CHIP (computer)#Pocket CHIP and Pockulus

Next Thing Co. was an Oakland, California based start-up company founded in 2013 by Dave Rauchwerk, Gustavo Huber and Thomas Deckert.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/02/08/for-oakland-startup-a-9-computer-about-more-than-getting-rich/|first=Andrew|last=Rosenblum|work=The Mercury News|title=For Oakland startup, a $9 computer about more than getting rich |date=February 8, 2016|access-date=2016-10-30}} (This reference was originally cited in the Next Thing Co. article.) NTC initially launched the CHIP computer via a successful Kickstarter campaign in May 2015. The campaign started with a goal of {{US$|50,000|link=yes}}, and ended with 39,560 backers pledging {{US$|2,071,927}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/chip-the-worlds-first-9-computer|title=CHIP - The World's First Nine Dollar Computer|author=Next Thing|publisher=Kickstarter|date=May 7, 2015 |accessdate=October 11, 2015}} Most users also paid shipping fees between $5 and $20 per order.

Next Thing began shipping alpha boards to "Kernel Hacker" backers on September 25, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/chip-the-worlds-first-9-computer/posts/1355196|title=Holy Ship! Alpha Ships Have C.H.I.P.ped!!!|author=Next Thing|publisher=Kickstarter|date=November 24, 2015|access-date=September 14, 2016}} First customer shipping (for Kickstarter backers) began by May 31, 2016.{{cite web|title=Computer and change for a $10 bill: First units of $9 computer are shipping now |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/9-chip-computer-ships-first-units|work=Digital Trends|first=Brad|last=Jones|date=September 25, 2015|access-date=July 9, 2017}} Pre-orders opened by December 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/chip-the-worlds-first-9-computer/posts/1428989|title=The Clear Case for C.H.I.P. (also pre-orders are open)|author=Next Thing|publisher=Kickstarter|date=November 30, 2015|access-date=September 14, 2016}} Pre-orders for the original CHIP had stopped by April 4, 2017, as the line was discontinued.{{cite web|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/backorders-start-shipping-april-15th-gr8-news/16010?source_topic_id=16326|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112074315/https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/backorders-start-shipping-april-15th-gr8-news/16010?source_topic_id=16326|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 12, 2017|title=Backorders Start Shipping April 15th & GR8 News!|author=Next Thing|publisher=Next Thing BBS|date=April 4, 2017|access-date=May 24, 2017}}

By March 2018, Next Thing Co. had entered insolvency. Many customers still had not received their pre-orders.As of April 19, 2018, the user community has received definitive confirmation that "Next Thing Co. has executed a General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors on March 16, 2018" with an insolvency service company that is selling its assets and intellectual properties. ({{cite news|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/reports-about-insolvency-true/20439/18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918191618/https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/reports-about-insolvency-true/20439/18|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 18, 2018|title=Reports about Insolvency true?|accessdate=November 9, 2018|date=April 19, 2018}})

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CHIP was the original board, mostly targeting hobbyists. The system is built around the Allwinner R8 SoC processor, which integrates an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU (based on ARM architecture V7-A) and peripherals, such as Graphic Engine, UART, SPI, USB ports, CIR, CMOS Sensor Interface and LCD controller.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/NextThingCo/CHIP-Hardware/blob/master/CHIP%5Bv1_0%5D/CHIPv1_0-BOM-Datasheets/Allwinner%20R8%20Datasheet%20V1.2.pdf|title=NextThingCo/CHIP-Hardware|website=GitHub|access-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408214754/https://github.com/NextThingCo/CHIP-Hardware/blob/master/CHIP%5Bv1_0%5D/CHIPv1_0-BOM-Datasheets/Allwinner%20R8%20Datasheet%20V1.2.pdf|archive-date=April 8, 2018|url-status=dead}} The CPU is also accompanied by a NEON SIMD coprocessor and has RCT JAVA-Accelerations to optimize just-in-time (JIT) and dynamic adaptive compilation (DAC). There is also an ARM Mali-400 GPU, and a H263, H264 and vp8 hardware video decoder in the R8.[https://www.cnx-software.com/2015/06/07/allwinner-r8-module-datasheet-and-price-is-the-9-c-h-i-p-computer-selling-at-a-loss/ Allwinner R8 Module Datasheet and Price. Is the $9 C.H.I.P Computer Selling at a Loss?]

CHIP was upgraded in April 2017 in anticipation of the CHIP Pro to "share a large number of the same components".

