Imagination Technologies has decided to take on Raspberry Pi

Imagination Technologies has launched the Creator program in a move in which it says will provide low cost development systems for use by a range of users looking to create applications featuring its IP technologies. The first device in the program is the MIPS Creator C120, which measures 90x95mm. The board features an Ingenic JZ4780 apps processor which supports Linux based operating systems, including Android.

Grab someone in the street and ask them about Imagination Technologies and they’re more likely to run away than tell you that it’s the company that designs the graphics chips for Apple’s mobile devices. The company is more than just the home of PowerVR, however, and bought MIPS in order to become a direct rival to ARM, its more famous UK chip-design neighbor. Now, the company has decided to produce a Raspberry Pi-style development board in the hope of taking MIPS mainstream, describing it as “Raspberry Pi on steroids.” Aside from the differences in hardware and chip architecture between the two devices, there’s one big change in approach: Imagination Technologies is giving its board away for free.