Does size always matter? Microcontrollers like Raspberry Pi have become very popular in recent years, their functionality is no longer primarily aimed at hobbyists and coders, but they are delineated as small-scale computers in their own right. These microcontrollers can be contrived as mini elementary computers. They can do all the basic tasks you would expect from any other computer; you can use it to do some word processing, check your emails, even play video games — but this computer can be yours for just five dollars. For that price, you’ll get a tiny board that you can hook up to any monitor and keyboard and you can commence the computing.
BEST ON BUDGET
Coming at a staggering 260 times cheaper than the latest gen baseline MacBooks, these tiny machines will be the “apple” of your tech eye. There’s a handful of competitors in this niche market and they all have a wide range of features to offer. The Raspberry Pi Zero comes in at the cheapest with an unbelievable price of $5, offering their lowest cost, homegrown single board computer. Going up the ladder, another company, widely known as C.H.I.P, offers a $9 computer that come with a pre-installed OS, ready for documentation work and internet activities as well as video games. A progressive step further from these devices are third generation Raspberry Pi modules that cost around $35, enabling it to be used for heavy office work and allowing it to serve a purpose for users willing to depend on these machines persistently.
THESE MICROCONTROLLERS CAN BE CONTRIVED AS MINI ELEMENTARY COMPUTERS. THEY CAN DO ALL THE BASIC TASKS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM ANY OTHER COMPUTER; YOU CAN USE IT TO DO SOME WORD PROCESSING, CHECK YOUR EMAILS, EVEN PLAY VIDEO GAMES — BUT THIS COMPUTER CAN BE YOURS FOR JUST FIVE DOLLARS.
COMPARING CONSTRUCTIONS
Shifting to the more technical and esoteric standpoint, both the Raspberry Pi Zero and the C.H.I.P bring a lot to the table. The C.H.I.P takes a more user-friendly approach whereas as the Raspberry Pi conveys users towards a more sophisticated route. Both boards offer an up-clocked yet exceptionally power efficient 1 GHz processor. The competitors also boast a similar 512 MB RAM, sufficient for most daily tasks. These devices come with HDMI ports, entitling them to be convenient enough for plug n play. So what sets them apart to start with? They have drastically different storage capabilities. The C.H.I.P includes 4 GB of high speed storage integrated onto the board and on the contrary, the Pi comes with a liberated slot, allowing users to purchase a separate SD card of choice ranging up to 128 GB. The Pi Zero also comes with the added benefit of being compatible with foreign USB sticks or USB hard drives to provide an extra boost of storage. However, a major perk of the C.H.I.P is that it comes Bluetooth enabled. Users can wirelessly connect keyboards, mice, and video game controllers to C.H.I.P. With a few clicks and an old stereo, it can be turned into an AirPlay or Bluetooth speaker. Apart from these differences, they both compete for the same purpose.
INDEFINITELY INDUALIZED
We all prefer a little bit of personalization to any of our belongings, so why not do the same here? For those of you who want to take portability to the next level, supplements are available, empowering users to have a strap-on style battery powered screen with the mini computers for use in any circumstances. Schools all over the world are integrating these boards into ICT lessons for advanced coding knowledge. Due to the appealing and affordable pricing of these machines, it can easily be a point of interest for many. The general public should be well informed about this and there’s plenty of opportunity for anyone to contribute and become a part of this niche community. That’s why both C.H.I.P. and Raspberry Pi are completely open source. This means all hardware design files schematic, PCB layout and bill of materials are free for you the community to download, modify and use.