CHIP a micro Pi-inspired marvel. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2015/05/08/chip-crowd-funding/1
Wow an HDMI port sure adds a lot to the price, is that just the cost of the port it's self or do other changes need to be made other than just swapping one type of video output for another.
Allwinner for a system intended for linux? Seems like a poor choice to me. They're notoriously bad with anything linux related. But hey, whatever it takes to lower the price I guess.
I'd stick to Freescale i.MX familly for Linux and ARM. Prolly not the fastest chip around, but best support I've found.
That is true - DisplayPort is royalty-free but otherwise has roughly the same specifications. So, it would make more sense to go for that.
That is true, but, they're (mostly) interchangeable. There's a possibility that due to CHIP's size, it won't have a full-sized HDMI port anyway. In other words, you might need a special cable or adapter to work a display anyway.
I have this on my kickstarter watch list. I was tempted to jump in, but the costs of the add-in adapters really put me off. I also found it a little disingenuous to front this as a $9 computer when you really need to spend significantly more than that to make good use of it. However, what really put the brakes on is the shipping cost. If you pledge for just the $9 CHIP, you have to cough up $20 shipping to the UK. Anything beyond that is $25 or more.
Normally, when I see something I want to review I send a begging letter. Sometimes, if the thing is cheap enough and I reckon I'm guaranteed to sell a review off the back of it, I'll pay for it out-of-pocket. I was all set to back the $9 CHIP, then the shipping costs put me right off. I'll probably still send a begging letter, but yeah: this ain't a $9 computer. Anybody know what the US shipping costs are - any more reasonable?
$5 for shipping in the US, which is a pretty average price if it is 3-day shipping. Understandably, I wouldn't want to pay $15 extra for shipping either to ship to the UK. Since the Pi was made in the UK I'm sure shipping that was much cheaper. But on the note of "it isn't really worth $9 once you include everything you need to make it work" you say the same about any other small boards, or even full-sized PCs. But I think the reason nobody thinks about this when getting a full-sized PC is because the adapters, cables, and peripherals are so cheap compared to the rest of the system.
Also remember potential customs (VAT) charges given that VAT is due on the combined item and shipping costs, so if you do get caught, that's another 20% added to the $29. Not guaranteed to get caught by customs of course.
If the information I have is correct then there is no import duty on computers and VAT is only charged when the amount exceeds £15 so there shouldn't be anything levied on this. I've only paid it once for parts imported from China, my last set was £45 all in and declared on the packaging, nothing owed to HMRC. YMMV but a rough guesstimate of £60 item, shipping and insurance should leave a margin for error and you won't have to pay VAT or duty. At current exchange rates that gives you around $95 to play with. It looks like another nice little system to me, the integrated Bluetooth, storage and WiFi are all pluses in my book and I'd definitely be willing to fork out the extra for the HDMI port just for the convenience. Display port at a lower price if there's no licensing fee would work as well though as it isn't exactly going to break the bank to buy a display port to DVI or HDMI cable.
$29 is £18 at today's exchange rate, so definitely above the £15 threshold.... Again, only applies if it gets caught by customs which is not guaranteed
