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Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

byran.ee

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Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#271

Post by makerdiety »

hylaride wrote: post #244
pkolaczk wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless they are forced to learn things that are uninteresting to them. I almost failed the high school entry exams because I dedicated more time to soldering electronic devices and programming computers rather than writing essays about Polish literature or memorizing dates of historical battles. Same thing with the final high school exams - it was a really close call. I felt like they gave me good scores on non-STEM…

Man, you just triggered me. This was also me in school. I even have a huge interest in history, but I remember my first history exam on World War 1. I was ready to answer questions on its causes, the people, how industrial war changed the nature of fighting, the new countries that formed after the war... First Question: What was the date the Serbian nationalist Gavrillo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand.…

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Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#272

Post by [deleted] »

highmastdon wrote: post #250
denysvitali wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the time. Don't underestimate the amount of free time people have when they're in high school (vs when you have a family / intense job). Having said that, even with unlimited time this is such an awesome achievement and really shows the dedication. Well done!

Don't underestimate the amount of knowledge you don't have to perfect things. I remember building scheduling software in PHP in high school, because I just fixed problem after problem, and I was not limited by any form of knowledge. If I'd have to do it again, I'd be perfecting the architecture, refactoring everything every other week...

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#275

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

byran wrote: post #263
redbell wrote: post #262

I hardly know where to begin! This project is exceptional in every sense—a true masterpiece. Remarkably, its creator is still in high school, yet he’s already demonstrated brilliance beyond his years. The endorsements he’s received, the connections he’s begun to forge, and the incredible opportunities now within his reach are nothing short of extraordinary. As he himself put it, accomplishments like these are only po…

Thank you redbell! It truly means a lot. I'm incredibly grateful of the reception and the support from everyone. HN <3

I'll just echo the amazement and congratulations of all the other comments. I do have a question though - your post stated "The hardest class I’ve taken so far was quantum mechanics in my junior spring term." Kudos to your educational system that allowed you to take quantum mechanics as a junior in high school - it looks like it clearly provided you a framework that allowed you to excel. Without giving away your privacy, is this some sort of special program where you live, or is it a standard opportunity?

Again, just gobsmacked by this entire project.

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#276

Post by jmb99 »

rozularen wrote: post #251
toobulkeh wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not just any high school. https://exeter.edu/

Yeah... Just checked and disclaimer I'm not trying to diminish OP's achievement which is huge but ... https://exeter.edu/admissions/financial-aid/tuition-costs/

Hilarious that there’s a separate sub-$1000 line item for books and supplies. If it’s that expensive, you can’t just throw in some pens and pencils with the tuition?

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#277

Post by petsfed »

daquisu wrote: post #126
petsfed wrote: post #27

This is really cool! There are some obvious next steps for improving the polish on this, would you say you were more resource constrained, time constrained, or skill constrained? For instance, did you put any thought into making flex PCBs to make the cable routing easier? I also think the concept of a laptop with a removable wireless keyboard is brilliant, and I think your implementation is a lot cleaner than e.g. th…

Regarding a laptop with a removable wireless keyboard, ZenBook Duo has that, although the touchpad is removed with the keyboard. It also has two screens and its own stand, I use it as my travel machine.

Hmmm. That's also an interesting solution to the same problem. Although honestly, the scenario where I want to have a removable keyboard, I'm likely using an external display (probably a hotel TV), and a small wireless mouse is a lot easier to transport than a keyboard (and more ergonomic than a keyboard small enough for transport) so the extra screen and trackpad are sort of lost on me.

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#278

Post by gsuuon »

I was impressed this is open source, then impressed it was done by one person, then impressed it only took 6 months, and eventually somehow impressed again that it was a _high schooler_. My mind is blown. Kudos for managing to do something insane like this. Very inspirational.

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#279

Post by alias_neo »

GardenLetter27 wrote: post #167
byran wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We discussed wave functions, probability, fermions/bosons, did calculations for particle in a box, the Schrödinger model, and went just up to deriving the hydrogen atom. Nothing super fancy, but it was one heck of an experience!

It's really interesting, in the UK I don't think we did (but I later studied Physics at university) - but we did have Further Maths which covered more advanced mathematics. Also your project is incredible btw, maybe look into robotics too.

> in the UK I don't think we did

Perhaps you didn't go to a high school quite like this one: https://exeter.edu/admissions/financial-aid/tuition-costs/

Re: Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

#280

Post by meristohm »

DaSHacka wrote: post #249
pkolaczk wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless they are forced to learn things that are uninteresting to them. I almost failed the high school entry exams because I dedicated more time to soldering electronic devices and programming computers rather than writing essays about Polish literature or memorizing dates of historical battles. Same thing with the final high school exams - it was a really close call. I felt like they gave me good scores on non-STEM…

You hit it right on the head, I think. Even at my own university, I struggle to maintain a 3.0 GPA while at the same time actively tutoring students for the very courses I'm failing. The issue isn't knowledge or competency, it's a mix of work ethic and tolerance for menial busywork. I think some of us just aren't made for the academia grind...

It's true, and okay, that the academia grind is only for a subset of us. It is not the only meaningful path! I went on to gradschool by rote, and I do not push it on my high-school students or anyone else. It took me about 40 years to find a sense of purpose (having a child was the catalyst). Sadly, the push for STEM seems motivated by capitalists wanting further control of valuable labor, so I'm really chuffed by Bryan's Show HN post- even though open-source can be leveraged by capital, it doesn't have to be. It is a non-walled-garden model, and an example of what we can do collectively. Even if the Linux kernel is largely funded by corporations, it doesn't have to be.

A concern is that a laptop is still not something my community can make with the local resources, and thus the exploitation of land, labor, and money continues.

What would a fair-trade laptop cost?

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