A C.H.I.P. Off the Old Block

Last summer, we told you about the release of the tiny computer, Raspberry Pi. This summer, it’s all about CHIP, the world’s first $9 computer. Seen on Kickstarter with an initial goal of $50,000, CHIP has now raised $1.7 million dollars with over 33,000 backers.

C.H.I.P. is a tiny computer that unlike the Raspberry Pi, provides internal storage, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Your mouse and keyboard can be connected wirelessly! As soon as C.H.I.P. has power, you can begin using it and the dozens of preinstalled tools and applications. C.H.I.P. is equipped with a 1GHz processor, 512MB of ram, and 4GB of storage.

LibreOffice can be used for spreadsheets, word documents and presentations, while Chromium can be used to browse the web and send emails. Better yet, C.H.I.P. can teach you to code with Scratch- an easy programming language. All useful applications on C.H.I.P. are free as part of the open source community.

C.H.I.P. can also run real software, handle the full demands of a GUI, and can handle any attached hardware. It’s powered by a fully integrated battery power circuit, so there’s no need to stay plugged in. Best of all, C.H.I.P. is flexible and can be used for any project.

PocketC.H.I.P. makes C.H.I.P. portable with up to 5 hours of battery life, a QWERTY keyboard, and a 4 inch touchscreen. Use a pencil as a kickstand or a shoelace to carry it around your neck! We like their advice to use a pencil as a kickstand for the PocketC.H.I.P. What’s your favorite part about C.H.I.P.? Let us know in the comments below!