Pocket Z project aims to build $99 Linux PCs that fit in your pocket
Quoting: Pocket Z project aims to build $99 Linux PCs that fit in your pocket - Liliputing —
The prototype combines a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W single-board computer, an Atmega32U4 keyboard controller, and a custom printed circuit board with a set of keys laid out like a Ti-92 graphing calculator with some extra keys that work as a D-Pad and action buttons. There are also connection points for a Li-Po battery and a USB Type-C port for charging and USB Type-A port for peripherals.
But the prototype isn’t a finished product. It boots the Debian Linux-based Raspberry Pi OS with a few customizations, but the operating system hasn’t really been optimized for this form factor yet (and there are some aspects of the OS that don’t fit on a 1024 x 600 pixel display). And there’s no physical case for the computer – the circuit board is exposed and there are no physical keycaps for the keyboard.
It's FOSS:
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Pocket Z Aims To Be A True Linux Computer That Fits In Your Pocket!
Ultra-mobile PCs (UMPC) were all the rage back in the mid-2000s, with many people flaunting their devices as a matter of pride, showing off their multitasking prowess, and what not.
However, the advent of smartphones put a massive dent in their adoption, which has just about made such devices irrelevant in today's time.
That is why I was surprised to see that someone trying to engineer a new line of UMPCs under the “Pocket Z” name. This is an interesting project that I truly hope catches on.
Allow me to show you what it's all about.
Notebookcheck:
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Pocket Z hopes to release compact PDA lookalike running Linux for under $100
Touchscreen-based smartphones and 13-inch or larger laptops remain the dominant forces within mobile computing. However, a few niches still exist that attempt to bridge the two form factors. For example, Samsung has its DeX system, which hides an Android-based desktop UI within smartphones as small as the Galaxy S24 (curr. $799.99 on Amazon). Additionally, companies like GPD and One-Netbook continue to put out mini-laptops like the Pocket 3 or the One MIX 4, which are much smaller than contemporary laptop designs.
Moreover, the Pocket Z team are exploring the possibility of creating a laptop that is closer in ethos to classic personal digital assistants (PDAs) than the form factors that eventually supplanted them. As the image above shows, Pocket Z is building prototypes with an eye to modernising devices like the HP Jomada 720, a Windows CE 3.00-based device that has a six-row keyboard and a 6.34-inch display.