Features implemented on this model:

• Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
• One USB host with type-A receptacle, one USB On-The-Go port
• Composite video and stereo audio port via mini TRRS
• Optional composite TRRS to RCA audio-video cable
• Optional VGA adapter and HDMI adapter (see Hardware extensions below)
• Open source hardware{{cite web|url=http://docs.getchip.com/chip.html#open-source-hardware-where-to-get-it|title=Open Source Hardware: Where To Get It|author=Next Thing|accessdate=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923152629/http://docs.getchip.com/chip.html#open-source-hardware-where-to-get-it|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=dead}} and open source software{{cite web|author=Raymond Wong |url=http://mashable.com/2015/05/07/chip-tiny-computer |title=C.H.I.P. — the super tiny computer that only costs $9 |website=Mashable.com |date=May 7, 2016 |accessdate=July 16, 2016}}
• Up to 45 GPIO ports{{cite web|url=http://makezine.com/2015/11/28/chip-vs-pi-zero|title=C.H.I.P. vs Pi Zero: Which Sub-$10 Computer Is Better?|date=November 28, 2015|work=Make|author=David Scheltema|accessdate=September 14, 2016}}
• Supports 1-Wire and I2C protocols, PWM output
• Serial console and Ethernet via USB for quick headless operation{{cite web|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/chip-os-4-4-released-vga-hdmi-and-more/4319|title=CHIP OS 4.4 Released [VGA, HDMI, and more!]|author=Next Thing|accessdate=September 16, 2016}}
• Power options include 5V via USB OTG, 5V via CHN pin, and by 3.7V battery
• Onboard NAND storage, 4-8GB,The original specification from NTC's Kickstarter campaign is 4 GB. With 4.4.13, Next Thing announced "new C.H.I.P. software will double the storage of all C.H.I.P.s shipped to date. That's an extra 4 gigs!" ({{cite news|author=Next Thing|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/3d-acceleration-for-c-h-i-p-improved-web-flasher-and-alpha-c-h-i-p-s-are-back/11402|date=November 11, 2016|accessdate=May 15, 2018|publisher=Next Thing BBS|title=3D Acceleration for C.H.I.P., Improved Web Flasher, and Alpha C.H.I.P.s are back!}}) Users later revealed that initial shipments to Kickstarter backers were equipped with 8 GB Hynix NAND. Nevertheless, CHIP OS versions up to 4.3 only used 4GB of its capacity. Later CHIP production employed a 4 GB Toshiba NAND unit. OS 4.4.13 made possible to utilize 8GB on CHIP equipped with Hynix. ({{cite web |url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/disk-space-without-gui/2819/9 |title="Disk" Space Without GUI|author=mvusse (BBS handle)|publisher=Next Thing BBS|date=Dec 25, 2016 | accessdate=May 15, 2018}}) pre-installed Linux OS (Debian)
• Web-based firmware update{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598272670/chip-the-worlds-first-9-computer/posts/1545303|title=Flash C.H.I.P. from your Web Browser - So Shiny! So Chrome!|publisher=Kickstarter|author=Next Thing|date=April 12, 2016|accessdate=September 14, 2016}}

The CHIP is 60mm × 40mm in size.{{cite web|url=http://www.geeks3d.com/20150609/chip-a-9-computer-with-an-opengl-es-2-0-gpu|title=CHIP : a $9 Computer with an OpenGL ES 2.0 GPU – Geeks3D | website=geeks3d.com | author= JeGX | accessdate=May 11, 2017}}

CHIP Pro is similar to the original CHIP board, but uses the newer GR8 version of the chip. It is a system in package (SiP) made by Next Thing Co. It features a 1GHz Allwinner R8 ARMv7 Cortex-A8 processor with NEON SIMD extensions and a Mali-400 GPU. 256MB of Nanya Technology DDR3 SDRAM is combined with the R8 SoC into a 14mm × 14mm, 0.8mm-pitch 252-ball FBGA package, simplifying the routing of connections. Instead of having two dual-line 40-pin sockets as on CHIP, it implements castellated edges where the pin holes are designed and optimized to embed to another board with SMT.{{Cite web|url=https://getchip.com/pages/chippro|title=Get C.H.I.P. and C.H.I.P. Pro - The Smarter Way to Build Smart Things|last=Co.|first=Next Thing|website=getchip.com|access-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030144400/https://getchip.com/pages/chippro|archive-date=October 30, 2016|url-status=dead}} Most of the CHIP's hardware features are also included in this model.

