$9 Hungarian computer raises more than $1.4 million on Kickstarter

Since launching on Kickstarter, the C.H.I.P. project has proved popular and has already exceeded its funding goal. The campaign has a smashing success, raising more than $1.4 million at the time of writing on a mere $50 000 goal and with 17 days still to run, hvg.hu reported.

The standard $9 (HUF 2400) model has a size of a credit-card and includes a 1 GHz processor, a 512 MB of RAM, and a 4 GB of integrated storage, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The system runs Linux operating system and connects to monitors and displays via a basic composite connector. It can run applications for working documents and spreadsheets, and it also plays games and music.

Writing on hardware news site bit-tech.net, Gareth Halfacree, a British journalist, said that the C.H.I.P. had “sacrificed a few features” in its desire to be small and cheap, adding that it is a computer without all the fixings, thus you still need to hook it up to a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a power source, and the internet to do actual computing.

If you buy all these parts, and the adapters needed to hook them up, that $9 basic price becomes more. Important to note that shipping charges outside the US could also make the C.H.I.P. more expensive.

The company is also planning to make a version of the computer into a handheld gadget called the Pocket C.H.I.P. that will be offered for about $49. This model adds a basic keyboard and a 4.3″ touch-screen display, along with a battery capable of running the device for up to five hours.

The details:
• 1GHz processor
• 4GB of storage
• 512MB of RAM
• Runs Linux

Has applications for:
• Working documents and spreadsheets
• Learning how to code
• Playing games
• Playing music

based on the article of hvg.hu
translated by Gábor Hajnal

Source: hvg.hu