$99 “laptop Shell” for Raspberry Pi or Windows 10 Continuum

I'm now wary of indiegogo and crowdfunding laptops in general. I purchased the pi-top and, while it was a feat at the time, the build quality is so low that I just can't use it. The keyboard sucks, the trackpad is super cheap, and the plastic has a bulge which makes it uncomfortable to use.

So, trying to convert this comment into positive feedback for the creators: please spend the biggest part of your budget into the input devices. If you can't provide a good build quality, don't be cheap on the keyboard and laptop.

I don't get it, just go on ebay (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m5...) or amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/191-8083913-3793561...) and get yourself old motorolla atrix/bionic lapdock , it has hdmi + usb and basically would work as hdmi external screen + usb keyboard and usb mouse for any device that supports it.

UPDATE: well, apparently price jumped a lot, i got myself two of those 10 and 12 inches models for like 30 and 70 dollars 2 years ago.

but anyway, there is existing piece of technology from almost 5 years ago, just was a bit ahead of it's time. People used that with rasberry-pi for quite some time too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-9l1rPNCgo)

I've backed this, mainly because I'd like to encourage getting the most out of our smart phones, especially in the corporate workplace. Combine this with virtualisedapps (Citrix, etc.) and you have a very usable workstation that is also portable and a LOT cheaper than a laptop. I don't expect everyone in our org to be able to replace their laptop with this, but it's definitely possible for 40% of our organisation.

Buyer beware: Indiegogo campaigns for hardware leave their supporters with very little recourse if the project fails to deliver. I've been burned by this one in the past.

I'll support it! ...by buying one after they reach production, assuming the product has good reviews.

While on the topic is there some cheap alternatives to this that can function as a VGA/DVI/HDMI-display+USB-keyboard out today? Also would this support to use the keyboard over usb instead of Bluetooth?

I have quite a few servers and various headless computers at home, every once in awhile I need to hook them up to a monitor and keyboard for some sort of debugging, today I usually carry around a spare LCD-monitor and standard keyboard however something like an empty laptop to be used as a portable terminal would be great for this.

This is a great idea, and a concept that I'm ready for (my phone and tablets are already more powerful than the first 20, or so, desktop computers that I've owned, including machines up to just a few years ago). But, this particular device probably won't do, for me. It's as big as a full-size laptop but has a lower resolution display than I'm willing to use for laptop work today. To be clear: the size of it is fine, but only if it provided a reasonably high resolution display (which, I guess, would it much harder to hit this low price point).

I also wonder why it isn't fully functional with an Android device, and seems to only support display. I have a little keyboard and standing case for one of my tablets, and it works OK as a "very tiny laptop" (though not being a full-size keyboard makes it a non-starter for any real work). Why wouldn't this work for that, too? Does Windows phone have some specific functionality that makes it more appropriate for this kind of thing?

Anyway, this seems pretty close to a great implementation of a great idea. Maybe after launch they'll make a 1080P or QHD version for a little extra money. There's a lot of possibility for making this a great laptop replacement; they could stick a battery in it for longer working time, it could provide USB hub functionality for a mouse and other devices, etc.

I should plan to use the RPi as a second computer. Only thing to do is find an used LCD screen, but I'm not sure if an SD card can really sustain daily use (I think flash memory is not really meant to sustain many read/write), or if it's still possible to find USB hard drives under $30 (a 100GB should be cheaper than a 128GB USB flash drive, but again I don't think that 100GB hard drive are still being built).

The RPi is great, but there aren't good enough starter packages that can really convert it into a full computer. There are many second hand LCD screens out there that could be sold with a RPi.

I would love one with a space to install a RPi or similar device inside the shell.

There’s a parallel universe where the whole “Post PC” thing didn’t really work out and the Windows model reigns supreme and these things are unstoppably popular.

This is not that universe, but it’s still a pretty nifty idea.

I like the idea. Having a separate device is a pain - another thing to manage. Also this thing is designed to work with Windows Continuum: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/6/8560195/microsoft-continuum...

Last I remember, there was a system built just like this from Motorola. People have been using raspberry pis with them for some time now. You can find them from 50-80 USD online.

Why do these things always include a discrete touchpad?

Why not a series of phone-specific-form-factor caddy that snaps into the laptop where the touch pad is, that you can slide your phone into?

very high price point for a shell.