So... $1 per board seems like a low target to hit, however I have bought some ESP8266 boards for only a few dollars more than that.
Just an ATTiny85, some LEDs, and one of the cheaper USB interface chips? Not even a USB connector is needed.
What do you think?
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/one-dollar-board--3#/
I think this one is even better because it has micro usb connector and 5V voltage regulator all for 1.45$:
http://goo.gl/UYqKKsFor my projects I prefer to use Arduino Pro mini because of it's compact size and many pins.
On aliexpress you can get them for 1.25$:
http://goo.gl/1v4JO0
Sorry, but it really is just a digistump iteration.
And I dont like digistump. It is working weird.
There is nothing interesting in the hardware at all. Anybody can make a breakout for an AVR, here's mine fresh out of dirtypcbs last week, Tiny13 on this one but 85 is the same pinout, prototyping area, 3 fets available for use which can be disconnected, ISP/SPI header, and the "standard" FTDI header. No USB, because why would I want to waste space on a tiny MCU with USB.
Anyway, unless they back up their rather unimpressive hardware with some very impressive learning resources, that is, a well authored in depth coursework, then the product is nothing. It's in the value add.