Few details were available in regard to CHIP's would-be successor or successors except it would have used Next Thing's own SiP GR8 instead of Allwinner's original R8. In addition to feature-sharing with CHIP Pro, the company wanted to "take advantage of CHIP Pro's much more stable supply chain" in order to address the uneasiness in its user base about the future of the product.{{cite web|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/my-feelings-about-the-chip/16768|title=My feelings about the CHIP|author=(Various)|publisher=Next Thing BBS|accessdate=May 24, 2017}} In responding to user concerns, Next Thing also disclosed that more than one successor product line was in the works.{{cite web|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/we-hear-you-heres-a-quick-hardware-update/16903|title=We Hear You! Here's a Quick Hardware Update|author=Next Thing|publisher=Next Thing BBS|accessdate=May 24, 2017}}

As Next Thing Co. entered insolvency with its assets and intellectual properties being sold, release of "v2" is improbable.

In addition to open-source hardware and software, Next Thing also published an HPI and an API for users to develop add-ons boards called "DIP" {{cite web|url=http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#dip-specifications|title=DIP Specifications|author=Next Thing|accessdate=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923151659/http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#dip-specifications|archive-date=September 23, 2016|url-status=dead}} The company produced several DIPs including the Pocket CHIP.

File:Next Thing CHIP and PocketCHIP (29074999953).png

Pocket CHIP included a CHIP, a case with a 4.3 inch 480×272 pixel resistive touchscreen, a clicky keyboard, GPIO headers on the top of the device, GPIO soldering pads inside of the injection molded case, and a 5-hour battery. Following DIP specifications, the CHIP snapped into the case with no "screws or glues" creating a portable computer. On the lower right corner of the Pocket CHIP was a hexagonal hole that takes a standard #2 HB pencil. Inserting the pencil created a stand that allowed the Pocket CHIP to stand upright on a desk. Likewise, on the lower left is a circular hole for a pen.

PocketCHIP came loaded with a special edition of CHIP OS that included the DIP's driver and a couple of additional applications, including a special version of video game console virtual machine PICO-8, a fully functional Linux terminal, a file browser, a terminal based web browser called surf, and modular synthesizer SunVox.

The Pockulus is a virtual reality setup incorporating a Pocket CHIP that requires some 3D printing.

For users who did not want to use the small screen in Pocket CHIP and also did not want to use the built-in composite TV output, Next Thing sold a VGA DIP{{cite web|url=http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#vga-dip|title=VGA DIP|author=Next Thing|accessdate=June 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220070631/http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#vga-dip|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}} and an HDMI DIP.{{cite web|url=http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#hdmi-dip|title=HDMI DIP|author=Next Thing|accessdate=June 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220070631/http://docs.getchip.com/dip.html#hdmi-dip|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}} Unlike Pocket CHIP, physical dimensions of these DIPs are similar to CHIP, so the snapped assembly looks like a thicker CHIP.

CHIP received favorable reviews, and constant comparisons to Raspberry Pi. Laura Sydell of NPR asked if the device could "spark a new wave of tinkering and innovation", noting it was also open source hardware.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/01/21/463592334/can-a-9-computer-spark-a-new-wave-of-tinkering-and-innovation|title=Can A $9 Computer Spark A New Wave Of Tinkering And Innovation?|first=Laura|last=Sydell|work=NPR|date=January 21, 2016|accessdate=July 9, 2017}} Marco della Cava of USA Today said that the device "represent[s] opportunities to both close the technology gap in developing and developed countries alike, while encouraging children to learn coding, due to their approachable design".{{cite web|author=Marco della Cava|title=$9 computer killing it on Kickstarter|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/05/11/9-computer-killing-it-on-kickstarter/27129135|work=USA Today|date=May 11, 2015|accessdate=July 9, 2017}}

