Raspberry Pi lifts sale restrictions, open to bulk buyers
updated 03:35 pm EDT, Mon July 16, 2012
RS, Farnell manufacturing 4,000 Raspberry Pi's per day
Restrictions on Raspberry Pi orders have been lifted, enabling customers to place bulk orders. According to the official Raspberry Pi blog, both RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell have stopped restricting Raspberry Pi sales on a one-per-customer basis, opening the door to quantity orders for the in-demand credit-card-sized computer.
Statements from both RS and Farnell confirm the expanded availability, allowing for enterprise and educational buyers to obtain the Model B board. Any orders placed through either retailer will have an expected delivery by the end of September, after orders for individual units have been shipped.
Currently, 4,000 Raspberry Pi Model B boards are manufactured per day. The £22 ($35) board received over 100,000 orders by late April, and has seen retailers struggling to keep up with demand. Customers that have received a Raspberry Pi are using the computer in alternative ways, including a media center PC and for controlling an autonomous boat in order to cross the Atlantic ocean.
