CHIP - The World's First Nine Dollar Computer

If you need a computer about the size of a credit card, look no further. The CHIP is a $9 single-board computer that runs Linux and can do just about anything you want it to… including play Quake. The board includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as optional ports for VGA and HDMI monitors. On board you’ll find a 1GHz processor, 512 RAM, and 4GB of storage. You can install a light version of Debian and you can even plug it into something called the Pocket CHIP that adds a touch screen and keyboard to the mix in a package about as big as the original Game Boy.

C.H.I.P specifications:

• SoC – Allwinner R8 Cortex A8 processor @ 1 GHz with Mali-400 GPU (Compatible with Allwinner A13)

• System Memory – 512 MB RAM

• Storage – 4GB NANDflash

• Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0

• Video Output – 3.5mm jack for composite video and audio (HDMI and VGA available via adapters)

• USB – 1x USB host port, 1x micro USB OTG port

• Two expansion headers

• Power – 5V via micro USB OTG or battery

• Dimensions – 60 x 40 mm

The CHIP has already blown past its $50,000 goal and is now at about $200,000. They expect to ship in one year and they’re a Haxlr8r company so they have some solid manufacturing support. While you could obviously just pick up a Raspberry Pi 2 and rock out with that, this little guy seems like the perfect solution for folks experimenting with wearable and micro devices, an area of interest that is sure to grow over the next few years. Regardless, it’s a surprisingly tantalizing little computer and it will be great to see what hobbyists can do with.