BBC Micro:bit Mini Computer Goes Up for Pre-Orders Starting GBP 13

Following its rollout to British schools in March, the BBC Micro:bit mini computer is now up for pre-orders for regular users. The mini computer starts at GBP 13 (roughly Rs. 1,300).

To recall, the BBC had earlier this year hinted at the possibility of making the mini computers available to the general public later this year, and it has gone ahead with its plans. In a blog post earlier this week, BBC said it had managed to deliver nearly 750,000 Micro:bit units to students in the UK, or across roughly 80 percent of the secondary schools in the country.

The BBC Micro:bit mini computer is priced at GBP 13 for the standalone computer, and GBP 15 (roughly Rs. 1,500) for the starter bundle including a battery pack and a USB cable, and both are listed on Element 14.

The Micro:bit, much like a Raspberry Pi, is a credit card-shaped circuit board. It measures just 50x40mm, sports two buttons, 25 red LEDs, and comes in green, blue, and other colour options. It is powered by two AAA batteries. Last month, the BBC teamed up with Samsung to create an official BBC Micro:bit app for Android that connects to the device over Bluetooth connection.

The board can be programmed via a Web-based interface to do a range of things including make messages scroll on the LEDs. A user can flash the code of their choice as the Micro:bit supports a many languages including JavaScript, Python and C++. The creators say that the idea behind the Micro:bit is to make act of writing programs more enjoyable.