WTF?! Just in time for Christmas comes the lowest-spec PC we’ve got ever seen. Step apart, Commodore Vic-20. This DIY equipment is a single-board laptop that runs on a 1-bit CPU. To be clear, that’s not a typo–it is a single-bit processor. Now that is low-end computing!
Japan-based Switch Science simply launched a single-board laptop known as Naoto64. The ultra-low-end PC has a 1-bit CPU working at about 1Hz, with a 1-bit bus, two bits of handle house, and a 4-bit ROM. This loopy quantity of energy (and it’s loopy) is sufficient to do exactly three things–turn on, flip off, or flash an LED. We’re nonetheless attempting to find out what that might be good for precisely.
“This is a 1-bit CPU meeting equipment utilizing 4 logic ICs. It is one of the world’s top-class low-performance computer systems,” says the Naoto64 product web page. “The energy supply is a USB Type-C terminal. AC adapter and cable usually are not included, so please put together them individually. Also, please be aware that energy supply reminiscent of PowerDelivery will not be supported.”
The easy laptop has no peripheral connectivity, so customers won’t program it within the conventional sense. It solely has two instructions and one operation in its instruction set–“ADD,” “JMP,” and “XOR.” To program the LED on, off, or flash, customers should set the positions of its 4 ROM DIP switches.
Switch Science priced its “world top-class” PC at ¥2,500 in Japan, which is about $18 US. Surprisingly, the corporate might have requested for extra as a result of the Naoto64 sold out nearly immediately. Obviously, the novelty issue performed a big half within the speedy gross sales because the product is arguably not even price $18.
However, contemplating it is a DIY equipment, its worth will not be out of line for individuals who like tinkering with electronics. Fully assembled, it will make for a fantastic dialog starter. It comes with an empty PCB, a bag containing about 50 parts, and directions. Users ought to know their means round a soldering iron earlier than contemplating a purchase order.
Unfortunately, the product is presently out of inventory, with no indication of when the corporate will replenish provides. Furthermore, Switch Science doesn’t ship exterior of Japan, so barring a trip to the island nation or a pal that lives there, international clients will miss out.
“Yes, however can it run Crysis?”
Well, not solely can it not run Crysis, it could actually’t even run essentially the most scaled-down and environment friendly model of Doom, which we’ve got seen run on parts as minimalistic as a digital being pregnant check. It would possibly run “Hello World” in the event you can determine out methods to make the LED flash Morse code.