPIO pins for hardware interfacing
- Linux-based OS — Debian Squeeze preconfigured; optimised images are under preparation
- 5V micro-USB power, ~5 W consumption
Uses beyond education
Raspberry Pi quickly finds uses well beyond education:
- Home media centre — Kodi, OSMC, LibreELEC
- Retro gaming — RetroPie, Recalbox
- Home automation — Home Assistant, OpenHAB, Domoticz
- Network appliances — Pi-hole (DNS ad-blocker), OpenWrt, VPN server
- Robotics — ROS, maker projects, drones
- IoT gateway — sensor data to cloud
- Digital signage — public kiosks and totems
- Edge computing in professional environments (Industry 4.0)
In the Italian context
Raspberry Pi is about to enter the first Italian electronics and computer science courses as an accessible tool. Its potential as a teaching and prototyping platform is clear for Fablabs, industrial SMEs and PA agencies interested in kiosks and digital signage.
References: Raspberry Pi Model B (29 February 2012). Eben Upton, Raspberry Pi Foundation (2009). Broadcom BCM2835 SoC (ARM1176 + VideoCore IV). Debian Squeeze. Sony Pencoed production (UK).