Meet CHIP, The $9 Computer, & What You CAN Do With It

CHIP, a matchbook-sized (2.3 inches by 1.5 inches) PC or about the size of a credit card, is the world’s first $9 computer but don’t make a mistake of underestimating its power with its size and price tag. It’s got a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of NAND flash storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth as well as optional ports for VGA ($10) and HDMI ($15) monitors. The single-board computer uses an Allwinner SoC, runs Linux and does everything that a regular computer does.

The PocketCHIP case creates a battery-powered portable unit based on CHIP that includes a 4.3-inch, 470×272 resistive color touch screen, a 3000mAh battery, and a tiny QWERTY keyboard somewhat indicative of the classic Blackberry.

CHIP comes preloaded with Scratch, an easy-to-learn language that teaches the basics of programing by making stories, games, and animations. With CHIP, you can also turn an old TV, a mouse and a keyboard into a computer.

CHIP is a computer for students, teachers, grandparents, children, artists, makers, hackers, and inventors. “When everyone can have a computer … that doesn’t look like ‘a computer’ anymore, that means that the people who grow up with things like this aren’t going to have the same bias about what a computer is and what it isn’t as they have now,”   says Dave Rauchwerk, co-maker of CHIP.

CHIP is a Kickstarter project and the projected ship date for CHIP and its add-ons is May 2016. An alpha model of CHIP for developers has an estimated ship date of September 2015.