Think Big Grow Fast talks to RPi inventor Eben Upton:
The dream of leading an acclaimed international business is shared by entrepreneurs the world over. But motivations differ. Some want to be a leading CEO. Others hope to bring employment to their communities. Many just want to secure their families’ futures. Eben Upton’s dream was different. He wanted to teach a new generation how to code.
In 2005, Eben, then a 27-year-old Cambridge University director of computer science studies, noticed a drop in both the quality and quantity of incoming computer engineers.
He struck on an idea to develop a computer that would allow children to program rather than just consume content.
And seven years later the world was given a taste of Raspberry Pi — a micro computer the size of a deck of cards that by the start of December 2013 had been sold to an incredible 2.2million users.
The Pi, effectively a naked circuit board, has become a cult object for hacking enthusiasts and youngsters wanting to learn to program. But it hasn’t made Eben and the company’s three fellow founders rich. All profits go to the Raspberry Pi Charitable Foundation.
Eben, who works for US chip giant Broadcom, runs the Cambridge company in his spare time. But he believes his drive matches that of any full-time, for-profit entrepreneur.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit, be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Have you tried the new “Adafruit Raspberry Pi Educational Linux Distro”? It’s our tweaked distribution for teaching electronics using the Raspberry Pi. But wait, there’s more! Try our new Raspberry Pi WebIDE! The easiest way to learn programming on a Raspberry Pi.
We now have Raspberry Pi Model B with 512MB RAM in stock and shipping now!