A new modular laptop has launched via the Crowd Supply website designed to run free and open source software but also use open hardware. Enabling owners to easily swap out parts replace batteries, hack and tweak the laptop to suit their needs and requirements. Watch the demonstration video below to learn more about the open source DIY laptop specifically created for customisation and user privacy.
The MNT Reform laptop is now available to purchase with prices starting from $1,300, with worldwide shipping included and expected to take place during December 2020. If you would prefer your laptop fully assembled then pledges start from $1,500.
“Reform is designed to stay with you for a long time. From open hardware input devices to user-swappable 18650 battery cells, we designed it to be the most repairable and best documented portable computer. We selected its components to strike a good balance between open source and usability. Reform is not bound to any cloud services, contracts, user agreements, or tracking. You can extend it and customize it as you like.”
The MNT Reform modular laptop system includes a backlit mechanical keyboard, 12.5 inch IPS display offering users a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, together with a 128 x 32 pixel OLED screen above the keyboard for viewing system status messages. Ports on the laptop take the form of 3 x USB 3.0 Type-A (external), 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A (internal), Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, mini PCIe 2.0 and M.2/NGFFF societ (PCIe 2.0).
“Mobile personal computers are becoming more and more opaque, vendor controlled, and hard to repair. Modern laptops have secret schematics, glued-in batteries, and components not under user control, like the Intel Management Engine or the Apple T2 security chip. Many people decide to tape over the built-in cameras of their laptops because they don’t know if they can trust the device or the software running on it.
Reform goes in the opposite direction. It is designed to be as open and transparent as possible, and to support a free and open source software stack from the ground up. It invites you to take a look under the hood, customize the documented electronics, and even repair it youself if you like. The Reform laptop has no built-in surveillance technologies, cameras, or microphones, so you can be confident that it will never spy on you. Built not around Intel technology, but NXP i.MX8M with 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores, Reform has a much simpler architecture than conventional laptops. This simplicity also makes for a more pleasant developer experience.”
Features & Specifications :
– CPU: NXP/Freescale i.MX8MQ with 4x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.5 GHz), 1x Cortex-M4F core. CPU and RAM are on exchangeable SO-DIMM sized module.
– RAM: 4GB LPDDR4 memory
– GPU: Vivante GC7000Lite GPU with mainline Linux drivers and OpenGL 2.1, ES 2.0
– Display: Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) 12.5″ IPS eDP display driven via MIPI-DSI. Optionally-enabled HDMI port. 128 x 32 pixel system control OLED
– USB: 3x USB 3.0 ports external (Type-A), 2x USB 2.0 internal (for input devices)
– Networking: Gigabit Ethernet port. miniPCIe Wi-Fi card included in Reform Max pledge level.
– Storage: Internal M.2 M-key socket for NVMe SSD. Full size SD card slot.
– PCIe: 1x miniPCIe socket (PCIe 2.0 1x), 1x M.2/NGFF socket M-key (PCIe 2.0 1x)
– Keyboard: Reform mechanical USB keyboard with Kailh Choc Brown Switches, dimmable backlight, open firmware
– Trackball (Option): Reform optical USB trackball with 5 mechanical switches (Kailh Choc Brown), open firmware
– Trackpad (Option): Reform capacitive USB trackpad, open firmware
– Enclosure: Modular case from CNC-milled, bead-blasted, black-anodized 6061 aluminum. Bottom cover milled from semi-transparent acrylic.
– Sound: Wolfson WM8960 ADC/DAC, stereo speakers, 3.5″ headset/microphone jack (no internal microphone)
– Camera: No camera. Internal MIPI-CSI connector
– Battery: LiFePO4 battery technology – which is more fire-safe and has more charge-cycles than LiPo battieries. 8x owner-serviceable 18650 cells totalling 12 Ah/3.2 V. 5 h approximate battery life
– System Controller: NXP LPC11U24 ARM Cortex-M0 chip with open firmware and hackable expansion port
– Manual: Operator Manual incl. system schematics and full parts list
– Sources: KiCAD sources for motherboard, keyboard, trackball, trackpad, STEP/STL/FreeCAD files for case parts, C sources for all firmware (input devices and system controller), build scripts for boot & system image
– OS: Preloaded with Debian GNU/Linux 11, Linux 5.x mainline kernel
– Dimensions: 29 x 20.5 x 4 cm
– Weight: ~1.9 kg
Source : Crowd Supply