Next Thing Co. Launches World's First $9 Computer; Will It Be a Raspberry Pi Killer?
Next Thing Co. is launching the world's first $9 computer, which could be Raspberry Pi killer. Dubbed CHIP - the device is an entire computer and functions in the same way that any system would buy at the store would.
They very first thing that everyone is going to notice about CHIP is its tiny size. It boasts a 1 GHz R8 ARM processor, as well as 512MB of RAM. It has 4GB of eMMC storage on deck and brings new meaning to the words small computer since it runs a version of Debian Linux.
In comparison, the Raspberry Pi 2 costs $35 and brings a 900MHz Broadcom BCM2836 ARMv7 quad-core processor, as well as 1GB of RAM.
Raspberry Pi 2 has support for four USB devices as well as support for HDMI but the added cost makes it less ideal for the type of application that a system like this would be used for.
Reportedly, the processor on CHIP is little more powerful and efficient than the Broadcom processor found on the Raspberry Pi 2.
However, if you want a VGA adaptor or HDMI adaptor in the CHIP, you need to shell out a little more - $19 and $24 respectively.
The company is also offering $50 PocketCHIP which equips the same versatile board but includes a case that equips battery, a keyboard and 4.3-inch touchscreen.
