I've has this project in mind for a long time: a portable comput-
er.
I already own perfectly good laptop computers, but I am unhappy
with them. Modern laptops are a brilliant design. They are the
exact right size to contain a large screen, a keyboard, and fold
inward to protect both from damage and dust.
Three problems with laptops
=================================================================
1. I don't like laptop keyboards.
They usually have non-standard layouts, the keys don't have good
physical feedback (having very shallow travel distance), and the
trackpad positioned under the palms invariably ends up sending
the cursor to another part of the screen while I'm trying to
type. In short, I'm completely spoiled by the premium "clicky"
mechanical keyboards I use with my desktop computing setups. I
will often plug a "ten-keyless" mechanical keyboard into a laptop
in order to get the typing experience I desire.
(I'm well aware that not all laptop keyboards are created equally
and that some are quite good. I have also used them enough to
know that I *can* get used to the layout.)
2. Laptops are hard to carry.
Well, that's just silly. Of course they're not hard to carry!
You just fold them up and put them in a carrying case...
But I usually find myself in one of two situations:
Situation One - a "temporary desktop": I'm actually using a lap-
top at a location for an extended period of time (a day or more).
In this case, I'm going to plug in a "real" keyboard and track-
ball to get "real" work done.
Situation Two - an "on-the-move" computing device: I'm actually
moving around with the laptop - a lot. (This is largely at home
when I'm spending time with the family, but we're all doing
slightly different things.) I also see a lot of people at work
carrying around laptops for note-taking. (I rely on paper for
this task, but admit that having a full computer can have *enor-
mous* advantages and understand why people do it.)
In the later case, where the laptop is actually moving around a
lot, I find the laptop quite unsuited for convenient carry! I
(and I've seen plenty of other people doing this) try to balance
an open laptop in one hand and another object (a cup of tea, a
book, etc.) while also navigating doors or tripping over children
and pets.
These things (typically) have no carry handles, the keyboards and
screens aren't conducive to gripping, and they're heavy enough to
make awkward holding methods...well, even more awkward.
3. They aren't desktops.
Bear with me. So my final complaint about laptops is that
they're typically loaded with proprietary firmware (that is often
a nightmare to work with outside of the version of Windows it was
intended to be used with), are difficult to service, have limited
IO ports, and are generally nowhere near as adaptable, upgrad-
able, and customizable as a desktop computer.
*NOTE*
=================================================================
I am fully aware that some of these problems are particular to
the *cheap* laptops I've used. And yes, I'm aware of the gaming
laptop by MSI with a mechanical keyboard - I couldn't *afford*
that laptop and I don't *want* that laptop. I want something
light and portable with modest computing power.
What I want
=================================================================
So in an ideal world, I would have something that is:
1. Works well with Linux (gives a bog-standard "generic" desktop-
like experience in terms of hardware support)
2. Has a great typing experience
3. Has plenty of IO ports (USB, HDMI, eSATA, etc.)
4. Is pleasant to use on a lap, desk, or table
5. Is easy to just pick up and carry (like a basket or toolbox)
The plan
=================================================================
When I first starting thinking about my ideal device was probably
7-8 years ago. I was mostly thinking of having a machine for
portable distraction-free writing (fiction). But as time has
gone on and I've become increasingly comfortable living at the
command line, my desires grew to encompass a sort of "portable
terminal" which would also work for programming and even light
web browsing.
There are some things that have become much cheaper, better, and
easier to purchase since that time.
I've ordered two of the key components from aliexpress.com:
1. 5 inch square fanless "mini-computer" intended for industrial
control or retail kiosk purposes.
2. A 7 inch LCD display with HDMI input.
Mount these these items and a mechanical keyboard to a board with
a carry handle and you've got the start of a portable computer -
possibly an incarnation of my dream machine.
The computer has an Intel Celeron N3160 with a TDP (Thermal De-
sign Power - or average expected load) of just 6 watts. It has 2
Ethernet ports, 2 HDMI ports, 1 Display Port (and yes, it sup-
ports three simultaneous displays), 6 USB ports, 3.5mm audio out,
WiFi, and even a *COM port* for goodness sake!
I plan to mount the components to a piece of hardboard and then
go from there. I need either a friction hinge to allow the
screen to be at various adjustable angles, or figure out another
mounting method that will make the screen handy for use, but fold
out of the way for "long distance" travel (I'm thinking the whole
thing might fit in a laptop case or messenger bag.)
The widest component will be the mechanical keyboard - but even
my full-size "ten-keyless" (meaning it doesn't have the number
pad) keyboard is *considerably* less wide than my current laptop!
It's hard to believe until you hold them up next to each other.
I think this will give me a lot of ways to put the machine to-
gether until I get a method that is compact and portable and fun
to use.
We'll see how it goes. Both the computer and screen have been
shipped. I might have them both by the end of the month. The
total expense so far is just $174 for the computer and $45 for
the screen.
My plan is to make it work off of wall power first and attempt
battery power later. Most of my actual day-to-day uses are near
an outlet anyway. It would be nice to at least be able to get
from one outlet to another without having to shutdown and restart
the computer. Of course, it would be *awesome* to get some real
run time from a battery - and the dream is a machine I only have
to plug in at night as with my phone and my electric car.
I understand that my needs aren't typical of your average con-
sumer, but I'm still a little surprised that there have been so
few attempts at anything beyond that deviates from the standard
modern laptop configuration.
For much of my inspiration, I have to look back to the old "lug-
gable" and "portable" computers from the 1970s and 1980s.
Most (all?) of the modern "DIY laptops" (with, say, Raspberry Pi
innards) use a *worse* keyboard than a typical commercial laptop
for the sake of compactness. Now, I love my little eeePC 701,
but that keyboard is seriously pushing the limits of usability
for my full-sized fingers!
Anyway, here's to pursuing your dreams and never giving up on
what matters to *you*. I'll let you know how it goes.
