5 ms·

I mean, it looks like a nice tool if you take it to debug on-site devices.

dmd 6y ago
I would buy something like this if it had HDMI and VGA in, and could let me use as a portable console to plug into machines.
- ianai 6y ago
  Totally. A portable KVM/crash cart could be useful.
  - woodrowbarlow 6y ago
    take a look at NexDock - laptop form factor, without the innards. just a keyboard, trackpad, screen, and battery waiting to connect to a phone, server rack, pi, or what have you.
    - maxbaines 6y ago
      I second this, have one of the Touch models - the build quality is great. Yes it works with my Samsung on which I have Ubuntu via VNC running on the phone. But also and more useful for me is it has HDMI in and USB out for keyboard and mouse, works perfectly for when you need a kvm setup. did I say the build quality is great?...
      - xseparator 6y ago
        Only downside is the piece of junk trackpad that registers registering itself as a mouse and not a trackpad...resulting in no palm-rejection and crappy gesture functionality.
    - pbronez 6y ago
      That's pretty cool. I wonder how hard it would be to add USB-C docking capability to an old server in my homelab. Seems like a graphics card with Virtual Link USB-C [0] would be ideal, but maybe overkill. There are some other options [1] but it's not clear to me how much graphic horsepower you need. Definitely a VGA-only motherboard is not gonna cut it... [0] https://uploadvr.com/every-virtuallink-gpu/ https://uploadvr.com/every-virtuallink-gpu/ [1] https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/add-usb-c-with-dp-alt-mode-to-your-desktop-pc/ https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/add-usb-c-with-...
    - Y_Y 6y ago
      $270 is a lot for an empty laptop. Seems like the Pinebook guys could make a decent competitor.
- TrevizeGP 6y ago
  So much this. I want a display, a VGA in, a keyboard and something that is capable of running a terminal and a switch for VGA in and the built-in Raspberry/Odroid/whatever. I would pay anything up to $500-600. Found nothing so far. Edit: forgot RJ45.
  - traverseda 6y ago
    I mean this thing has plenty of room in the case and should be compatible with TinyPilot: https://mtlynch.io/tinypilot/ https://mtlynch.io/tinypilot/ It's not a turn-key solution, but it's not that far off.
  - GekkePrutser 6y ago
    Yeah RJ45 is a HUGE miss on modern laptops. Nothing like a fast stable wired connection.
- juergbi 6y ago
  You can order a USB HDMI capture dongle for around USD 10 on AliExpress, e.g., from AIXXCO. It's not perfect but it should suffice to setup or debug a headless system. TinyPilot uses such a dongle for server KVM purposes.
- Grimm665 6y ago
  I recently picked up a Motorola LapDock from eBay. It was originally used as a keyboard, trackpad, and screen in a laptop format for the Atrix smartphone, but with some converter cables, you can plug into any machine with HDMI and USB and use it exactly as you describe. It's finicky, but works well enough to be useful. Total cost for the LapDock and cables was under $100.
ianai 6y ago
I think that’d be the use of it. Quick and simple stuff that you otherwise don’t want to configure a laptop around performing. It’s not a “use this for hours at a time” and daily driver. Not sure of the breadth of that use case.

dmd 6y ago

I would buy something like this if it had HDMI and VGA in, and could let me use as a portable console to plug into machines.

ianai 6y ago
Totally. A portable KVM/crash cart could be useful.
- woodrowbarlow 6y ago
  take a look at NexDock - laptop form factor, without the innards. just a keyboard, trackpad, screen, and battery waiting to connect to a phone, server rack, pi, or what have you.
  - maxbaines 6y ago
    I second this, have one of the Touch models - the build quality is great. Yes it works with my Samsung on which I have Ubuntu via VNC running on the phone. But also and more useful for me is it has HDMI in and USB out for keyboard and mouse, works perfectly for when you need a kvm setup. did I say the build quality is great?...
    - xseparator 6y ago
      Only downside is the piece of junk trackpad that registers registering itself as a mouse and not a trackpad...resulting in no palm-rejection and crappy gesture functionality.
  - pbronez 6y ago
    That's pretty cool. I wonder how hard it would be to add USB-C docking capability to an old server in my homelab. Seems like a graphics card with Virtual Link USB-C [0] would be ideal, but maybe overkill. There are some other options [1] but it's not clear to me how much graphic horsepower you need. Definitely a VGA-only motherboard is not gonna cut it... [0] https://uploadvr.com/every-virtuallink-gpu/ https://uploadvr.com/every-virtuallink-gpu/ [1] https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/add-usb-c-with-dp-alt-mode-to-your-desktop-pc/ https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/add-usb-c-with-...
  - Y_Y 6y ago
    $270 is a lot for an empty laptop. Seems like the Pinebook guys could make a decent competitor.
TrevizeGP 6y ago
So much this. I want a display, a VGA in, a keyboard and something that is capable of running a terminal and a switch for VGA in and the built-in Raspberry/Odroid/whatever. I would pay anything up to $500-600. Found nothing so far. Edit: forgot RJ45.
- traverseda 6y ago
  I mean this thing has plenty of room in the case and should be compatible with TinyPilot: https://mtlynch.io/tinypilot/ https://mtlynch.io/tinypilot/ It's not a turn-key solution, but it's not that far off.
- GekkePrutser 6y ago
  Yeah RJ45 is a HUGE miss on modern laptops. Nothing like a fast stable wired connection.
juergbi 6y ago
You can order a USB HDMI capture dongle for around USD 10 on AliExpress, e.g., from AIXXCO. It's not perfect but it should suffice to setup or debug a headless system. TinyPilot uses such a dongle for server KVM purposes.
Grimm665 6y ago
I recently picked up a Motorola LapDock from eBay. It was originally used as a keyboard, trackpad, and screen in a laptop format for the Atrix smartphone, but with some converter cables, you can plug into any machine with HDMI and USB and use it exactly as you describe. It's finicky, but works well enough to be useful. Total cost for the LapDock and cables was under $100.

ianai 6y ago

I think that’d be the use of it. Quick and simple stuff that you otherwise don’t want to configure a laptop around performing. It’s not a “use this for hours at a time” and daily driver. Not sure of the breadth of that use case.