MNT Pocket Reform open-source 7-inch modular laptop launched on Crowd Supply
Several Linux distributions can be installed on the MNT Pocket Reform, but the official image is based on Debian Linux with GNOME 4 environment suitable for most people, or Sway Wayland compositor for advanced users. As an open-source hardware project, you’ll find the system images for Reform laptops in one git repository, and the KiCAD hardware design files for all the boards used in the Pocket Reform in another.
The MNT Pocket Reform is not the first mini laptop, so MNT Research has provided a comparison table against other popular mini laptops or Linux smartphones.
Notebookcheck:
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MNT Pocket Reform: New 7-inch Linux laptop launches from US$899
MNT Research has finally launched the Pocket Reform, roughly 9 months after it presented the mini laptop. As we discussed last June, the MNT Pocket Reform has a 7-inch LCD panel. It now outputs at 1,920 x 1,200 pixels rather than 1080p, though. Additionally, the MNT Pocket Reform has 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and 128 GB of eMMC flash storage, with a MicroSD card reader and an M.2 2280 slot in place for storage expansion.
Moreover, the mini laptop has an ortho-linear matrix keyboard with 60 Kailh Choc White mechanical switches, N-key rollover and RGB backlighting. Also, the MNT Research has included four mouse buttons and a micro-optical trackball. Meanwhile, the MNT Pocket Reform has an 8,000 mAh combined battery capacity that should last up to 4 hours charges via a built-in USB port.
Linux Magazine:
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MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a tiny laptop that's barely larger than your smartphone and runs Linux, MNT has just the device for you.
The MNT Pocket Reform is a full-fledged laptop in a tiny form factor that could serve as your new on-the-go hardware. Sure, it's tiny and the keyboard is small enough to be problematic for larger hands, but having a Linux laptop in your pocket (granted a larger pocket) has plenty of upsides.
The MNT Pocket Reform includes an ARM Cortex-A53 CPU at 1.8 GHz, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, 128 GB eMMC flash memory, an NVMe SSD slot (for up to 2 TB), full disk encryption (via LUKS), Vivante GC7000UL GPU, H.264/H.265 video decoder, Cortext-M7 Realtime core, HiFi4 Audio DSP, a mechanical keyboard with RGB backlighting, a micro-optical trackball, a 7" full HD+ (1920 x 1200 px) display, Wi-Fi 802.11c, Bluetooth 5.0, MicroSD card slot, and an optional M.2 key B WWAN slot for 4G/5G/LTE.