I was one of the lucky ones to receive their C.H.I.P. computer hardware back in the day:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIP_(computer)

It’s just another SBC ala the Pi world of machines, but it had a few features I really liked:

• was physically small
• was powered entirely by a USB port that worked off of my laptop
• ran Debian/Armbian style Linux distros
• had a fully functional USB OTG console (this is especially important)
• had enough RAM for general hacking, but nothing hugely special

Too bad Next Thing Co got over ambitious and ran themselves out of business because their design was great, though it did run really hot at times.

So, I need a replacement. My major use case is while traveling. I like to do small SBC-based projects on the go. This means on trains and airplanes, coding and working with electronics/sensors. My new job starting in a month will have me commuting on a train for an hour twice per week, so I’d like to find a new board I can work with.

What boards can people suggest? I’ve done some searching and I have a few in mind, but I’d like to hear your ideas.

I do know about the RPi Zero 2 W, but I’ve never liked the RPi Zero boards and their form factor makes me sad for some reason. Mostly, they’re unweildy given the off balance design. What else is out there? What’s worked for you?