Fully Open Source MNT Reform 7-inch Laptop Starts at $899, Available in October

The makers of the fully open-source MNT Reform laptop are getting closer to releasing its portable counterpart: the 7-inch MNT Pocket Reform crowdfunding campaign has officially launched, which also serves as a de facto pre-order system for the device. The cheapest version of the Pocket Reform starts at $899 and is also available in purple for $969 or bundled with a 1TB SSD, carry bag, manual and poster for $1299. All versions are currently due for release in mid-October.

Crowdfunding hardware projects have a rather mixed reputation when it comes to actually supplying products, but MNT used essentially the same funding strategy for a full blown reform back in 2018.

Like the full-size Reform, the pocket version uses open-source hardware and a mechanical keyboard (customers can choose from white or red Kalih switches). But the pocket version uses a 7-inch 1920×1200 LCD screen instead of the 12.5-inch version and comes with fewer smaller ports (two USB-C, one micro HDMI port, a microSD port, and one industrial mini Ethernet port). ix). Its keyboard also has individually programmable RGB backlighting, and the trackball-style pointing device has been scaled down to fit the smaller design.

The Pocket Reform also includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 128GB of internal eMMC storage, and an expansion slot for 4G cellular connectivity. The device will also boot from a microSD card or NVMe SSD installed in the device’s M.2 slot. The 8000 mAh battery will allow it to work for about four hours.

We reviewed the full-size Reform laptop last year with mixed results. For people who care about such things, a laptop with completely open hardware and software is an impressive technical feat. Since then, MNT has also made several improvements to the hardware and software – replacing some awkward, easily breakable plastic parts with metal replacements, and making your batteries harder to drain by letting them run out for too long, as well as constant software and firmware updates.

But the laptop’s main problem is its poor hardware performance. Its 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex A53 processor delivers about the same performance as a Raspberry Pi 3 or mid-2010s budget smartphone – barely enough for basic document viewing and editing, great for team work. line and challenging tasks. live with something else. The Pocket Reform has improved a bit in this regard, with a clock speed of 1.8 GHz (thanks to a newer manufacturing process) and 8 GB of RAM instead of 4 GB, but the Reform’s performance will still be far from a modern PC or Mac smartphone. or even Raspberry Pi 4.

While MNT plans to ship the first Pocket Reform models in October, a blog post notes that supply chain kinks could delay that schedule. From the “Risks and Challenges”section of the Pocket Reform funding page:

“Pocket Reform has hundreds of electronic components. We tried to pick them up so that there will be enough of them when we start producing boards, but there is always the possibility that there may be a sudden shortage of components or a price increase. happen, we would have to redesign the damaged PCB and replace the part, which would cause a delay in continuing production. We had to adapt our products several times during the global chip crisis, so we are confident that we can work around any difficulties. Should any situation arise that could delay the estimated delivery times, sponsors will be promptly informed through project updates.”