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Ever since the announcement and release of the much talked about Raspberry Pi, we’re finding that more and more of these affordable computers are popping up all over the place.
We’ve recently seen other mini affordable computers such as the MK802, Mele A1000 and also VIA’s new APC, which sold out in the first 24 hours.
The latest offering goes by the name of Gooseberry, and like the Raspberry Pi it’s a mini computer aimed at developers and those who are perhaps are after a cheap HTPC. Interestingly, the idea of the Gooseberry project was started by a guy who was tired of waiting for his Raspberry Pi board to arrive, so he decided to call a Chinese manufacturer that produces the Allwinner-A10 chip to see if he could negotiate a price on an inexpensive developer board that can be used as a low powered desktop computer.
After his successful enquiry, he managed to get a mini-computer which featured an Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 processor, Mali 400 graphics, 512MB of RAM, 4GB storage, Wi-Fi, microSD slot, Mini HDMI, a few mini USB ports and also a headphone jack.
Unsurprisingly based on the spec above, the Gooseberry computer will be a bit more expensive – OK, so it’s twice the price of a Raspberry Pi, but even so you do get more for your money, such as a much faster processor based on newer architecture and the inclusion of other features that aren’t present on the Raspberry Pi, like Wi-Fi for example.
The Gooseberry is pretty much the insides of many inexpensive Android tablets that you would find on the market today, but because it doesn’t have a screen, battery or case and is supplied as an exposed system board it makes it cheap and easier to hack.
On the software front, it comes pre-loaded with Android 2.3 although it can handle Android 4.0 as well as other operating systems like Ubuntu or Puppy Linux. Make sure you check out the video below showing a demo of what the Gooseberry has to offer.
The founder of the Gooseberry project has said that it’s only really a small scale endeavour at the moment, although hopes to start selling the boards soon on a first come, first serve basis for a mere £40 or about $63.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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