Group Actions
Engagement
  • Author Author: Catwell
  • Date Created: Date Created
  • Views 2910 views
  • Likes 2 likes
  • Comments 27 comments
Related
Recommended

Nine bucks can net you a CHIP from Next Level Co that can fit in your pocket

Catwell

image

Next Thing Co’s CHIP is a pocket-sized powerhouse that lets you code, play games and everything else a basic PC can do (via the CHIP kickstarter)

 

Small pocket-sized PCs can be found everywhere. Most come in the form of maker tools such as the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBoard or the Arduino (among loads of others), however these types of boards are typically used in DIY projects rather than used as stand-alone computer. Of course, there are other tiny computers that are used like a typical desktop (surfing the web, editing, Photoshop, etc.) including Intel’s NUC, ASUS’s Chromebox and Zotac’s Zbox Pico. The problem with those ultra-small PCs is the cost, which range anywhere from $100 and up- several times over what the Raspberry Pi costs.

 

Thankfully, high prices are not a factor with Next Thing Co’s CHIP- the world’s first $9 computer. The company recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their insanely affordable PC and have surpassed their target goal of $50,000 by over 1.2-million with several weeks left to go. So what does nine-bucks net you? An Allwinner R8 processor (running @ 1GHz), 512Mb of RAM and 4Gb of storage. Strangely, there is no Allwinner R8 processor, rather Next Thing Co modified an Allwinner A13 SoC with integrated Flash and RAM, which helps keep the cost of the board down.

 

The board may be small (about the size of a credit card), however it isn’t lacking in the features department, which includes onboard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB/micro-USB ports and an audio jack. It also has the capability to connect to any monitor from the very old VGA jack to the newer HDMI port through the use of add-on shields. CHIP also works with any USB-based keyboard and mouse without the need for drivers to be installed.

 

image

Pocket CHIP allows users to take their PC anywhere and is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

 

Interestingly enough the board already has its first accessory add-on in the form of a Gameboy like housing known as Pocket CHIP. The board simply snaps into the housing, which features a 4.3" 470px x 272px screen with resistive touch, full QWERTY keyboard and a 3000 mAh battery. It also has a line of GPIO pins on the top edge for those who want to use the board in their projects. Next Thing Co preinstalled the mainline Linux as the board’s operating system along with several apps to get things running including the Chromium web browser, LibreOffice and the Scratch coding tool that helps users to learn how to program. Not bad for a PC that costs a mere $9, however the add-on shields will set you back an additional $10 to $15 depending on the board and the Pocket CHIP will set you back an additional $40- yep more than the PC itself.


Keep in mind.. $9 sounds great, but there is no community around this board yet. Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone have so much support, pre-written code troves, and countless projects. The CHIP is a while to go to hit this ease level.

 

C

See more news at:

http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    Enrico Miglino asked:

     

    ... how many Kickstarter great ideas are today a real company?

    Here's my general opinion about Kickstarter: as with everything else when there's money involved, you need to do your homework and check the motivation behind the Kickstarter.  I've only backed one Kickstarter personally: the Papilio DUO.  This wasn't because I thought an FPGA board with Arduino-compatible processor was such a great idea, but because (1) I'd had experience with Papilio One and knew Gadget Factory is a trustworthy company, (2) I like Gadget Factory's OSHW business model and forum and felt it was worthy of support, and (3) I didn't have a Xilinx Spartan-6 board yet and figured this would be an opportunity to get a good one for US$75.

     

    I would have been tempted to support the ValentF(x) LOGI-Pi and LOGI-Bone kickstarter back in 2013, but it was more money than I wanted to spend at the time and I was busy with other projects.

     

    In both of these cases, the Kickstarter was about getting a bunch of people to "subscribe" to a new product so it could be manufactured at reasonable cost.  If you want to make a new product, you need to buy components for the number of units you expect to sell and pay for them and the manufacturing cost up front.  So who has $50K or more lying around to do this?  With Kickstarter, you're getting subscribers to pay up front to fund the work.  It's the same business model as John James Audubon who funded his famous Birds of America drawings with advance subscriptions.

     

    I think it's pretty rare that a Kickstarter will grow into a large venture.  But it can fund new products for modest ventures like Gadget Factory and ValentF(x), who have both found distributors to continue selling their products.

  • in reply to michaelkellett

    Perfect!

     

    Michael, until now I though that it was only my lonesome vision of the things ... I live in Ibiza and work with worldwide. And my best clients are those that has already paid someone that let them think so remaining without nothing. Sometimes I think if it's me too slow, as it seems that the others emerge in minutes, develop in days and become rich in months image

     

    Enrico

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    Also the "makers" trend seems to me just like a silly way to induct tons of persons, hobbyists, passionate and more to buy hardware. Nothing more, including the ready-to-work boards, the pseudo electronics creating the illusion that no programming skill and no knowledge is needed to join a board and a shield to make robotics.

    All too true - I'm increasingly having to re-educate potential customers who think they can take a product to market based on a few days work with Arduino/Rpi/whatever. And more and more people (some in positions of responsibility and influence) who think that developing software is just a matter of linking up a few open source bits and pieces.

     

    MK

  • in reply to clem57

    What value, Clem?

     

    It's a marketing operation => collect money through KS => sell some units underprice => more ...

     

    Despite the fact that all the enthusiasm over the startups and startuppers that I have never trusted at all (as you can see by my works image ) is very fast falling down first of all in USA, frankly, how many kitstarter great ideas are today a real company ? Maybe I am too critics or too "integralist" but I interpret these phenomenons like a temporary trend and not something of really serious. Take in account that the real big players, real investors and so on are not there, are not spending money in a so evident yet useless way.

     

    Last but not least, you should consider that the all-America concept of the team, the big research centers, the large groups of technicians and researchers is not only destined to crash but it has already crashed. If you see the past and recent history of science (including all) you can see that the real researches are done beside simple ideas, elegant math and always developed by one or two individuals. Not teams where 10% make something and the rest manages, plan, direct, coordinates, check, control etc. etc.

     

    Also the "makers" trend seems to me just like a silly way to induct tons of persons, hobbyists, passionate and more to buy hardware. Nothing more, including the ready-to-work boards, the pseudo electronics creating the illusion that no programming skill and no knowledge is needed to join a board and a shield to make robotics.

     

    Enrico

  • in reply to johnbeetem

    For around $70 dollars you get a quad, tablet (touch) kitkat wireless capable to 1080p and dual cameras to boot from http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Touch-A93-Multi-touch-TabletExpress/dp/B00LVGIH7U

    John I cannot se the value for their pocket PC at $50???

    Clem