Nine Dollar Computer

And to think I almost ordered a Raspberry PI!. This is the coolest Kickstarter of the week, a $9.00 computer by "The Next Thing Co." The novelty of cheap computers faded a few years ago, as it has become pretty easy to score a used system for almost free. But this thing is tiny, looks like it draws but a minuscule amount of power, and costs less than the keyboard you will connect to it.

I am certain the size and the price will make this a future favorite for a wide variety of home projects. Want to build a dedicated retro gaming machine? Nine bucks. Wanna build a home server? Nine Bucks. Plus a drive. Out on a remote excursion doing some "penetration testing" on a corporate network and need to destroy the evidence fast? You're only out nine bucks.

So what's the catch? There is none, really. You will, however, possibly be wanting some accessories. For example, only composite video is built in. VGA and HDMI adapters are available, so you'll probably want to order one of those along with the computer. With the HDMI adapter, the total cost come to $24.00. Still not too shabby. If you want a battery, the option adds about ten bucks to the price.

Response to this Kickstarter has been enthusiastic, to say the least. With 21 days to go, The Next Thing Co. has cleared their $50,000 original goal by a few bucks. Currently they have $1,323,576. I guess we can add nine bucks to that, because I'll be ordering one myself. I have an old, dead Nintendo console that is begging for nine dollars' worth of new guts.