You can’t buy much in today’s world with just $5. A venti-sized Spiced Pumpkin Latte from Starbucks costs $5.25. A Chick-fil-A Chicken Deluxe Sandwich combo costs $6.55. And even movie tickets costs more than an Abraham Lincoln note, with a national average of $8.43.
Meet the Omega2
But something you can buy for $5 is a Linux-powered computer Dubbed the Omega2, this budget-friendly computer lacks peripherals like a keyboard, mouse and monitor. Rather, it’s a small computer chip that’s designed to build connected hardware applications.
Onion launched a Kickstart campaign for the Omega2, setting an initial fundraising goal of just $15,00. It has since obliterated this goal, with backers pledging more than $412,000 and counting.
In terms of specs, the Omega2 features 64GB of random access memory (RAM), a 580 MHz processor and 16MB of flash storage space. It’s not exactly on par with a Macbook Pro. But for $5, what do you have to lose? 64GB RAM is more than enough memory to run multiple apps and processes. Granted, 16GB of storage is relatively small, but you can always store your files on the cloud instead of locally. This saves storage space while allowing you to access your files from any Internet-connected computer or device.
What Does the Omega2 do?
As explained by TechRadar, the Omega2 can turn “just about anything” into an Internet-connected device. This includes old-school video game consoles, storage devices, and even video surveillance equipment.
The Omega2 features on-board WiFi connectivity, as well as the full Linux OS. The development team behind this device have also included integration with the Onion Cloud, allowing users to control their Omega2 from any Internet-connected computer or device. Users can access their Onion Cloud account to check the status of their Omega2 and make critical software updates.
It’s important to note, however, that the Omega2 does not feature a display device, meaning you’ll have to connect it to your own monitor or device. Given that it’s only $5, however, most people can probably overlook this fact. As long as you have access to an extra monitor, you can connect it to the Omega2 and take advantage of this versatile device and all of its features.
Of course, the Omega2 isn’t the world’ first $5 computer. That accolade belongs to the Raspberry Pi Zero. What makes the Omega2 stand out, however, is its focus on the Internet of Things (IoT).
