Raspberry Pi, the mini-computer that has been creating waves since its release four and half years ago, has now achieved sales of 10 million units. The affordable computer is clearly a tech world favorite judging by the sale numbers.
The pint-sized computer has the distinction of being the best-selling British-made computer, after it beat Amstrad PCW in February this year by notching up 8 million units in sales. In February 2015, Raspberry Pi Foundation's CEO Eben Upton revealed that the company had reached a milestone of 5 million units sold.
In the last six months, the Raspberry Pi has bettered this figure and on Thursday, Sept. 8, Upton announced that the mini-computer had raked in another 2 million units in sales, taking the total shipments worldwide to a whopping 10 million.
"Over the last four and a half years we've sold a grand total of 10 million Raspberry Pis. Thanks to you, we've beaten our wildest dreams by three orders of magnitude, and we're only just getting started," noted Upton in a blog post.
The Raspberry Pi 1 was launched in 2012, paving the way for the success story. At launch, the device raked in sales of 100,000 units. Its popularity grew and was given a fillip when UK's first astronaut on the International Space Station, Tim Peake, used the Raspberry Pi to run a code that was written by students in a classroom.
In November 2015, the company's Raspberry Pi Zero, which was priced at just $5, became the fastest-selling computer ever. It is also the cheapest computer from the company.
In February this year, the Raspberry Pi 3 was released by the company and boasted built-in Wi-Fi. This was the first board from the company to do so. The $35 Pi 3 will remain the flagship computer for the company for the next couple of years per Upton.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is celebrating the 10 million units sold worldwide milestone by launching a new kit. The Raspberry Pi Starter Kit is described as the "perfect bundle" by the company and will comprise a Raspberry Pi 3, a 2.5 amp power supply, 8 GB SD card (NOOBS OS installer preloaded), 1-meter (3.28-foot) HDMI cable, a Kinneir Dufort case, optical mouse and keyboard. It will also come with a copy of the hands-on guide Adventures in Raspberry Pi (Foundation Edition).
The Raspberry Pi Starter Kit, however, commands a steep price tag - £99 + VAT ($132 approximately). Customers in the UK can now order the kit online from RS Component and element14.
