Raspberry Pi, a credit-card sized computer designed by technology experts to teach code to children, has just gone on sale in the UK. And already, the low-cost technology, created by volunteers mostly drawn from academia, has been greeted with an impressive degree of enthusiasm by consumers.
Premier Farnell - the parent company of element14 - was involved in the launch of the device in Nuremburg and was last week selling around 700 per second with no signs of demand slowing down.
The already-popular computer is sold uncased without keyboard or monitor, with those behind the concept hoping that it will help to improve the UK's technology industry, which is currently being undermined by a distinct lack of programming skills.
"It has been six years in the making; the number of things that had to go right for this to happen is enormous. I couldn't be more pleased," explained Eben Upton, who works at the Raspberry Pi Foundation in Cambridge.
The launch comes at an interesting time for the UK technology industry, with Education Secretary Michael Gove recently outlining his ambition of making computer technology lessons a more prominent part of the National Curriculum. Mr Gove conceded that the Government had been slow to recognise the increasing importance programming is playing in the economy, but pledged to support computing lessons.
Raspberry Pi was, in fact, mentioned in a recent speech given by Mr Gove, with the Education Secretary suggesting that such devices are likely to become increasing common to the classroom.
"Initiatives like the Raspberry Pi scheme will give children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming," he said. "This is a great example of the cutting edge of education technology happening right here in the UK."
Much of the initial enthusiasm is sure to center on the fact that the device is relatively inexpensive at just £22 ($35). And the manufacturer has already confirmed that a cheaper version will go on sale later in 2012. The cost of the device means that children from all backgrounds will have the opportunity to code from a young age, which has never previously been the case in the UK.
The device itself runs an open-source operating system Linux and features an ethernet port, which means that it is able to take advantage of high-speed internet services.