Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Imagination takes a piece of the Pi with its Creator CI20

Chris Stobing
By

imagination takes piece pi creator ci20 mips c120 screen android left rgb
Imagination Technologies, best known for its PowerVR mobile graphics, announced the upcoming release of its first fully functional microcomputer, dubbed the MIPS Creator CI20, which the company is touting as the “perfect Linux anywhere” machine.

The board is just another in an increasingly long line of hobbyist-centric micro PCs that anyone with a passing interest in programming can find hours of entertainment with while tinkering and toying around. We’ve already seen the Raspberry Pi pull off some incredible feats of workhorse wizardry, powering everything from customized cheap tablets for third world students, to a haptically hearty drum kit made entirely out of raw vegetables.

Related: Grab a slice of Raspberry Pi for just $20

According to Alexandru Voica of Imagination, the CI20 will support both the Linux Debian 7 and Android 4.4 KitKat operating systems, and will be completely open source to developers from the moment they pull it out of the box.

Related

“The board can boot operating systems directly from flash memory or from an SD card. OS images are available for Debian 7, Gentoo, Yocto, Arch, and other Linux distros – with Android v4.4 soon to arrive too. The Linux kernel BSP (currently for 3.0.8 and 3.16) is open on github and up-streamed imminently; graphics support includes Xorg-compliant OpenGL 2.1 and OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 drivers.”

Other specs of the microcomputer include a 1.2ghz Ingenic JZ4780 apps processor with a 512kb L2 cache, a PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip, two USB ports, Bluetooth, and even 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, making the CI20 the first pocket sized PC to offer both options on a single device.

Image: Imagination Technologies
Image: Imagination Technologies

Memory includes 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM, and 4GB of available flash storage. Video output is handled by an onboard HDMI hub capable of supporting resolutions up to 2k, hugged closely by a litany of other I/O choices like SPI, GPIO, I2C, JTAG, infrared, and more.

Those interested in joining the developer program can pre-order their CI20 at the Imagination store today for only $65. That’s a lot more than the Pi, but the CI20 makes up for it with increased flexibility and higher grade components. Only time will tell if inventors and hobbyists are willing to pay out for the more capable hardware Imagination has to offer.

Editors' Recommendations

Lenovo’s version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is $260 off
Andrew Morrisey
By Andrew Morrisey
March 6, 2023
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i front angled view showing display and keyboard.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

If you’ve had your eye on some laptop deals but prefer the form factor of a tablet, Lenovo has discounted its IdeaPad Duet 5i tablet to an impressively low price of $540. This is a savings of $260, as the popular tablet would regularly cost $790. This is a great tablet for students and professionals. It also makes a lot of sense if you’ve had your eye on the Microsoft Surface Pro lineup of tablet but are shopping with a budget. Free shipping is included with your purchase and Lenovo will even let you pick up at your nearest Best Buy in many location.

Read more
All-in-One PC deal knocks $650 off Lenovo’s answer to the iMac
Briley Kenney
By Briley Kenney
March 6, 2023
yoga aio 7 amd deal lenovo march 2023 desktop pc

One of the primary features of Apple's iMac is that everything is tucked away inside a single chassis, or rather the monitor. The entire computer fits on a clean desk or countertop taking up minimal space. Well, Lenovo has an answer to Apple's beloved design in its Yoga AIO (all-in-one) 7 AMD desktop. Everything is tucked neatly inside a 27-inch display, and it's rocking quite a bit of power too for gaming, entertainment, graphic design, you name it.

You might also be excited to know Lenovo is offering an incredible discount right now, allowing you to save $650. Instead of its normal $2,000 price, the Yoga AIO 7 AMD is just $1,350 right now, and with the financing, you can offset that cost quite a bit, stretching it out over a bevy of payments, instead of dropping the cash all at once. Either way, this is an excellent system and one of the best desktop deals we've seen for the week, maybe even the month. Grab that deal below or keep reading for more details on what the Yoga AIO has to offer.

Read more
The best HP laptops
Kevin Parrish
Mark Coppock
By Kevin Parrish and Mark Coppock
March 6, 2023
HP Spectre x360 13.5 front angled view showing display and keyboard deck.

HP offers several excellent laptop lines that are tailored for professionals, traveling, and student use, and generally makes great all-purpose laptop models for those who want dependability and performance. However, picking and customizing an HP laptop can be a confusing process for newcomers, and it's not always immediately clear what differences mark the various HP lines nor which is the best pick.
Allow us to make the choice easier with our list of the best HP laptops available in 2020, and what each model excels at.
The Best 
HP Envy 15 (2020)

Why you should buy this: HP's 15-inch laptop has excellent upgrade options and a solid design.

Read more