$25 computer nears production

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LONDON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- An eagerly awaited $25 computer is about to go into production in Britain in the hope it will inspire a new generation of technology-savvy kids, its maker said.

The Raspberry Pi home computer is being built around an Arm processor similar to ones found in mobile phones and will run a version of the Linux open source operating system, the BBC reported Friday.

Video game veteran David Braben said he came up with the idea for the Raspberry Pi while thinking of ways to inspire young people to start a career in technology.

Test versions of finished devices are being checked and if all is well, volume production will start in January, Raspberry said.

"Once we're happy that this test run is fine, we'll be pushing the button immediately on full-scale manufacture in more than one factory," the company said on its blog.

Two versions of the computer will be offered, the company said -- a Model A for $25, which lacks a network connector, and a Model B for $35 which does have an Ethernet socket.