RS Components Releases Free Limited Edition Raspberry Pi to Celebrate First Anniversary of the Credit-card-sized Computer
SINGAPORE, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), 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 1,000 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 March 1st, with participants being invited to put forward design ideas and applications for their Raspberry Pi by tweeting @RSElectronics using #bluepi. Each week the top 10 suggestions will be selected by a panel comprising Eben Upton and other technology specialists, and will be rewarded with a limited edition Raspberry Pi.
“Raspberry Pi has taken the technology world by storm, with more than one million boards already being used by new and experienced programmers and electronics enthusiasts,” said Glenn Jarrett, Global Head of Product Marketing at RS Components. “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.”
About RS Components
RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc, the world’s leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products. With operations in 32 countries, we offer more than 550,000 products through the internet, catalogues and at trade counters to over one million customers, shipping around 44,000 parcels a day. Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include electronics, automation and control, test and measurement, electrical and mechanical components.
Electrocomponents is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year ended 31 March 2012 had revenues of GBP1.27bn.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.rs-components.com/.