Chip: World's First Microcomputer & Rival To Raspberry Pi

This tiny PC from Next Thing Co. is a credit card-sized (6cm long), single-board, computer similar to Raspberry Pi but smaller and cheaper.

The Chip is an Open Hardware microcomputer of the type popularised by the Raspberry Pi, with a single circuit board the size of a credit card and no screen or keyboard; though it can be connected to a monitor and keyboard and put to use.

Recommended Link: Apple overtakes Xiaomi in China smartphone market

Its spec won't have the Mac Pro running for the hills but it comes loaded with 1GHz processor, 512MB DDR 3 RAM and 4GB storage. Connections-wise you'll find on-board Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB, micro-USB and a 3.5mm audio output. All this at a price that's literally as cheap as chips.

Users can browse the internet, watch video, play basic DOS games and work on spreadsheets or word docs with its built-in LibreOffice application.

Compared to Raspberry Pi, C.H.I.P. is more powerful than all the first-generation models, which ran at 700MHz with either 256MB or 512MB of RAM.

However, Raspberry Pi 2 now runs a quad-core 900MHz ARM Cortex A7 processor, but is priced at £30.

Recommended Link: Oppo R7 And R7 Plus Images Revealed In Chinese Commercial

The latest Raspberry Pi B model and previous generation B+ model also pack four USB slots and come with a microSD slot for storage. C.H.I.P.only rocks one USB and notably lacks a microSD slot to expand on its 4GB of storage. Still, it's hard to knock at the price.

The most intriguing feature is the option to plug C.H.I.P.into a portable mobile phone-like accessory that comes with a 4.3in touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard.