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As a substitute of rooting an Android telephone, Brian Benchoff designed a $15 moveable laptop. Its description is one which solely Benchoff might write. He describes that it’s sluggish, there isn’t any GUI, and it doesn’t price $15 (to construct in a amount of 1). However, it does slot in your pocket, runs Linux, and may play a model of Doom!
The $15 laptop options an Allwinner F1C100s system-on a chip (SoC) working at 533 MHz with 32 megabytes RAM. A possible improve is a pin-compatible chip with twice the RAM (F1C200s.) Moreover, this SoC incorporates a single USB PHY, which Benchoff linked to a USB-A port.
That USB connector and some GPIO pins allow loads of connectivity choices. For instance, you may add a WiFi adapter and use the membrane-style keyboard to carry out command-line actions like pinging a server. Or join an I2C-based sensor to the header pins and knowledge log to the onboard microSD card.
Annotated $15 Pc Board (📷: bbenchoff.github.io)
At present, the $15 laptop runs Buildroot, a Linux model that targets small embedded programs just like the F1C100s SoC. Because the 2.3″ IPS TFT display screen shouldn’t be touch-capable, Benchoff has no plans to incorporate a GUI.
Not like most gadgets we see in the present day, Benchoff has no Lithium or LiPo battery assist plans. As a substitute, the battery of alternative for this laptop is AAA-sized NiMH batteries. This older know-how doesn’t present the identical vitality density as a Lithium battery, however they’re very low-cost and have fewer transport restrictions.
So is $15 the precise worth, and may you get one? Kind of and possibly. To attain a $15 worth level, you should buy the elements in giant portions. (And, presently, they’re accessible!) To get one, Benchoff says he plans to promote the gadget ultimately. Regardless the design can be open. For extra info, go to this web page.
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