An update to the popular Raspberry Pi, the credit card-sized computer used by computing enthusiasts and developers, is coming to South Africa. The Raspberry Pi Model B+ could go on sale in a matter of weeks, according to local distributor RS Components.

Though local pricing has not yet been determined, the machine retails internationally for the same price as the previous model. The older Raspberry Pi Model B currently fetches R446 through RS Components. (Update: The Model B+ is now on sale and, at the time of writing, was retailing for R446.)

The Raspberry Pi was developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, with the original purpose of promoting computer science in schools. But people have found other uses for the tiny machine, which is now popularly used by hobbyists for creating anything from media servers to home automation systems.

The Raspberry Pi runs a number of distributions of the open-source Linux operating system.

The Raspberry Pi B+ is not a new version, but rather what its makers are calling the “final evolution of the original”.

But the latest version offers a number of enhancements over its predecessors, the most notable of which is lower power consumption, which has been reduced by between 0,5W and 1W.

The processor and the software remain the same, and it still features 512MB of onboard RAM, but there are now two more USB ports, bringing the total to four. There are also more general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins available to users — 40 pins, up from 26 before. These pins are used to connect and control a variety of external hardware.

The microSD card socket has also been upgraded with an easier pop-to-release mechanism.

The new Raspberry Pi also features better audio and a neater form factor. The USB ports have been aligned with the edge of the circuit board and composite video is now on top of the 3,5mm audio jack.