Raspberry Pi Zero is a $5 programmable computer

Raspberry Pi has done it again, and cheaper this time. First they released the Raspberry Pi Model B and several successors to put programmable computers in the hands of anyone with $20-$35, and now they're releasing the Raspberry Pi Zero, which does the same but just for $5. And for the ethically minded who are concerned about where something so cheap is made, in this case, it's Wales.

Zero runs Raspbian and all kinds of apps, including Scratch, Minecraft, and Sonic Pi. Here are the specs:

A Broadcom BCM2835 application processor

1GHz ARM11 core (40% faster than Raspberry Pi 1)

512MB of LPDDR2 SDRAM

A micro-SD card slot

A mini-HDMI socket for 1080p60 video output

Micro-USB sockets for data and power

An unpopulated 40-pin GPIO header

Identical pinout to Model A+/B+/2B

An unpopulated composite video header

Our smallest ever form factor, at 65mm x 30mm x 5mm

Zero is available now in the UK through element14, The Pi Hit, and Pimoroni, and in the US through Adafruit and Micro Center retail outlets. The team says it's made tens of thousands of units for now, but "expect demand to outstrip supply for the next little while." If you're in the UK, the December issue of The MagPi -- which has all kinds of information about Zero -- includes one for free, if you can find a copy (the website is sold out).