Intel’s open source computer hits the shops
Intel’s Galileo open-source computer for the hacker and do-it-yourself crowd can now be ordered for $69.90, and is scheduled to ship at the end of November.
The Galileo computer is an unenclosed circuit board that’s a little larger than a credit card, and uses Intel’s extremely low-power Quark processor. The board is a competitor to the popular $25 Raspberry Pi open-source PC, and is targeted at the community of makers and enthusiasts who make computing devices ranging from robots and health monitors to home media centers and PCs.
Intel had earlier said the computer would be available for under $60 by the end of November. Online retailer Mouser Electronics is the first to take orders for the board, and the price falls to $68.25 per unit for a bulk purchase of 100 boards. Galileo is based on the new line of Quark processors announced by Intel in September. The Quark chips draw less power than the company’s Atom chips, and are targeted at wearable devices and small electronics, which today typically use either microcontrollers or ARM CPUs.