Just about everybody sees the benefits of computer technology but there is a huge disparity between classes and economies. Countries that cannot afford the infrastructure required to use advancing technology continue to fall behind countries that can. People that don’t have access to basic computing skills keep falling behind their peers. In short, the lack of access to technology widens the chasm between the haves and the have-nots.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation was created in the United Kingdom in 2009. The Foundation promotes the study of basic computer science in schools with a single-board computer called a Raspberry Pi. One of the founders of Raspberry Pi, Eben Upton, created the first Raspberry Pi in an attempt to solve the problem of a dwindling student population in computing science at the University of Cambridge[1]. The Raspberry Pi Foundation was created to bridge the gap by providing an economical way to learn programming languages. In 2012, the Foundation released the Raspberry Pi, an economical computer for around $55. It runs Linux and has General-Purpose Input and Output pins that allow the user to control electronic components for physical computing and exploring the Internet of Things. Raspberry Pi sold over two million units within two years of production, while encouraging everyone with interest to study and play. One of the biggest selling points of Raspberry Pi is the amount and variety of support available to the Raspberry Pi. The Foundation website contains forums, projects, blogs, help guides, videos, and troubleshooting guides.
Sales from Raspberry Pi products fund charitable work that promotes the understanding of computers and the use of technology in education and developing countries. Raspberry Pi is available throughout the world through the Foundation’s website and in select countries through approved Pi Resellers. The operating system for all Raspberry Pi products is Linux. Linux is an open-source operating system that interfaces between the computer’s hardware and software programs. The language used with Raspberry Pi is Python, a general-purpose and high-level programming language used to develop Graphical User Interface applications, websites, and web applications. One of the benefits of Raspberry Pi is that it is not necessary to have an intimate knowledge of Linux or Python before beginning a project with Raspberry Pi.
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1 Heroes of the 500 2014 Rank 27