Meet Chip, the cheapest computer that would cost you only $9 but still is capable of doing great things. Chip is a project posted on Kickstarter from the Next Thing company, the same company that created OTTO, the hackable GIF camera. The same guys are back with a $9 microcomputer.
Chip is a worthy Raspberry Pi alternative
The Chip is similar like the already-popular Raspberry Pi, but it has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which the Raspberry Pi lacks. It comes with a small circuit board the size of a credit card and no screen or keyboard. It is, however, possible to connect it to a keyboard or monitor.
The Kickaster page says it can do many things a normal computer can do. Such as:
- It can run LibreOffice and save your documents to the on-board storage.
- You can play games with the help of a Bluetooth controller.
- Surf the web, check your email and do much more.
- Many other applications pre-installed.
For those interested in technical specifications, it comes with a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of on-board storage and connects through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You can connect Chip via the built-in composite output to a screen or add an adapter for either VGA or HDMI. On the operating system front, it runs on Chip’s own open source operating system.
For a pledge of $9, you can get the Chip microcomputer single circuit board. Backers can get a VGA adaptor or HDMI adaptor by shelling out an extra $19 and $25 respectively. Backers of this project can also get Pocket Chip, which makes Chip portable and is a device that comes with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, and 5-hour battery and is aimed at those who want to use it anywhere.
At the time of writing this, the Kickstarter campaign had already crossed the $50,000 goal, reaching $650,496 with 12,884 backers and still 26 more days to go. From what it looks like, the project has been a grand success, but more can only be said once shipping starts and enthusiasts get their hands on it. For a device this like, the sky is the limit when it comes to modding and hacking. The shipping starts in December, and it can be shipped anywhere in the world.