Reviewers also noted its low price. Bo Moore of PC Gamer said the price of CHIP "[puts] Raspberry Pi 2 to shame",{{cite web|title=C.H.I.P. is a super-small, $9 Kickstarter computer|first=Bo|last=Moore|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/chip-is-a-super-small-9-kickstarter-computer|work=PC Gamer|date=May 11, 2015|accessdate=July 9, 2017}} and Ian Paul of PCWorld said it made "Raspberry Pi's price seem luxurious".{{cite web|title=Meet Chip, an ultra-tiny $9 PC that makes the Raspberry Pi's price seem luxurious|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2921073/meet-chip-an-ultra-tiny-9-pc-that-makes-the-raspberry-pis-price-seem-luxurious.html|first=Ian|last=Paul|work=PCWorld|date=May 11, 2015|accessdate=July 9, 2017}} Within days of the launch of its Kickstarter, US national media outlets like The Washington Post and Time followed with glowing coverage.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/13/how-a-9-computer-could-change-the-way-we-think-about-computing/|title=How a $9 computer could change the way we think about computing|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=21 May 2015|first=Dominic|last=Basulto|date=13 May 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3858784/chip-computer-kickstarter/|title=C.H.I.P Could Be the World's Cheapest Computer|author=John Patrick Pullen|magazine=Time |access-date=21 May 2015|date=14 May 2015}} Even Fortune joined the chorus with headline "This $9 computer could change the economics of building hardware."{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2015/05/11/this-9-computer-could-change-the-economics-of-building-hardware/|first=Stacey | last=Higginbotham|title=This $9 computer could change the economics of building hardware|work=Fortune|date=May 11, 2015|accessdate=21 May 2015}}

Since its alpha shipping, CHIP has attracted an enthusiastic user base, communicating mainly on NTC's bulletin board system (BBS). At the time of NTC's demise, the BBS had over 10,000 users, with hundreds of active users and hundreds of postings every month, to a total of over 100,000.Data collected on April 24, 2018. The BBS is at risk of shutting down soon.{{cite web|title=About Next Thing Co. - Bulletin Board System|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/about|work=Next Thing Co.|date=April 24, 2018|accessdate=April 24, 2018}}

Despite enthusiasm from reviewers and users, Next Thing Co. declared bankruptcy in March 2018, leaving many pre-order customers with undelivered orders.

While NTC has published many of its hardware and software repositories on GitHub, surviving users also launched an effort in order to preserve useful documents, software, and other artifacts by leveraging the Internet Archive (a.k.a. archive.org). One effort is led by a user who has never received his preordered CHIP.The user's BBS handle is joedemo42. {{cite web|title=Ongoing C.H.I.P. Preservation efforts|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/ongoing-c-h-i-p-preservation-efforts/20559|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918191222/https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/ongoing-c-h-i-p-preservation-efforts/20559|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 18, 2018|publisher=Next Thing Co.|author=joedemo42|date=April 25, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}} Another user set up a standalone site focusing on binary packages and a Git repository.The user's BBS handle is jafcobend{{cite web|title=Planning for the inevitable|url=https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/planning-for-the-inevitable/19958/57|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718115058/https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/planning-for-the-inevitable/19958/57|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2018|author=jafcobend|display-authors=et al|publisher=Next Thing, Co|date=February 25, 2018|accessdate=July 18, 2018}}

In addition, the community also has a Wiki site that is independent of NTC.{{cite web|title=CHIP Community|url=http://www.chip-community.org/|accessdate=April 26, 2018}} However, as of 2021, the website ceased to function. The original content is however available in the Internet Archive snapshot{{Cite web |date=2020-11-12 |title=www.chip-community.org |url=http://www.chip-community.org/index.php/Main_Page |access-date=2022-01-05 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031913/http://www.chip-community.org/index.php/Main_Page |archive-date=12 November 2020 |url-status=dead}} from November 2020.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20161029115328/https://getchip.com/ C.H.I.P. and C.H.I.P. Pro - The Smarter Way to Build Smart Things] Official site (Archived on April 25, 2018, in [https://archive.org/details/NextThingCo.WebArchive])
• [http://chip.jfpossibilities.com JF Possibilities' NTC mirror] jafcobend's standalone archive of binary packages, GIT repos, etc.
• [https://github.com/NextThingCo GitHub source repositories for CHIP related hardware and software] (Archived on April 25, 2018, in [https://archive.org/details/NextThingCo.GitArchive]; also branched in GitHub on May 15, 2018, in [https://github.com/Project-chip-crumbs CHIP crumbs])
• [http://www.chip-community.org/ CHIP Community Wiki]
• [https://archive.org/details/C.h.i.p.FlashCollection Archive of CHIP flash images]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/*/bbs.nextthing.co/ Archives of official CHIP BBS]

{{Single-board computer}}

Category:Single-board computers

Category:Linux-based devices

Category:Products introduced in 2015

Category:Kickstarter-funded products