C.H.I.P., The 'World's First' Nine-Dollar Computer

C.H.I.P. is a the “world’s first” nine-dollar computer from Next Thing Co. that is surprisingly powerful for its size and price. C.H.I.P. ships with a preinstalled version of Linux and is capable of running thousands of apps including LibreOffice and games.

At 2.3″ long and 1.5″ wide, C.H.I.P. is small enough to be easily integrated into a wide variety of computer projects. It features a 1GHZ Allwinner R8 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB onboard storage, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, and composite video out with HDMI and VGA output available with an adapter.

Both the hardware and software for C.H.I.P. are fully open source, a move that Next Thing Co. believes will help them make the most out of the tiny computer with improvements and feedback from the maker community. Next Thing Co. founder Dave Rauchwerk discussed the C.H.I.P. project in a video by Make: magazine.

Next Thing Co. is currently raising funds for C.H.I.P. with a Kickstarter campaign that has already greatly exceeded its initial goal. Backers can claim their C.H.I.P. as well as accessories like the Pocket C.H.I.P. that makes the C.H.I.P. a fully portable handheld computer.