The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released its latest credit card-sized computer – the Raspberry Pi 3. The latest model was released in order to celebrate the project's fourth birthday. In the span of four years, the foundation has already shipped over eight million units worldwide.

The Raspberry Pi 3, along with the other mini computers, are designed for developers, computer science students and just about anyone who wants to learn about coding, application design and development.

"The two main things that people do with their Pi are to use it as a PC replacement or use it as an embedded computer. The Pi 3 is doubling down on both those things rather than going looking for new things to do," founder Eben Upton told BBC.

The Raspberry Pi 3 is now available to purchase for $35. It has the same price as its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 2, but comes with added connectivity features.

The new computer is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, the VideoCore IV 3D GPU and 1 GB of RAM. It is faster and more powerful than its predecessors. Specifically, it provides users with over ten times the performance of the Raspberry Pi 1.

It also comes with Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. Users no longer have to connect via an Ethernet connection. With Bluetooth, they can also connect the keyboard and mouse wirelessly. The addition of wireless functionality has resulted in a minor layout change. The LEDs have moved to the other side to make room for the antenna. Other than that, all the connectors are still located in the same place with the same functionalities.

The latest computer is also compatible with the Raspberry Pi 1 and 2 so users will be able to continue on with their current projects. At launch, the Pi 3 comes in 32-bit mode but may move onto 64-bit mode following initial feedback.

According to the Windows blog, the Raspberry Pi 3 also comes with Windows 10 support via the new Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview update, which is available to download at the Microsoft Online Store.

The Raspberry Pi 3 is already available for purchase at element14, RS Components and other authorized sellers.