Source Parts Launches Its Latest Popcorn Computer Device: The USB-Connected PopStick SBC
A more modest successor to the Pocket P.C, the PopStick plugs into any USB port and provides a flexible Linux computing platform.
Source Parts is back with another device launching under the Popcorn Computer brand, with a view to putting a fully-functional if bare-bones Linux PC right in your pocket — in the form of the compact Popcorn Computer PopStick.
"PopStick is a USB computer, running the latest Linux kernel," Source Parts explains of its latest hardware design. "Upon plugging PopStick into a host, it can appear as any type of USB device that you desire. Want it to show up as a scriptable USB keyboard and mouse? No problem. Would you like to SSH into it, or run a webserver on it? PopStick can appear as a USB Ethernet device. Have something completely custom in mind? The possibilities are endless."
The device, designed in a gumstick form factor with a USB Type-A connector at one end and brought to our attention by CNX Software, is built around Allwinner's F1C200s system-on-chip, giving it a somewhat dated ARMv5TE-based ARM926EJ-S processor running at 533MHz and 64MB of DDR1 memory. There's 128MB of SPI NAND flash storage, onto which Source Parts has pre-loaded a custom Linux distribution based on the latest kernel version, with microSD expansion. There's also a micro-USB connector providing access to a UART bus hosting a serial console.
The Popcorn Computer brand launched four years ago as a spiritual successor to the sadly-shuttered Next Thing Co. and its popular low-cost C.H.I.P. single-board computer and Pocket C.H.I.P. handheld carrier. The company pledged to launch a pin-compatible C.H.I.P. successor, dubbed the Original Popcorn, and an upgraded version called the Super Popcorn — but failed to reach its crowdfunding goal. The company bounced back with a follow-up design, the Pocket P.C., based around more powerful hardware — and would later make the design available under an open-source license, albeit in the face of continued production delays.
The PopStick is a considerably more modest device, and an order of magnitude cheaper than the Pocket P.C. as a result: Source Parts is taking pre-orders on the Popcorn Computer website at $29 without microSD card, or $37.99 bundled with a 32GB card. More information is available on the dedicated product site.