CHIP $9 Computer
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
- This video reviews the CHIP single board computer which I purchased from the Next Thing Co in late 2016. In 2017 the CHIP was discontinued, and in March 2018 Next Thing Co entered bankrupty. So the CHIP is no longer available.
If you are looking for a low-cost single board computer today, I would recommend obtaining a Raspberry Pi Zero W, which I review in this video -- • Pi Zero W & SBC Update -- and which has an RRP of $10.
Weekly videos on a wide range of computing-related topics can be found at: / explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: / explainingthefuture - Věda a technologie
$9.00 and it has an auxiliary jack.
Take the hint, Apple.
To be fair the hint they'll take is that cheap = bankrupcy
@@neptunevibe I can't tell whether or not you're trying to be funny. Working at Apple doesn't mean anything either
@@neptunevibe - Congratulations, my young Chinese friend. You've avoided committing suicide AND have sacrificed your "nap break" to weigh in here. You'd better get back to work or they'll take you from the factory and ship you to the mineral mines to dig tin ore with the other 12-year-old kids and migrant workers. Stay safe. ;-)
@@neptunevibe hey i just bought a pair of brand new 500 euro sennheisers, and they are telling me to tell you to KISS MY ROSY ASS!
@@neptunevibeI'm still never buying a crappy mac
This guy and his videos is like if there was the world wide web and youtube in the 80's. It's incredible. I love unique and creative people.
Great video btw!
When you realize the keyboard is more expensive than the computer 🤣
Indeed!
There ard keyboards that cost 300$, some exemplars go even up over 1000$, not that hard to find a cheaper computer.
Seriously dude😂😂😂
Kickoff of the same keyboard cost about 8-15. Cheaper than the hdmi mod?
So the human is now the most expensive system to integrate 😳
this is much more powerfull than my first desktop computer. I feel so old now.
Same here. My first laptop had a 486...in 2008.
@@AE86ofMtAkina Don't feel old. This is more powerful than the mainframe I used to program with punchcards........
@@AE86ofMtAkina 486 in 2008 lmao
I had a 486 Tandy SX or something, 33mhz, 100 mb hdd... so amazing. lol
You're not old, my first desktop was a commodore 64.
We're so lucky in this age that even $9 computers can run a graphical interface.
That is very true.
"in March 2018 Next Thing Co entered bankrupty."
So really, it wasn't a $9 computer. It was a $10+ computer. They were just selling it for $9.
Very true. Not a sound business model.
It was never a $9 computer. That was just marketing hype. You had to pay at least $9 more for shipping. There was no way you could get one for just $9, like they lied. Yes, most things cost money to ship, but not cose to 100% of the marketing price.
@@artbecker5618 A hundred of these for a Linux parallel supercomputer ?
probably cost less to manufacture, they just didnt sell enough because its inferior to a pi in terms of value and power even at the time this was a crap deal.
@@xorgbeep You’re looking at it wrong. It’s more like a slightly cheaper version of a pi zero w with some trade offs.
Brings back fond memories of 1980s TV programs or videos you see at school.
I really appreciate the manner in which you present your videos. Reminds me of the good old days :) Well done, and excellent video!
I had great fun with the TSA explaining them what the stuff in my luggage is. (powerbanks/batteries, micro controllers, wires/cables, lcd screens, tools)
:)
:-)),seems like i'm not the only one having fun with this hahahaha:-))).gpd pc, the newer Gpd mini pc,mac,android tablet,ipad pro,kindle, HDD,chargers,cables,powerbank,a raspbberry pi ,mini keyboard......oh and the micro projector(vital),and my mi mix and iphone......after like 1 minute they just get nervousa and are like:please GO, please GO NOW!.....it really throws them off :-))))))))
All this chip and dip talk makes me hungry.
Bag of chip. Haha
Brian Binns lmao 😂
Got two of these back in the day. I used it as a CUPS print server for my no-wifi printer. Did a decent job for me. When the Zero came out I felt sorry for CHIP because their "niche" was no more.
I love the fact that this device comes with the battery connector.
I was a kickstarter backer for this, I really never used the GUI on mine, in fact I should re-flash mine to get it back (I uninstalled it manually).
A few notes:
- The MicroUSB has a few functions. Power input and flashing as you have demonstrated, but also it also connects to the UART allowing you to access the serial console. When powered using any external connection (battery or +5V and ground on the header) the MicroUSB also functions as a USB OTG connection.
- The white LED is connected to the power supply via a resistor and is on when the power is on. The purple LED is connected to a GPIO pin via a resistor and can be turned off.
