http://www.geek.com/articles/games/game-developer-david-braben-creates-a-usb-stick-pc-for-25-2011055/

[color=#333333][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]Braben has developed a tiny USB stick PC that has a HDMI port in one end and a USB port on the other. You plug it into a HDMI socket and then connect a keyboard via the USB port giving you a fully functioning machine running a version of Linux. The cost? $25.[/font][color=#333333][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]The hardware being offered is no slouch either. It uses a 700MHz ARM11 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM and runs OpenGL ES 2.0 allowing for decent graphics performance with 1080p output confirmed. Storage is catered for by an SD card slot. It also looks as though modules can be attached such as the 12MP camera seen in the image above.[/quote]

Pretty neat in my opinion.

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I would like to buy one right now! Just chuck a case on it and sell it, forget 12 months from now.

HDMI with 1080p. So you can play all your games from 1999 in high-def.

That is interesting. But I think it would be cooler if it were designed more as a super-high tech lego that would allow you to connect more parts together to customise it to do different things.

Rather than having a USB input port, and the HDMI, have four system interconnects that you could then plug a USB controller into, a graphics output chip, a memory system, or even a second main system card. Let the kids (or me) play around with dirt cheap hardware and really get a better understanding of how the hardware works.

That is interesting. But I think it would be cooler if it were designed more as a super-high tech lego that would allow you to connect more parts together to customise it to do different things.

For it's purpose though it is pretty groundbreaking. It appears to be a low cost/low power alternative for third world countries and impoverished people, and for that it is pretty awesome. It would be nice if there were a standard AV out and another USB port for a mouse, but as is it's a pretty phenomenal idea. Excited to see how well it is distributed.

HDMI TVs are readily available in third world countries? I thought this was geared more toward students in developed countries so they could have a computer that was simple and cheap enough that they could experiment with, and not worry about bricking it.

HDMI TVs are readily available in third world countries? I thought this was geared more toward students in developed countries so they could have a computer that was simple and cheap enough that they could experiment with, and not worry about bricking it.

HDMI is standard on both TVs and Monitors. The other plugs, not so much.

[quote name='Luckless' timestamp='1304701299' post='4807409']
HDMI TVs are readily available in third world countries? I thought this was geared more toward students in developed countries so they could have a computer that was simple and cheap enough that they could experiment with, and not worry about bricking it.

HDMI is standard on both TVs and Monitors. The other plugs, not so much.
[/quote]HDMI is standard on NEW TVs and monitors. Actually maybe not even monitors, unless you get good ones. In poor countries, and in fact in rich ones, people still have old TVs in use.
But, you can get an adapter anyway.

HDMI with 1080p. So you can play all your games from 1999 in high-def.

Exactly. Games were pretty good back then StarCraft, Unreal, HalfLife, Baldur's Gate, ...

It's pretty neat to have a full machine of the standards of that day, in this format. The only problem is you still need peripherals.

HDMI is standard on NEW TVs and monitors. Actually maybe not even monitors, unless you get good ones. In poor countries, and in fact in rich ones, people still have old TVs in use. But, you can get an adapter anyway.

Every new monitor for the last few years has an HDMI input. It's the universal connector now. It's also why it's hard to find anything bigger than 1920x1080 anymore, because that's the limit of an standard speed HDMI cable's bandwidth.

To keep it small and cheap, 1 outport port would have to be used, not 15. All other connector types are not universally compatible.