Raspberry Pi CEO says he expects shortages to end within a year
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Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton has said he believes the disruption to his company’s supply chain, due in part to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be completely resolved, “in one year”, and the road frees up for a more powerful product in the Pi range.
Speak with Microcenter (opens in new tab)Upton also spoke highly of the Raspberry Pi 400, which was the easiest Pi to buy during the pandemic, promising further products in what he called “the hundred series.”
The comments almost confirm that the 400’s all-in-one form factor, which puts a Pi circuit board (PCB) inside a keyboard, will continue to be an area of interest for the company, although Upton didn’t provide further details.
Raspberry Pi and the Pandemic
No computer board is immune to shortages, but the Raspberry Pi Pico is doing well and becoming the go-to board for computer hobbyists during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Pico achieves its stamina by being equipped with the RP2040, the first chip designed in-house at the company, which is also spreading to, as Upton puts it, an “explosion” of third-party boards.
As Tom’s hardware reported (opens in new tab)larger manufacturers such as Adafruit, Seeed, Sparkfun and Ardunio, as well as more ’boutique’ manufacturers have all since introduced boards with the RP2040.
As the most popular and mainstream option for single-board microcomputers, an end to the shortages will no doubt be welcomed by computer enthusiasts and those who want to put Python skills to good use.
And while it’s true that anything can happen in the meantime, Upton’s comments should at least be met with cautious optimism.