The Raspberry Pi Foundation just turned five and to celebrate it just announced an update for its Zero computer, bringing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the diminutive and affordable computer.
This was a much-needed upgrade. While 2015’s Pi Zero is certainly an interesting computer, at an ultra-affordable price point, it was hampered by the fact that if you wanted to do anything complex with it, you’d inevitably generate a mess of wires and dongles.
The Raspberry Pi Zero W eliminates most of that, and it does it while retaining the pocket-money friendly pricing of its predecessor.
While the original Pi Zero retailed at $5, this update costs just slightly more at $10. This price bump is justified, as it means you don’t have to buy a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth adapter.
The Foundation has also announced a line of Zero-compatible, injection molded cases. Each case comes with three different lids that grant access to different parts of the device, such as the GPIO pins or the camera.
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If you’re so inclined, you can pick one up from today. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has ordered a run of 80,000 units, which is being spread between six different suppliers. In the UK, you’ll be able to pick a Pi Zero up from Pimoroni, The Pi Hut and ModMyPi. Punters in North America can head to Adafruit, Micro Center and Canakit.
It’s inevitable that – at least at first – demand will vastly outstrip supply, as was the case with the original Pi Zero. To mitigate against that, there’s a one-per-customer rule.
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