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The idea is nice, but wow it's expensive for what you do get. The CPU being a quad-core A53 architecture is basically Raspberry Pi - but the 3B rather than the

The idea is nice, but wow it's expensive for what you do get. The CPU being a quad-core A53 architecture is basically Raspberry Pi - but the 3B rather than the 4; only 4GB RAM; only Full HD resolution. You pay $999 and that doesn't include any storage or even the wifi card. The comparison with an entry-level MacBook Air is sort of horrifying. Same price but just a completely different league in almost every respect.

mntmn 6y ago
Keep in mind this is boutique hardware with very low volume, the device has a mechanical keyboard, and the case is milled and anodized aluminum. We are 3 people in the shop plus a network of freelancers. But unlike Apple, we can make open hardware and happily give you full control over the device, and you can communicate directly with us. This is a totally different scenario. The CPU/RAM module is not the price defining aspect here, and we're ready for faster chips when they come out. The idea is you can upgrade for a fraction of the price of buying a new device.
- Corrado 6y ago
  Are you saying that it's possible to upgrade the CPU? If so, that would be game changing and would put the price point in a whole new light. I can imagine "upgrading" my computer to a faster processor like we do with RAM. That means you wouldn't have to dispose the old machine and re-install all the software. That's gotta be worth something to some people!
  - mntmn 6y ago
    Yes, the CPU/GPU (SoC) and RAM are together on a SODIMM-200-shaped module.
  - thescriptkiddie 6y ago
    > I can imagine "upgrading" my computer to a faster processor like we do with RAM Am I going insane, or is our collective memory of user-serviceable computer hardware already fading?
    - theodric 6y ago
      There are a lot of people alive now who were not caring-about-socketed-CPUs-in-laptops-years-old when that was a thing (and even then, I had at least three 386SX laptops with soldered-on CPUs)
- NovemberWhiskey 6y ago
  I do get that this isn't trying to compete with the closed-hardware market; no-one is cross-shopping the MNT Reform 2 with a MacBook Air (which does also have a milled, anodized aluminum case). It's mostly just a note of despair about how large the gap is; you really have to care about the open hardware aspect to make the choice.
RodgerTheGreat 6y ago
The Reform isn't cheap, but it does come with other things that Macbook Air doesn't have (and never will): - promise of drop-in replacement SoC boards in the future. - open specifications. - batteries are trivially user-replaceable. - mechanical keys. - the option for a trackball as a pointing device. - a high-quality manual. Are those worth the tradeoffs? Maybe; clearly they are for some people.

mntmn 6y ago

Keep in mind this is boutique hardware with very low volume, the device has a mechanical keyboard, and the case is milled and anodized aluminum. We are 3 people in the shop plus a network of freelancers. But unlike Apple, we can make open hardware and happily give you full control over the device, and you can communicate directly with us. This is a totally different scenario. The CPU/RAM module is not the price defining aspect here, and we're ready for faster chips when they come out. The idea is you can upgrade for a fraction of the price of buying a new device.

Corrado 6y ago
Are you saying that it's possible to upgrade the CPU? If so, that would be game changing and would put the price point in a whole new light. I can imagine "upgrading" my computer to a faster processor like we do with RAM. That means you wouldn't have to dispose the old machine and re-install all the software. That's gotta be worth something to some people!
- mntmn 6y ago
  Yes, the CPU/GPU (SoC) and RAM are together on a SODIMM-200-shaped module.
- thescriptkiddie 6y ago
  > I can imagine "upgrading" my computer to a faster processor like we do with RAM Am I going insane, or is our collective memory of user-serviceable computer hardware already fading?
  - theodric 6y ago
    There are a lot of people alive now who were not caring-about-socketed-CPUs-in-laptops-years-old when that was a thing (and even then, I had at least three 386SX laptops with soldered-on CPUs)
NovemberWhiskey 6y ago
I do get that this isn't trying to compete with the closed-hardware market; no-one is cross-shopping the MNT Reform 2 with a MacBook Air (which does also have a milled, anodized aluminum case). It's mostly just a note of despair about how large the gap is; you really have to care about the open hardware aspect to make the choice.

RodgerTheGreat 6y ago

The Reform isn't cheap, but it does come with other things that Macbook Air doesn't have (and never will): - promise of drop-in replacement SoC boards in the future. - open specifications. - batteries are trivially user-replaceable. - mechanical keys. - the option for a trackball as a pointing device. - a high-quality manual. Are those worth the tradeoffs? Maybe; clearly they are for some people.