Well there is a Kickstarter that is throwing that model right out the window. They are making an uber small chip computer that will sell for 9$. Nope, I did not miss a number there, I did say 9$.
Now do not expect a typical computer. C.H.I.P is a tiny computer. You can surf the net. You can create documents using libreoffice. You can connect it to your existing tv/monitor. You can even connect it to a bluetooth!
I think this is a totally awesome project. It is an open source project and the CHIP comes with "Scratch - an easy to learn language that teaches the basics of programing by making stories, games, and animations"