- I live in the United States and NTSC is our standard, however, PAL should be available by tweaking the configuration files. If an NTSC display or a DIP is not available for making this setting, this will need to be done via a serial terminal.
- The case was a later add-on after a design change moved key components to the bottom of the board. As a kickstarter backer I got this preinstalled for no additional charge. We also got the video cable for no charge.
- Per early CHIP documentation it was originally suggested (and may still be) to connect a wired mouse via USB and a keyboard via bluetooth.
- Some CHIPs supposedly have a higher capacity flash and one of the later versions of the operating system allows access to the full capacity (8GB instead of 4GB).
A patch released a short while ago actually increased the storage capacity to 8GB. It was there in hardware, just not available due to firmware limitations.
This patch only works on early CHIPs that were fitted with 8GB flash running in SLC rather than MLC mode. Current CHIPs come with 4GB MLC flash, so cannot have the RAM increased. I actually had a long section on this in the video, but took it out as nobody can now buy a CHIP with the possibility of increasing to 8GB.
Oh, that's interesting. I'm not too surprised that I missed that actually, I haven't even gotten around to updating mine yet
When the DIP costs more than the CHIP😂
that's the capitalist system :d
555
The same holds true for Raspberry Pi's "Heads". That makes it easily an expensive hobby. I hate it...
6$ extra for the dip. And no flavour selections...?
You don't need the DIP. You can use VNC to access the CHIP's desktop from another PC.
Blessings to you Chris. Great Video and Content. Always smart & humble 🏄
In response to many questions, note that the HDMI DIP includes connections (pads and holes) that allow the user to solder on more pins to duplicate the XIO (GPIO) and some of the other connectors taken up when the HDMI DIP is fitted.
Do you think that if I were to buy two of those bottom covers, that I would be able to secure one to the HDMI shield?
By looking at the shape of the HDMI board I don't think it'll be very easy to do as if you'll notice the cutout on the board is right where the screw mount is on the little cover. You may be able to make it work but you'd have to come up with some type of hold down. Or... you could just glue it using some Shoe Goo or something similar if you don't think you'll ever need to access any GPIO via the bottom of the HDMI boars. Or a Zip Tie / Rubber band
ExplainingComputers damn i remember when you had 90.000 subs
ExplainingComputers btw, what is you favoritt board pc, mine is the raspberry pi 3 model B
Indeed! :
Chris, to open a ziplock bag without going insane just hold it between the palms of your hands, press slightly together to stop slippage and then move one hand towards you and one away. The bag will open up nicely at the ends and you won't have to faff about with trying to find a grip.
I just have to say your videos are always such amazing quality and great content!
I found this facinating. And it's three years old!
Wonderful how small a pc can get.
MPC12 but same performance as pc from 2001
i think this could be so small we can't even use it
Things get better every time, Intel showed Atom based systems this size at CES a few days ago and if you think about smart devices, you can tell we certainly will get even more advanced hardware on this scale in near future.
a computer that is only a micro hdmi port and 1 usb-c port
They make them the size of credit cards now. Only the thickness of about 2 credit cards.
Always enjoy seeing your videos, I'll be waiting for your comparison video!
Awwww, I love the little realtek crab.
Love your videos man.hella good quality watching on my 65" 4k tv.this is how videos should be made..
Thanks for the feedback! :) Sounds like a great TV! :)
Oh I remember I first read about Chip in News as it was on Crowdfounding and now its released finally.
Beautiful! :)
Prove that it is released.
When you realise that a $9 PC is faster then yours...
Nothing so true hahaha need format every 2 months
The truth is harsh
wow, feel sorry for you then!? i mean 2ghz dual core x86 w/ a gig of ram was like 12 years ago easy.
Nothing lol
Man, it's time to invest $9.
I remember I had one of these and they were actually really cool. Mine broke in combat unfortunately, a big shame the company is no longer around. Great video 👍
Very interesting device! Thanks Mr.Spock 🖖 Greetings from Chile!
I still prefer The Raspberry Pi for 40$...
I simply love RetroPie ^^
there doesn't seem much point to this product when you can get a pi zero which is both cheaper and more versitile
+scienceblock:
Is the pi zero really cheaper? You have to bring you own SD card for the Zero. That's an additional cost that is always present.
Is the pi zero really more versatile? This has bluetooth and wifi onboard. the Pi Zero has no network connectivity. The Pi Zero requires an external charging circuit if you want to use it with a LiPo.
I'm not saying this to rag on the raspi guys. I totally love them and their work is impressive, I even have one of the first gen raspis. I actually decided to go with the CHIP for a project that I'm working on because I don't need a display and I do need WiFi. For my application, the CHIP was clearly the better choice. The point is, different SBCs have different hardware loadouts and it's not about which one is the best, it's about which one is the best for your task.
