# DIY Laptops



## kpedersen (Jul 17, 2018)

I have just come across this laptop by Olimex. Finally a DIY laptop that isn't just some Kickstarter pipedream.

https://www.olimex.com/Products/DIY-Laptop/KITS/TERES-A64-BLACK/open-source-hardware

What do you guys reckon? It says open-source but I am pretty sure the SoC that powers it A64 is not.

They also do a 15.6 inch LCD (HD and non-HD) which is extremely hard to find for things like the Raspberry Pi, etc. (https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/LCD/LCD-OLinuXino-15.6/open-source-hardware)

The price isn't too bad for either the laptop or LCD. Do any of you know of some better offerings? I am thinking about something like this instead of an old Thinkpad for my next portable.


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## Crivens (Jul 18, 2018)

Yes, I came along that thing, too (see profile wall posts). Mass storage seems to be "just enough" and the keyboard is also only one layout. Other than that, I feel like getting one as soon as FreeBSD runs on it.


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## kpedersen (Jul 18, 2018)

Crivens said:


> and the keyboard is also only one layout.



This would actually be a bonus for me at the moment.

I recently broke my shift key on my X1 Carbon. Normally I would just buy a new key rather than buy a whole new keyboard but nowhere sold X1 Carbon Gen 2 UK keys (only US or Gen 1).

So I looked around for a new keyboard. You can pick up a 3rd party US one for about £20. That's fine. But the darn chassis doesn't fit anything other than a UK keyboard (The metal facing is shaped only for the UK's oversized shift key). So since I couldn't find a UK 3rd party keyboard either, I had to order one straight from Lenovo. It was almost worth getting a new laptop at that point 

And thus concludes my keyboard adventure.


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## Crivens (Jul 18, 2018)

What makes me salivate a bit is that FPGA option. And the UK was always about big shifts


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## tingo (Jul 24, 2018)

Looks like open source hardware is a "thing" these days. Here is an upcoming crowdsourcing campaign on Crowd Supply: https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/reform


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