The Raspberry Pi platform has changed forever the way enthusiasts and professionals alike carry out their projects. From imitations of classic consoles to the design of supercomputers, the Raspberry Pi has managed to adapt to almost any situation. However, its cost remains a real problem in some countries, and the answer is none other than the Raspberry Pi Zero, a reduced version in terms of ports and pins, but that costs only five dollars.
The potential of the Raspberry Pi is enormous, no one has any doubt about that at this point. In the past we have seen this small computer controlling robots, emulating consoles, taking on the role of a server, and serving as the heart of other DIY platforms. In a normal situation and depending on the model available, the price of the Raspberry Pi ranges between 25 and 35 dollars. Of course... the world is far from being a normal place, and on many occasions the user discovers that they must pay outrageous sums to obtain one. Shipping costs, internal taxes, and that avatar of the so-called customs can raise the price of a Raspberry Pi up to three or even four times more, depending on the region.
https://vimeo.com/146893658What you get for five dollars
With more than three years on the market, if there is one thing the Raspberry Foundation can do, it is to lower the cost of its hardware, and this has led to the creation of the Raspberry Pi Zero. In essence, it is a Raspberry Pi like any other, based on the Broadcom BCM2835 SoC that we saw in the first generation of the computer, although the main difference is that its frequency was raised to 1 GHz. Therefore, the Raspberry Pi Zero will be 40 percent faster than the original Raspberry Pi. The RAM sits at 512 megabytes, and there are three ports in total: a Mini HDMI for audio and video output, a micro USB for accessories, and another micro USB dedicated to power. The RCA output requires pins that we must solder ourselves, and the same goes for the entire GPIO section. According to what was published on the official page, the pinout is identical to the A+, B+, and 2B models. A microSD slot handles storage, and its final dimensions are 65 by 30 by 5 millimeters.
I understand that the absence of wireless connectivity can be a problem for many users, but any inconvenience is automatically compensated by the cost of the Raspberry Pi Zero: five dollars. In fact, this price is so attractive that those responsible decided to give a Zero as a gift with the purchase of the latest edition of MagPi magazine. To think that 20 years ago, magazines came with diskettes or CDs, and now they give away computers. The Raspberry Pi Zero should achieve what its siblings could not, and that is to enter those markets where every dollar is critical.
For more details, read the official announcement on the Raspberry Pi blog.