For 4x the price? What about 4 of these instead?
For one, RetroPi won't work on it haha, secondly the Pi has 3 more USB ports and HDMI.
Agreed, I've tried multiple embedded PCs (both ARM and X86) and after about a week or so they began to annoy the hell out of me and I went back to a traditional desktop.
This guy is Psychedelic!
:)
Yes you!
Grow up learn how to use your intellect and stop using drugs it looks you are seeing Psychedelic every where
BRAHIMI Mohamed Lol
What is wrong with 'seeing' psychedelic everywhere, at least, part of the time?
Wow I never realise what and how simple this can be . love your video . thanks
And to think, it wasn't that long ago when I got my first computer. When I bought it, it was the top of line. It was an IBM 286 that cost nearly $3000.00. The owner was required to load all software. The first was the DOS, then the Dot Matrix printer, sound card and so on. There was no such thing as Windows then. When Windows hit the scene I hated it. I was used to telling the computer, where and what, to do using DOS commands. I played around with CONFIG.SYS a lot. I designed a command to keep the kids from tearing up the computer, which they usually did. Unless you knew what series of keys and their correct order, whenever anyone unauthorized attempted to use my computer my program caused the directory DIR/W to display then turn off, then display the DIR and turn off, a continuous loop that could not be stopped except by powering off the computer or entering my code. The system was huge and the monitor was a green screen and also huge.
I too liked the days of 286 computing. :)
Hercules monochrome?
I had an Epson 286 w/ EGA graphics and a whopping 1MB of ram. Ran XTree and WordPerfect.
Also Norton actually had decent software back then too (Norton Commander)
Are you viewing this in Lynx?
Great video, Mr. Gates.
Amazing how small they can make computers nowadays.
I predict that by 2020 they will be making PCs as small as cornflakes.
2040 embedded under the skin, able to run from the same power supply as the heart
@unenslaved2012 pic related; vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/images/f/f3/Locutus_update.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130207182217&path-prefix=en
What PSU does the hart use then? :p
hingeslevers The average human, at rest, produces around 100 watts of power. This equates to around 2000 kcal of food energy, which is why your recommended daily intake of calories is around 2000 kcal. ;D
Breakfast is going to get weird.
10:19 I find the warm, retro look of the video output very pleasing. It's got retro charm.
As always, very well presented.
if you dont have the correct AV cable for the chip you could always try soldering AV cables on those giant contact points near the sides of the connector.
just a thought for anyone looking to get it.
that's probably about as powerful as my old windows 95 desktop. It's amazing what we now take for granted! 9 bucks!
I am quite sure it is more powerful than that desktop...
Can it play old games?
For 9 bucks.... damn
it's atleast as powerful as a Pentium III 1 Ghz circa year 2000
aoxilus Maybe when considering modern x86 processors, however modern ARM processors are many, MANY times faster than old x86 chipsets with a fraction of the power draw.
I mean, think about the Nintendo Switch; it's processor clocks _under_ 1GHz, yet it's still able to run games that simply are not possible on older x86 hardware (for example, Doom 2016).
lerch25 Its actually a bit stronger than generic office XP desktops.
You presented the video brilliantly. Well done!
I fell in love with this tiny PC
Such a tragedy about this company going under, a lot of lost potential.
I didn't know Angela Merkel knows so much about computers.
no offense mate I love you
shadoom This just made my day. LMAO.
hahahaha! He does have the look , glasses and haircut of a 1982 computer nerd teen boy.
shadoom better than your PM(MP?!) and our president. 😞
I loved your demos your the best so far on explaining things, keep up the great work super job $bil worthy
Just a note here... CHIP (in Q3/2018) is back available on Amazon.com but its more expensive. A more powerful "CHIP" (and by a different name) using a different processor has been developed. There are also a lot of original CHIPs for sale online.
RIP CHIP. It looked awesome and I never got a chance to have one.
Pretty smart computer for the price. Nice video!
Ive heard about the c.h.i.p. a long time ago (actually in december last year) where it wasn't even released, you explained it quite good dude i subscribed
Thanks for the sub! :)
Dude no problem ur channel rocks :)
You are so wonderful to Propagate the KNOWLEDGE to the World. Thanks...
Thanks for watching!
I wish they had made the flasher a publicly downloadable application, I sooooo miss having my pocket chip in my pocket all the time.
It's sad to see this great thing dead, luckily I got my PocketCHIP already.
You can still buy PocketCHIPs from China. See my other messages here.
