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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn 2015, Next Thing Co. marketed C.H.I.P. as the “world’s first $9 computer.” It was a low-cost Linux single-board computer, not a complete desktop: the advertised $9 covered the board, while a conventional setup also needed a display, input devices and, depending on the monitor, an adapter. The “world’s first” wording was the company’s claim, not a historical superlative established by the sources reviewed.
What was the $9 computer?
C.H.I.P. was a compact Linux computer developed by Next Thing Co. and promoted in 2015 as a low-cost board for projects and computing. Like other single-board computers, it put the core computing components on one small circuit board. It did not come as a laptop or a ready-to-use desktop with a screen and keyboard.
Contemporary reporting listed a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. C.H.I.P. also included Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, so a user did not need a separate wireless networking adapter for those connections. The Christian Science Monitor’s 2015 coverage and a 2015 Stanford University EE Computer Systems Colloquium listing describe the hardware.
What did the $9 price include?
The $9 figure was the advertised launch price for the C.H.I.P. board, not the cost of a complete desktop setup. To use it with a conventional monitor and keyboard, buyers needed to provide those peripherals. Contemporary coverage listed optional adapters for connecting to monitors: a VGA adapter at a historical price of $19 and an HDMI adapter at a historical price of $24. These are period prices, not current offers or evidence that compatible adapters are available today.
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In November 2015, Next Thing Co. announced a Cyber Monday preorder promotion at $8 using the code GETCHIP, while saying it planned to restore the $9 price afterward. The promotion was temporary and should not be confused with the board’s advertised launch price. The company’s release framed the discount satirically; CEO Dave Rauchwerk wrote, “I am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our backers and our community.” The company’s release gives the promotion and its context.
How did C.H.I.P. differ from PocketC.H.I.P.?
PocketC.H.I.P. was a related but distinct product: a handheld built around C.H.I.P. with its own display and keyboard. Next Thing Co. announced it in 2016 at a price of $49. That announced price belongs to the handheld, not the $9 board. The company presented PocketC.H.I.P. as a game console and coding-learning device featuring PICO-8; that description comes from its promotional announcement, not an independent evaluation. Read Next Thing Co.’s PocketC.H.I.P. announcement.
Rank #2
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Was it really the world’s first $9 computer?
“World’s first” was Next Thing Co.’s marketing language. The available contemporaneous coverage confirms that the company promoted C.H.I.P. at $9, but does not establish an exhaustive comparison with every earlier computer. It is therefore accurate to say that Next Thing Co. marketed C.H.I.P. as the “world’s first $9 computer,” rather than to present that superlative as independently proven.
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The historical launch coverage and company announcements do not establish whether C.H.I.P. or PocketC.H.I.P. is currently available, supported, or compatible with present-day adapters and peripherals. The $9 and $49 figures are historical announced prices, not current purchasing options. Anyone considering a used board would need to verify that the board, power supply, display connection and required peripherals are present and functional; current compatibility or support is not established by the cited launch material.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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