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I dream of a device that's basically a laptop without a screen, keyboard, trackpad, etc. Just plug it into a usb-c hub it restores everything from where I left

I dream of a device that's basically a laptop without a screen, keyboard, trackpad, etc. Just plug it into a usb-c hub it restores everything from where I left off last time. Then once I'm done put it in my pocket and go. Then if I do want a laptop I could buy a chassis with a battery, keyboard, trackpad, screen, etc, etc to dock my device above in to. Edit: Seriously considering taking the motherboard out of a steam deck and making a custom aluminum enclosure for it that only exposes the usb-c port.

kayodelycaon 5y ago
This does seem to exist. https://www.magicstickone.com/ https://www.magicstickone.com/ Specs aren’t great though.
ccouzens 5y ago
Sounds like Samsung dex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_DeX https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_DeX > Then if I do want a laptop I could buy a chassis with a battery, keyboard, trackpad, screen, etc, etc to dock my device above in to. https://nexdock.com/samsung-dex-laptop/ https://nexdock.com/samsung-dex-laptop/ I've never used either (but I'd like to)
- postalrat 5y ago
  Kinda like that but I want a machine I'm free to install windows/linux/whatever on to.
  - dTal 5y ago
    The NexDocks are the shell you asked for, not the computer. Although they're marketing as being for smartphones, they should work with anything that supports USB 3.2 with DisplayPort.
rhn_mk1 5y ago
Sounds like the Librem 5 would fit your bill. Or some single-board computer with USB-C.
- postalrat 5y ago
  The librem might work but what can I install on it besides their OS? It also has very limited ram/etc. I've been looking for a single board computer with usb-c that's still a reasonable good desktop and haven't found anything. The only contender right now is the motherboard from a steam deck but im not sure that can be taken out and work on it's own.
  - rhn_mk1 5y ago
    I think Mobian is available there. Once it gets towboot support, it'll be able to run way more UEFI OS.
Gollapalli 5y ago
That is actually, genuinely an amazing idea. I'd steal it, but I doubt I'd have time to seriously work on it. So... either make it and sell it to me, or have someone else do it.
IE6 5y ago
It doesn't exactly exist in market as a product yet but the Intel NUC Laptop Element may promise to do this. From the marketing material I have seen it's basically like a cartridge that presumably you can slide into any kind of chassis. On the go it could be a 15" or 17" laptop chassis being sold along side with a Desktop chassis for at home. I'm also considering the same albeit a bit different - a standard NUC or even a Chromebox that I bring to work and use at home - all over USBc. And for in-person meetings where I need a device I have a thin and light Chromebook in my bag.
dTal 5y ago
You could get a GPD Micro PC. It does have a screen, keyboard and trackpad, but it's probably about as small as the device you were envisioning anyway (certainly smaller than a Steam Deck), and in any case I suspect it's a lot more practical to have some sort of built-in interface to such a thing, even if it's compromised. You could easily remove the screen and/or extract the motherboard, but you'd have a much less useful device for only a small win in portability. It must also be said that it's a deeply fun device. A USB-C laptop shell that was nothing but a nice screen, a good keyboard+trackpad, and a generous battery would indeed be an interesting product, and a fantastic companion to either a GPD Micro PC or a powerful smartphone. (edit: someone posted about the "NexDock" products which appear to be exactly this. Hooray!)
- postalrat 5y ago
  https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2022/03/18134137/SteamDeck_Layout_1-edited.jpg https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2022/03/18134137/Steam... The motherboard to the steam deck near the top middle in the picture above. If that can run on its own with usb power then it would just need a nice enclosure that provides some cooling. Was thinking about having someone CNC cut me something. The GPD Micro PC looks interesting but is still a bit of the big side. Don't need the screen, battery, keyboard, or most of the ports.
robotresearcher 5y ago
A high end phone has the HW resources to do this already. It 'just' needs the software. I suspect that cloud + browser covers many of the use cases for this setup, and perhaps most of the uses people would pay for, while being cheaper to deliver.

kayodelycaon 5y ago

This does seem to exist. https://www.magicstickone.com/ https://www.magicstickone.com/ Specs aren’t great though.

ccouzens 5y ago

Sounds like Samsung dex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_DeX https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_DeX > Then if I do want a laptop I could buy a chassis with a battery, keyboard, trackpad, screen, etc, etc to dock my device above in to. https://nexdock.com/samsung-dex-laptop/ https://nexdock.com/samsung-dex-laptop/ I've never used either (but I'd like to)

postalrat 5y ago
Kinda like that but I want a machine I'm free to install windows/linux/whatever on to.
- dTal 5y ago
  The NexDocks are the shell you asked for, not the computer. Although they're marketing as being for smartphones, they should work with anything that supports USB 3.2 with DisplayPort.

rhn_mk1 5y ago

Sounds like the Librem 5 would fit your bill. Or some single-board computer with USB-C.

postalrat 5y ago
The librem might work but what can I install on it besides their OS? It also has very limited ram/etc. I've been looking for a single board computer with usb-c that's still a reasonable good desktop and haven't found anything. The only contender right now is the motherboard from a steam deck but im not sure that can be taken out and work on it's own.
- rhn_mk1 5y ago
  I think Mobian is available there. Once it gets towboot support, it'll be able to run way more UEFI OS.

Gollapalli 5y ago

That is actually, genuinely an amazing idea. I'd steal it, but I doubt I'd have time to seriously work on it. So... either make it and sell it to me, or have someone else do it.

IE6 5y ago

It doesn't exactly exist in market as a product yet but the Intel NUC Laptop Element may promise to do this. From the marketing material I have seen it's basically like a cartridge that presumably you can slide into any kind of chassis. On the go it could be a 15" or 17" laptop chassis being sold along side with a Desktop chassis for at home. I'm also considering the same albeit a bit different - a standard NUC or even a Chromebox that I bring to work and use at home - all over USBc. And for in-person meetings where I need a device I have a thin and light Chromebook in my bag.

dTal 5y ago

You could get a GPD Micro PC. It does have a screen, keyboard and trackpad, but it's probably about as small as the device you were envisioning anyway (certainly smaller than a Steam Deck), and in any case I suspect it's a lot more practical to have some sort of built-in interface to such a thing, even if it's compromised. You could easily remove the screen and/or extract the motherboard, but you'd have a much less useful device for only a small win in portability. It must also be said that it's a deeply fun device. A USB-C laptop shell that was nothing but a nice screen, a good keyboard+trackpad, and a generous battery would indeed be an interesting product, and a fantastic companion to either a GPD Micro PC or a powerful smartphone. (edit: someone posted about the "NexDock" products which appear to be exactly this. Hooray!)

postalrat 5y ago
https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2022/03/18134137/SteamDeck_Layout_1-edited.jpg https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2022/03/18134137/Steam... The motherboard to the steam deck near the top middle in the picture above. If that can run on its own with usb power then it would just need a nice enclosure that provides some cooling. Was thinking about having someone CNC cut me something. The GPD Micro PC looks interesting but is still a bit of the big side. Don't need the screen, battery, keyboard, or most of the ports.

robotresearcher 5y ago

A high end phone has the HW resources to do this already. It 'just' needs the software. I suspect that cloud + browser covers many of the use cases for this setup, and perhaps most of the uses people would pay for, while being cheaper to deliver.