My keyboard of choice is the Logitech K400 which has a mouse pad size of a laptop touch area and a decent sized keyboard . Worked fine for all my raspberry projects. Is about 40$ but can often be found for 20$
Excellent video! Very pleasant host and very informative.
This was a very fun Video. My inner Nerd is quite satisfied!
but can it play the witcher 3 at ultra settings?
Nate Wagenblast nope..
Are there Linux ports for some late 90's games, like Jedi Knight or X-Wing Series? I wonder if those would run on it.
LEGO Witcher 3
Yes.
You could install Dosbox. That's an versatile and very compatible emulator of early PCs running MS-DOS. X_Wing could be run on a 25MHz CPU. It should be possible to run this at decent speed on a 1GHz ARM CPU.
luv when you put your chip in the DIP
Very unfortunate that it isn't available anymore I'd love to get one to check out.
Great video. Perhaps might be worth pinning a comment at the top regarding the fact the GPIO pins are duplicated on the HDMI dip?
Great idea! I must now figure how out to do this! :)
ExplainingComputers support.google.com/youtube/answer/6000964?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en Here we go
Ah, there! I never look at my videos in the public view, and the menu option only exists there. But now done! :) Thanks.
ExplainingComputers No problem. glad to be of help.
Izzie lol you explained to ExplainingComputers how to use his computer xD
Excellent, thanks. I'm exploring making an electronic MIDI concertina, and watched your vid to see whether it was a prospect. Dunno whether an off-the-shelf Arduino or other specialized board might be more suitable. Bruce Thomson in New Zealand.
Bruce Thomson checkout another CZcamsr, Evan kale
I am so amazed by this!
this is great you were showing this processor and the first question I asked was can you connect it to HDMI and then you answered it with just a few minutes thanks for doing this
Looking forward to the comparison. I'm looking to get one of these types of devices to hook up to a 1080p TV to play announcements etc. in WMV format at some churches in the area. Wanting something smaller than a laptop that I can stick on the back of the TV.
My comparison tests could not be better suited for you! :)
Especially if you include how well they play videos.
cee128d I do. I have a test showing playback of a local video file, just like you need.
Great. 't wait to see it.
I would rather buy a Raspberry pi or any other SOC-board with an HDMI output. Since its a 1080p 640x480 will look pretty ugly?
Thank you! My brain is now measurably larger. :D
Cool. :)
Cool as a rock in the rain!
I. am. SO. glad. .. that. CZcams has. .. a. speed. up. feature!.. makes. this. So much. easier. .. to watch!.. Great information though - TY
It's amazing the stuff we've lost to time, the company went out of business, these are now almost impossible to find.
and it's only been 2 years
siamsurf exactly my thought, I saw this video in my recommended and remember watching it two years ago... I thought they’d have a second version by now and nope they’re gone.
Hello sir,I am from Iran,i love you'r chanel , thank you very very very much for you'r explaing&taeches.
I can alittle read &writh english.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for your kind feedback. Always great to hear from viewers across the world. :)
Use great caution when ordering the $9 C.H.I.P. Computer.
I ordered one back in February and at first was OK with them taking a little time to get it to me.
Now we are several months into the waiting game and on their own website, they do NOT answer questions as to when we will receive out paid orders. Everyone is complaining about not receiving their orders.
Just a little FYI
Another month and still no delivery...
I believe the C.H.I.P. is a PONZI SCAM!
Here we are 3 months later and I still have not received my $9 Chip and to top it off, if anyone posts on their forums asking for their Chip you are instantly bitched out and locked out from posting again, WTF?
To add Insult to injury, they keep send me advertisements (Emails) to purchase me vaporware (Old school term for non-existent bullshit). I also used a different email and asked them what is the shipping time on orders, their reply was "3 to 5 days". Seems like they are Ultimate scammers! and there CZcams videos are giving them the appearance of legitimacy. Where could I pose for others st see? If people ask in their, it gets blocked and deleted.
ExplainingComputers... Are you reading this and if you are, what are your thoughts?
Yes $9 bucks but I ordered the HDMI interface and extras too so about $50 total. I guess one BIG questions would be is "How many people paid and received nothing like I did?"
Arduino and Raspberry Pi's are used in a variety of RC quadcopters lately. Including commercial, professional drones.
I wish you would take a look at that area when you have the time.
Excellent presentation. Thank you so much!
So lovely voice chris & So helpful info. blog.
Love from India
This thing is more powerful than the house size computer that they used to send the first rocket to the moon.
IBM 360. My local public library had a copy of the user manual.
This is a revolution, thanks for tat
very extremely super ultra interesting. Thank you for sharing that!
Oh wow, $9 and it has a headphone jack,
🔫 Shots fired.
