raspberry pi 2
The newly released Raspberry Pi 2

The long-awaited Raspberry Pi 2, the next version of the popular single-board computer, went on sale this morning, and this one will have the option of running Windows.

Microsoft confirmed that it will offer Window 10 for Raspberry Pi 2, making the new operating system available free to the maker community through it’s Windows Developer Program for Internet of Things devices later this year. The new Raspberry Pi uses an ARMv7 processor and can also support a variety of Linux distributions.

“For the last six months we’ve been working closely with Microsoft to bring the forthcoming Windows 10 to Raspberry Pi 2,” says Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton in a post announcing the release. “Microsoft will have much more to share over the coming months. The Raspberry Pi 2-compatible version of Windows 10 will be available free of charge to makers.”

This is part of a broader push by Microsoft to make Windows work with everything from small devices and phones to tablets, the Xbox and traditional computers.

“We see the Maker community as an amazing source of innovation for smart, connected devices that represent the very foundation of the next wave of computing, and we’re excited to be a part of this community,” says Kevin Dallas, General Manager, of the Windows IoT Group, in a post announcing the news.

The Raspberry Pi 2 sells for $35, the same price as the existing Model B+.

 

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