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MagyarPocket Z hopes to release compact PDA lookalike running Linux for under $100
Touchscreen-based smartphones and 13-inch or larger laptops remain the dominant forces within mobile computing. However, a few niches still exist that attempt to bridge the two form factors. For example, Samsung has its DeX system, which hides an Android-based desktop UI within smartphones as small as the Galaxy S24 (curr. $799.99 on Amazon). Additionally, companies like GPD and One-Netbook continue to put out mini-laptops like the Pocket 3 or the One MIX 4, which are much smaller than contemporary laptop designs.
Moreover, the Pocket Z team are exploring the possibility of creating a laptop that is closer in ethos to classic personal digital assistants (PDAs) than the form factors that eventually supplanted them. As the image above shows, Pocket Z is building prototypes with an eye to modernising devices like the HP Jomada 720, a Windows CE 3.00-based device that has a six-row keyboard and a 6.34-inch display.
To that end, current Pocket Z prototypes feature a 7-inch display that outputs at a mere 1,024 x 600 pixels. Supposedly, a 5-inch variant is also in development, although this will utilise a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W single-board computer (SBC) running Raspberry Pi OS. Furthermore, the project leverages a custom circuit board with a Ti-92 graphing calculator-inspired keyboard layout, an early example of which can be seen in the video below.
Currently, Pocket Z hope to sell its machine for $99 with a batch of 50-100 units created initially. However, enough demand could warrant expanded mass production beyond that number, presumably still with a $99 price tag in mind. Please see Pocket Z's Hackaday project page for further details.
Source(s)
Hackaday via Liliputing
![Some of the basic functionalities are currently working on the latest Linux patch for Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED with Snapdragon X Elite (Image source: Qualcomm and Wikipedia [edited])](fileadmin/_processed_/7/4/csm_Snapdragon-X-Elite-linux_462d8a748f.jpg)
