If you're looking for a recipe for raspberry pie, I'm afraid I have to confess that this article fails to address the subject. You might have better luck here. You'll have to let us know how it comes out by the way. To quote Pulp Fiction, "Anytime is a good time for pie."
If, however, you noted the spelling of "pi" above and found yourself wondering what a non-repeating, non-terminating number has to do with a tart summertime berry...read on!
Essentially, the Raspberry Pi is a computer—yes, a computer. It isn't just any computer though. It's a tiny but powerful $25 computer, and you, yes you, can own one soon. There is a caveat: only one Raspberry Pi per customer. This prevents large, profit-driven organizations from buying up the majority of the devices and reselling them.
More amazing than the price tag is the hope embedded in each unit. We often hear that computing is the wave of the future, but too often we forget that not everyone enjoys the same level of access. Public libraries have taken great strides to change the situation, but the resources at their disposal are often woefully insufficient.
The Raspberry Pi is the culmination of a dream. In 2006, a Cambridge professor by the name of Eben Upton began to notice a decline in the technological skills of his students. The internet boom of the 1990s had created a large number of hobbyist programmers, but, as Upton observed, that number seemed to drop off as technologies became more intuitive. The educational infrastructure also de-emphasized skillsets that were more natural in a group of young people who weren't afraid to experiment.
While the Raspberry Pi Foundation admits that it can't change the dynamic with a single device, it feels it can make a difference. The Raspberry Pi's operating system is open source, meaning that the code used to program its components is available for viewing. The Foundation hopes that it won't take long for someone to perfect the Pi.
The price of the device makes it accessible to just about anyone. The educational community has expressed great interest in the Pi, and developing countries are looking into the possibilities it offers for development, growth, and sustainability.
Want to learn more? You can view a diagram of the mini-computer and find the answers to many common questions about the device here.
How will you use your Raspberry Pi?
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