C.H.I.P. is a tiny computer built for work, play and everything in between

C.H.I.P. is a tiny new $9 computer that has attracted over a million dollars in funding on Kickstarter (with over 2 weeks to go). Designed by Next Thing Co. - a company based in California and Shenzen, China - C.H.I.P. was designed to let users do anything they would on a normal computer, only a bit slower.

Using processing power similar to a low-end smartphone, C.H.I.P.’s scope is pretty impressive: C.H.I.P. has built in WiFi and Bluetooth allowing users to connect to the internet and attach a keyboard and mouse wirelessly. Users can edit spreadsheets, create word documents, or craft presentations using LibreOffice or surf the web with the Chromium browser. C.H.I.P. also comes preinstalled with dozens of useful applications, tools and amazing games. Beyond those, C.H.I.P. can run thousands of free applications from the open source community.

C.H.I.P. is very much the evolution of technologies like arduino and raspberry pi; technologies that - by democratising electronics -  have played a huge part in the maker revolution.  Hopefully with a price tag so easy on the wallet, C.H.I.P. can go on to make computing available for the seriously impoverished.