If you haven't already heard about Raspberry Pi, it's a computer that can fit on your credit card, literally. It uses the most basic setup possible: a few ports for power and peripherals, an operating system on an SD card and a frame that could fit in your pocket. It's one of those "Why haven't people done this sooner?" ideas, and people quickly started to experiment with how far Raspberry Pi could go.
The size of the Raspberry Pi wasn't the only thing that people were excited about — the entire setup could be bought for roughly $40, meaning that just about anyone could purchase one. It was a huge step toward making computer programming available for all — and now, the Raspberry Pi has some true competition.
The CHIP is similar to the Raspberry Pi: it's a small, Linux-based computer that runs on absolutely bare-bones architecture. It's designed for programmers and hackers to mess around with, which sounds exactly like the Raspberry Pi... until you get to the price tag.
Is $40 just too much to spend? Well, you can get the CHIP for a grand total of $9.
The CHIP first appeared on Kickstarter last week, and people have definitely taken to the project. As it stands, the CHIP has raised a whopping $1.2 million... but why are people so excited for it?
Well, there are a number of features that separate the CHIP from other, similar projects. One of the most important is the CHIP's onboard Wi-Fi: other pocket-computers require the use of a USB network adapter, but the CHIP comes with Wi-Fi capabilities built-in. Not only does it free up a USB port, but it should be infinitely more reliable than shaky wireless network adapters. As an added bonus, there's also built-in Bluetooth, meaning that users can tether devices straight to the CHIP.
There's also the Pocket Chip: instead of relying solely on external peripherals to run, the CHIP can plug into a GameBoy-esque case for easier portable use. Other similarly sized projects can be easily transported - but most rely on some sort of external inputs and outputs. The CHIP has no such limitation.
It's also a surprisingly powerful little computer: while it's not going to rival the heaviest-duty gaming rigs on the market, the CHIP comes with a 1 GHz processor, 512GB of RAM and 4GB of storage - more than enough for basic browsing. With something like an external hard drive attached, the CHIP could potentially replace a laptop or tablet - for a fraction of the price.
If all things go according to plan, the CHIP should start shipping sometime early next year. The Kickstarter still has three weeks left before funding closes, so if you're interested in picking one up, just head on over to the CHIP's official project page.
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