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The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

kickstarter.com

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Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#11

Post by Qworg »

projectramo wrote: post #4

Can anyone comment on the likelihood of being able to create this for the amount they propose? I have been burned by hardware devices on kickstarter, and I have heard my hardware friends say that it is much harder, and sometimes they can tell right away that they cannot deliver the product for the amount raised. I don't know if that is true here or not. Just wondering if someone knows if this can be done. (I know, ke…

I'd point at their part cost needing to be sub $33, but as others have said in quantity 1 we're already at $50, so likely yes.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#12

Post by brad0 »

projectramo wrote: post #4

Can anyone comment on the likelihood of being able to create this for the amount they propose? I have been burned by hardware devices on kickstarter, and I have heard my hardware friends say that it is much harder, and sometimes they can tell right away that they cannot deliver the product for the amount raised. I don't know if that is true here or not. Just wondering if someone knows if this can be done. (I know, ke…

From the sounds of things it's four main components:

- Keyboard - Screen - Battery - DisplayLink

They're all components that exist already, it just needs to be packaged in a nice way.

The biggest issue is how to scale this to the amount they need. As of writing this they need to make ~2600.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#14

Post by thecatspaw »

_ea1k wrote: post #8

What is the advantage of this over something like a Chromebook? It seems like throwing a phone-grade CPU in it and giving it a little more capability would be more worthwhile than being completely dependent upon a tethered phone.

you can use it as a normal smartphone as well. This is helpfull when you're in a tight space, or standing in the train. You also have the same data on both 'devices' (quoted since its technically 1 device + periphery)

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#15

Post by DigitalJack »

Motorola did this 5 years ago. Nobody cared. http://www.digitaltrends.com/buying-guides/a-complete-guide-...

I think the main problem is who wants to carry around a laptop that you have to plug your phone in to use? That's a pretty big "Accessory." I mean, if you already are carrying something around as big as a laptop, why cripple it with phone hardware?

I think a more compelling use-case would be a phone dock video and usb connections. But I don't know if even that is compelling enough to be successful.\

I've thought that a phone would make a great trackpad for a laptop. Maybe instead of the phone being the laptop, it just integrates nicely (app sync, etc...) and you socket in as a trackpad and secondary "info" display.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#16

Post by 0x6c6f6c »

Qworg wrote: post #10

MSFT has the "phone becomes a computer" with Continuum already: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/Continuum (but you need a Lumia... :| ) Having a laptop form factor is very interesting though - it brings in a lot of questions too. Is it a dumb peripheral? What does it need access to on the phone?

It's one of the main points to Ubuntu Phones as well, convergence from phone/tablet to desktop.

Plug it in and use it as a full scale desktop experience.

It's only available on the newer models as the entire system is beta and under testing though.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#17

Post by 0x6c6f6c »

jasonlfunk wrote: post #3

I think this is the future. One device that works everywhere. Ubuntu tried it unsuccessfully. I doubt this one will succeed either. But eventually someone will.

Ubuntu still hasn't finished it. They showed demos in alpha but their newer phones actually do it now, although the entire Ubuntu Touch program is still beta.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#19

Post by figers »

I like the idea of one core device to use for Mobile and desktop modes, but if you have to carry around a laptop anyway, why not just get a Chromebook that has full chrome browser and can run Android apps OR really any laptop...

I want my mobile device to have this experience when I connect a rollable or foldable screen, bluetooth foldable keyboard and mouse.

Re: The Superbook: Turn your smartphone into a laptop for $99

#20

Post by leojg »

rsync wrote: post #18

I'm confused by this stretch goal: $1M - Option to upgrade to 1080p HD screen (w/ additional cost) ... which would suggest that the original screen spec is actually lower than "1080p" ? Obligatory: https://xkcd.com/732/

In the specs says: 11.6" LCD display at 768p
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