RS Components gives 1,000 Raspberry Pi's to charity in anniversary move

RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, is celebrating the first anniversary of the launch of Raspberry Pi with the unveiling of a special limited edition of the low-cost, credit-card-sized computer board.

Just one thousand Raspberry Pi Model B, Revision 2 boards have been produced by RS in an exclusive blue colour. Each limited edition board is stamped with a serial number and is supplied in a special presentation box together with a crystal blue user case and a certificate of authenticity signed by Eben Upton, Executive Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

The limited edition crystal blue case has been designed and donated by product design and manufacturing specialists One-Nine-Design.

The limited edition boards are not for general sale, and will be issued by RS through a variety of channels, with most being donated directly to charitable causes associated with young people and education around the world.

Between March and June 2013, Raspberry Pi enthusiasts across the globe will have the opportunity to enter into competitions in an attempt to win one of the anniversary edition boards. The first competition will be hosted on Twitter for four weeks from today, March 4th, with participants being invited to put forward design ideas and applications for their Raspberry Pi by tweeting @RSElectronics using #bluepi. Each week the top ten suggestions will be selected by a panel of technology specialists, and these will be rewarded with a limited edition Raspberry Pi.

"We wanted to mark the first anniversary with this special commemorative version, which embraces the spirit of Raspberry Pi and encourages innovation and creative programming, benefitting many people who may not otherwise have access to technology like this".

Eben Upton, Executive Director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, added: "This has been an amazing year for all of us here at Raspberry Pi, and we're really delighted that our friends at RS Components have chosen to mark the anniversary in such a generous fashion. ".