The Raspberry Pi 4 has been launched – but South African fanatics will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on these microcomputers.
RS Components South Africa assures users that once these latest offerings from the Raspberry Pi Foundation get Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (ICASA) stamp of approval, they will be available to order.
The first of the fourth-generation Raspberry Pi that will be available is the Pi 4 Model B.
Eben Upton, founder of Raspberry Pi, says the latest offering is a comprehensive upgrade, touching almost every element of the platform.
“For the first time, we provide a PC-like level of performance for most users, while retaining the interfacing capabilities and hackability of the classic Raspberry Pi line. What’s changed with Raspberry Pi 4 is that, in addition to being a device for learning about computing, it’s also much more suitable than its predecessors for use as a general-purpose classroom computer,” he adds.
Brian Andrew, MD of RS Components South Africa, says he is excited to welcome the latest Raspberry Pi offering to its customers. “It is undeniable just how popular Raspberry Pi’s have become over the years.
“These microcomputers have come a long way and here in South Africa the popularity continues to gain traction. We would like to advise all our customers that we are hard at work to make sure we get the Pi 4’s as soon as possible. We are just awaiting for ICASA’s go ahead and then, we are good to go and expect stock in September 2019,” he says.
The new operating system is based on the upcoming Debian 10 Buster release and delivers a modern user interface and updated Chromium 74 web browser.
Other improvements include the adoption of the Mesa V3D graphics driver, which offers OpenGL-accelerated web browsing and the ability to run 3D applications in a window.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has also released new accessories for the Pi 4 Model B, including a new case, a USB Type-C power supply, a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter, and micro HDMI cables. Notable upgrades include Gigabit Ethernet, support for up to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, dual-band WiFi, as well as 4K60 hardware HEVC decode support.