Zereko Gaming bwaaaaaa!
Just get a raspberry pi and be done with it which has an sd card slot and all the connectors you need
lol
@@tyronenelson9124 the raspberry pi doesn't have a onboard flash storage chip the sd card slot is for it u have to buy a sd card with at least 8gb and it costs more than the pi it self
@@yet.4587 an* onboard flash
All this stuff about its features is well and good… But you haven't told us the most important part! How does it taste?
If I'm buying a “bag of chip” for 9 dollars, it better taste great! That's 9 dollars per chip! It's like a gourmet treat at that price.
Thanks for another great video!
Wow Sir, your video never fail to amaze.
Dead project? From wiki...
"By March 2018, Next Thing Co. had entered insolvency. Many customers still had not received their pre-orders.[13]"
As noted in the video description, they indeed went bankrupt. But the board is apparently back: shop.pocketchip.co/collections/frontpage/products/c-h-i-p-new (not that I would not recommend purchasing -- a Pi Zero W is a far better bet these days).
Very cool. But not including HDMI and charging $15 for HDMI add-on... that takes up all the GPIO ports. What is up with that?
MasterBata Exactly what i thought, it does apperar the thing offers some of the pins as solderable pcb holes. However i can see the advantages of this one. No sd card required is great on my books since most of my use cases don't really need that much file capacitiy. Wonder how many write cycles is that flash rated for...
i think their big mistake was their whole "this is a full computer" kind of advertising. This is amazing as an integrated processing unit for small projects, in much the same was as the Pi Zero is, and with onboard wifi and storage it's actually a better deal over all. It does not, however, do "serious work" like their website suggests, you want to SSH to it for everything you're doing.
don't forget it is 3d enable
Not sure what you mean by "3d enable"
HDMI requires expensive hardware and an expensive license.
I am glad I checked out your website. The Human Wallet was great.
Fascinating. I am a little confused about the color coding mix-up for composite A/V. Well, as always thank you.
this has got midi controller project written all over it,I want one.
'Bag of CHIP' 'CHIP Dip' they're having way too much fun with this
I got into computers when I was 10, when I got a 386sx 16mhz machine with 1mb RAM and a 42mb hard disc for my birthday. it cost my parents over £1000 (British pounds) with a 14" VGA monitor. That was "only" 26 years ago. I could not have even dreamed at the time that something like this would ever be available, let alone for the price of a fast food meal. 4gb storage is 100 times what I had. Nuts!! :)
I love retro computer never seen this before thanks
This video is great
How do they make these things so cheaply, amazing.
PS a Great video channel, very informative.
Fun fact this has better graphics than Ubisofts actual in-game graphics.
yup i love chip graphics just looking at the flash mem is awesome
Wat
I baked the whole project, got my chip, the pocket chip, the VGA and the HDMI converter and one additional LiPo battery. I used them to play a little, but was thinking about some project to do... I didn't know that the company closed. I hope to still find documentation when I'll start reusing it...
www.reddit.com/r/ChipCommunity/comments/8ey1iv/ongoing_chip_preservation_efforts/?
Hi, That was very informative, thank you.
Rip CHIP! :(
6:29 PM
9/8/2019
Desktop
It is not dead. You can still buy one from China, and update it to the newest firmware via Linux. Look for my other message explaining how to do it.
Since you keep repeating "Iceweasel is definitely Firefox", it is. Iceweasel is Debian's old variant on Firefox due to legal rights on the logo and name. Which was resolved last year.
Gotta love that potato chip (crisp) bag styled ESD bag... i want one just for that.
New to your videos, if I may make 3 suggestions; 1) include links to all the products in your video description (always helpful), 2) would have been a good comparison to show the web browser graphics before and after the HDMI DIP upgrade, and 3) maybe mention a few great ideas of what users could accomplish with this product. Thank you for listening and I will continue watching your good videos.
"A really tiny weenie matchbox-sized computer"
-Chris 2017
It makes me cry that a plastic tray is $2 and the entire computer is $9. Lol. It's safe to assume they are making far more profit on the broken cd case looking plastic sheet than the computer.
This thing will mash through Tiny Core Plus linux!! I love it
I just really enjoy these videos!
Thanks!
Wow, that's not much more expensive than, well, a bag of chips.
I was about to say in a couple of years these pups are going to be the size of a coin, but it’s already been a couple of years since this vid....we need an update...
The update is: They went bankrupt and are out of business
I got one of these when it was on Kickstarter with plans to hook it to a cheap web cam and make a wireless security camera out of it ($5 camera + $9 computer). The camera has since been repurposed and the CHiP is occasionally used as a test web server.
:)