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Raspberry Pi Timeline Highlights Key Milestones from 2006 to 2012
Key points
- Idea conceived in 2006 at Cambridge University by Eben Upton.
- Raspberry Pi Foundation founded in May 2009 as a charity.
- First Raspberry Pi Model B launched on February 29, 2012 for $35.
- Production moved to Wales in 2012; Raspbian became recommended OS.
Origins and Foundation
The concept for Raspberry Pi emerged in 2006 at the University of Cambridge, where Eben Upton observed a decline in computer science applicants lacking practical experience. Early Atmel-based prototypes were developed with the goal of creating an affordable computer for educational experimentation.
In May 2009, Eben Upton, along with colleagues from academia and industry, established the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Registered as a UK charity (no. 1129409), its stated mission was to promote computer science education for young people.
Pre-Launch and Initial Release
Twenty-five final beta boards were manufactured, with ten auctioned on eBay in early 2012. These auctions generated four-figure sums, funding final development and creating international awareness for the upcoming $35 computer.
The Raspberry Pi Model B, featuring a 700 MHz ARM chip and 256 MB of RAM, officially went on sale on February 29, 2012. Demand for the device was high, causing distributors' servers to crash and the Foundation's website to switch to a static page. This launch marked the beginning of what would become the best-selling British computer of all time.
Operating System and Manufacturing Shifts
Raspbian, a Debian build optimized for the Pi's hardware and initiated by community members Mike Thompson and Peter Green, became the officially recommended operating system. This established the Debian lineage for the Pi's operating system.
In 2012, manufacturing for the Raspberry Pi moved from China to the Sony factory in Pencoed, Wales. This decision to bring electronics production back to Europe for a product in this price class was notable at the time.
Early Hardware Iterations
The Model B's memory was doubled from 256 MB to 512 MB at no additional cost. This established a pattern for the Raspberry Pi of increasing performance while maintaining the same price point. Following this, the stripped-down Model A was introduced as a $25 variant.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The Raspberry Pi project began in 2006 at the University of Cambridge to address declining computer science applications and lack of hands-on experience. The Raspberry Pi Foundation was established in 2009, leading to the launch of the $35 Raspberry Pi Model B in 2012, which quickly became a best-selling British computer.