ARM-powered GenBook RK3588 modular laptop running Linux to soon enter crowdfunding round
Quoting: ARM-powered GenBook RK3588 modular laptop running Linux to soon enter crowdfunding round —
Although ARM has seen solid Linux support for decades now, as most smartphone OSes are Unix-derived and Apple MacBooks can already run Asahi, brand new laptop processors like the Snapdragon X Elite from Qualcomm do not fully support Linux out of the box. The good news is that full compatibility could be enabled sometime later this year, so Snapdragon fans might not have to wait too long, but if you want to play around with an ARM-based Linux laptop in the meantime and cannot really afford a Mac, maybe give the upcoming GenBook RK3588 modular laptop a try.
Developed by a Chinese company in Shenzhen focusing on open-source technology, the GenBook RK3588 will soon go through a crowdfunding round on CrowdSupply. Just like the Framework Laptop that is quite popular these days, the GenBook features a modular design that allows users to upgrade most of the components. The default chassis has a 19.9 mm profile and the whole system weighs 1.5 kg (3.31 lbs).
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GenBook RK3588 is a open hardware laptop with a modular design for upgrades and repairs (crowdfunding) - Liliputing
But according to a recent post in the Cool Pi forum, the GenBook RK3588 doesn’t just have a new name. Among other improvements, the new model features an updated system-on-a-module with LPDDR5X memory (up from LPDDR4X), a higher capacity battery, power consumption improvements, a TPM module and better support for a number of Linux distributions. Mainline Linux kernel support is said to be coming this month as well.
Since both the Cool Pi and GenBook-branded laptops are modular, it’s likely that you could also update the original by replacing the SoM, battery, and software. But since it seems like the upgrades are pretty modest, the GenBook RK3588 is most likely to appeal to new customers than folks who already have the original.