How small do computers get nowadays?

[robkelk]

I know one can get a pretty small computer nowadays, but how small?

The smallest I know of is the http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs]Raspberry Pi, at 85.60mm × 56mm × 21mm. (Yes, I know it's an educational "toy" machine. It's still a working computer.) However, that's too big for the empty Godiva chocolate boxes I have, with interior dimensions of 80mm × 38mm × 18mm ... Does anyone know of a smaller computer than the Pi, or am I going to have to find a different use for these metal boxes that no longer hold chocolate?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[LynnInDenver]

This is about all I found that's smaller. http://www.gumstix.com/store/product_i ... cts_id=264

Do note that part of why the Pi is as large as it is, is the connections on the board. It's somewhat difficult to make smaller computers without using nonstandard USB methods and eliminating connections.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[Jinx999]

Smartphones are basically computers . . . .

[Sweno]

Jinx has the right of it.

Smartphones are computers with custom screens and few (if any) standardized ports.

However, it is not very simple to program one with custom software (nor are they cheap).

Depending on what you wanted to do with the project you might be able to use a microcontroller. Programming those isn't something I would call "easy", but it is a fair sight easier than trying to load a custom OS onto a smartphone.

ETA:

two more products that you might want to look into:
http://arduino.cc - arduino is the one of the bigger players in this space, lots of software modules + lots of different hardware configurations. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find something that fits your needs.
http://beagleboard.org - these guys seem to be at the higher end of the market. Fewer physical options, but what they offer is more powerful (and more expensive). But they haven't been around as long, so their software libraries might be a smaller.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy

[Dartz]

Stripping a droid or an old iphone down might be your best bet.

They're not completely inflexible. Someone managed to turn an old droid phone into a video advertisement in a magazine once. It was a scrapped Chinese item that was cheap enough, light enough and long-life enough to work. And even make calls when given a sim card, IIRC
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

Smartphones are basically computers . . . .

How well do they work as file/print servers?

(I'm reasonably sure I can put an Ethernet port and a USB port under the hinged lid of the box, and run the power cord out the bottom... if I can fit the guts inside the box, of course. It'll have to run "headless," but who cares about that for a file/print server?)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Proginoskes]

Hmm, this is tricky. iDevices don't have any USB host capability at all, unless you jailbreak, purchase a separate dongle (the "Camera Connection Kit"), and buy a $1 Cydia app. Even then, there are compatibility issues: input devices like keyboards and mice work, as do storage devices like hard drives, but printers? Not so much, unless you're willing to do a lot of raw I/O grovelling and driver-writing. On top of all that, an iPhone 4 without the CCK dongle is over 115 mm long: way too big for your box. Arduino devices are essentially especially easy to work with microcontrollers, and both are cases of "probably more trouble and expense than it's worth", but might still be a better choice than an iPhone. Without doing any real research, I'm going to guess that using an Android device would be a similar hassle. BeagleBoards are complete computers (like a low-end desktop) just slightly too large for the box. You might be able to find a prebuilt print server that'll fit... but I think you're working with slightly too little space.