The only time you need a computer at home is when you are finishing up unfinished work at the office. It would be a waste to pay tens of thousands of yen to buy one! It is no wonder that more and more people are thinking this way.
C.H.I.P." may be perfect for such people. This is the world's cheapest computer at $9 (approx. 1,070 yen). It was developed by Next Thing Co. in Oakland, USA.
The world's cheapest computer "C.H.I.P." Bananas look delicious!
C.H.I.P." is an ultra-compact computer measuring approximately 6 cm wide by 4 cm high. It has a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of memory, and 4GB of storage in a small body, and is Wi-Fi/Bluetooth compatible, so it can be connected to the Internet using a wireless router at home and operated with a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse.
C.H.I.P." measures approximately 6 cm (width) x 4 cm (height)
1GHz CPU, 512MB memory, and 4GB storage. It's hard to use for fun, but it's manageable for work.
Standard connectors include MicroUSB and USB ports, and composite outputs (video, headphone & microphone). Optionally, additional video adapters for D-Sub or HDMI cables can be purchased. For those who don't want a computer monitor in the room, an HDMI adapter is available! If you don't want to have a computer monitor in your room, we recommend purchasing an HDMI adapter. You can use your TV screen as a monitor.
If your TV has a composite jack, you do not need an adapter.
Example of D-Sub (left) and HDMI (right) adapters installed
So, what can you do with "C.H.I.P."?
C.H.I.P. is based on Linux and comes with LibreOffice preinstalled so you can create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, LibreOffice maintains a high, if not perfect, compatibility with Microsoft Office. So, if you are caught in an emergency situation where you need to do something with your MS Office documents in a hurry, you can use LibreOffice. you can manage it reasonably well with a reasonably high probability. However, if the document uses complicated scripts or has complicated tables embedded in it, you are out.
Powered by LibreOffice ...... If you're going to use it for work, MS Office is the way to go, that's for sure.
In cases where you don't need to worry about compatibility with MS Office (e.g., keeping a household account at home), LibreOffice works perfectly.
The browser is Chromium, which is compatible with most web-based groupware and email programs, not to mention web browsing.
The difference from Google Chrome is that there is no Flash Player or translation function.
You can even connect a MIDI keyboard to create and play digital music. You can also use "C.H.I.P." as a portable music player by carrying it in a case with batteries. We recommend finding a cute case at a 100-yen store. Since "C.H.I.P." is only 1,000 yen, if you spend money on a case, you lose (probably...).
We want to keep winning anyway, don't we?
Next Thing Co. is currently running a campaign on the crowdfunding site kickstarter to seek investors for the commercialization of "C.H.I.P.". The price is, of course, $9 (approx. 1,070 yen). Other versions that come with a D-Sub adapter are $19, and those that come with an HDMI adapter are $24. Shipping is scheduled for January 2016, or May 2016 for those with adapters.
