MNT Pocket Reform Teardown - An Unapologetically Chunky Pocket PC, That's Also Repairable!!!

[@7heMech]

10/10 on the repairability scale I say.

[@zmielonyrzuf]

11/10

[@Blamoo2]

Wouldn't give it a perfect score because the connectors on the right side are soldered to the main board. This is a common point of failure and this design choice makes replacements difficult for users without soldering equipment/skills.

[@yetzt]

Somehow they only gave it 8/10

[@_edit146_]

I wouldn’t agree with 10/10 since it could be quite difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing, it seems a bit more complicated to repair or upgrade than something like the framework laptops

[@FSK1138]

i would love a chunky modern laptop . imagine what they could do in all that space // you could have "ALL the ports" and a massive battery ,raid , and a m-disc recorder

[@ross-carlson]

No reason it has to be chunky - I have the Yoga C930 from a few years back, it's crazy thin, beautifully designed and is VERY repairable. Only mistake they made - the USB C ports are on the mainboard so when mine finally failed and I couldn't charge I had to replace the whole board. No glue, all standard screws, etc. - LOVE it.

[@SamuelJakobs]

Isnt that basically the framework 16?

[@Beesno]

I buy used old ruggedized laptops for this reason- they're repairable and awesome, I just wish I could get a decent GPU in there!

[@YOEL_44]

I have an old HP ProBook that is crazy repairable, if they only had a few extra unused ports in it, it would be perfect already

[@crestofhonor2349]

Battery wouldn't really be a benefit in a massive laptop as they max out at 99whr before you are unable to take it on a plane

[@ChiefGyk3D]

Mine will be here in a few days finally can’t wait to cover this and review it as a daily used device 😊

[@Purple-f6d]

Hey. Did you make a review of it?

[@LedNe0nDevil]

Change the stripping phillips for Torx, please!

[@ross-carlson]

THIS

[@YOEL_44]

I think Aliexpress will have you covered, no need for official support for screws...

[@nitrobear]

@@LedNe0nDevil This laptop is made for people who know how to buy screws of a certain size on aliexpress if they want to. They did well by using standard size phillips.

[@MONKMIKE]

I Totally Agree my friend, I appreciate your comment. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Splarkszter]

Evem better. Use the square screws. Torx is just as bad as Phillips.

[@insertaverygenericnamehere]

Repairability: 15 out of 10 ✅

[@stephenxs8354]

But sensibility is 0 out of 10.

[@sheikhshakilakhtar1865]

@@stephenxs8354 why?

[@ChairmanHehe]

if this doesn't win design awards, i dont want to see what does

[@onecrazyfennec5337]

First thing i noticed is the lack of battery heat safety system.

[@coccoborg]

Their BMS does have thermal sensor for each cell, according to the site

[@onecrazyfennec5337]

@@coccoborg doesn't have, if you watch the video you can see there is not even a third pin for the safety sensor.

[@frankwong9486]

​@@onecrazyfennec5337 Is that possible the management / protection was on the mini PCB on the battery itself ?

[@onecrazyfennec5337]

@@frankwong9486 can be but is not safe, the thermistor should be installed in the middle of the battery to have more surface to measure any dangerous temperatures, installing the thermistor in a PCB in the battery is not ok as the battery could reach dangerous temperatures and the sensor won't stop the charging until is already late

[@coccoborg]

@@onecrazyfennec5337 compare 0:48 and 3:14 there are little protruding sections on the BMS PCB sitting close to each cell with thermal sensors on them!

[@noone-ld7pt]

The fact that a tiny company can create something as repairable as this shows that the main reason why companies like Apple and Microsoft don't do it because they can get away it. If repairability and upgradeability was an enforced industry standard companies would have to actually try harder and make real progress instead of selling micro-upgrades as revolutionary and counting on them to break before the next product launch.

[@mx0r]

Well, while I’d appreciate more repairability of my MacBook, I would not be keen to carry around a small brick, with strange keyboard layout and small crappy display. But, I am sure, there are great use cases for this one, for people with different needs.

[@mprooveit3588]

@@mx0r Maybe, just maybe, there's a spectrum of repairability versus thinness that someone in the marketplace could exploit. But not if everyone thinks it's an either-or situation. Since it's a bit better of a comparison, what do you think of Framework versus your MacBook? Is that still too chunky/strange/crappy?

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

​@@mx0rI mean that's awfully cynical. Apple could absolutely make a repairable MacBook that didn't look anything like this and wasn't so niche.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

​@@mprooveit3588seriously, this attitude that it's either total repairability or zero repairability and sleekness is just Apple apologia. It's frightening to think how much e-waste apple is singularly responsible for in the landfills.

[@Virtgnid]

Microsoft made their Surface lineup pretty repairable and sells parts at iFixit

[@jackrabbitping]

I appreciate the repairability, schematics and parts but it is handheld sized while not being a handheld and costs almost as much as a framework laptop while being only ARM based. I was hoping these would reflect those things. I was excited but now thoroughly disappointed. Either way happy to see more products like these and happy to see another ifixit teardown.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I mean, I don't really think you can compare this as an apples to apples comparison to the framework given that this is so much more modular. Every single piece of hardware here is non-proprietary it's more or less proof of concept. It's impossible to get open source x86 chips. So it has to be arm.

[@TradieTrev]

Cute AF!!! I want one!

[@MadComputerScientist]

It's like this machine was designed specifically for this video.

[@JesseLau-r6k]

I was so close on buying one of these, but instead, I bought the ClockWorkPi uConsole. Because I saw the tear down video and found too many wires and the overall design is not as modular as I thought. Compared to Pocket Reform, uConsole actually has only one wire, the WIFI antenna, other components are connected through golden fingers and pins, which to me is cleaner. But this is not to discourage anyone from buying Pocket Reform, because it is modular as it can be, and I do like the idea of mechanical keyboards on such a small device...... So Pocket Reform is not bad in that sense.

[@kirishima638]

Why would they put the ports on the display?!

[@WolfDeity]

Because that's where the motherboard is. The keyboard is mechanical so there's no room on that side.

[@maxhartmann1436]

Looking very little, but its great IT!

[@aodhanmorrissey]

Ok, I think I now have a use for my RPi 5.

[@sam327]

Any gpio pins on this thing at all?

[@seanganderton6237]

Can a raspberry pi 5 fit in it

[@nc3826]

An A for effort... But an F for affordability...

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

I mean you have to remember that anytime it breaks you can fix it yourself with open source replacement parts. You can replace the battery super easily. Can replace the chip. In the long run it will save you money

[@nc3826]

“In the long run, we are all dead” and all technology becomes obsolete.... But I get it this channel is an echo chamber for "repairability".... It could cost a million dollars and most people viewing this post would still love it.... Sorry, I'm just too pragmatic for most people watching this channel//// have a nice day///

[@sheikhshakilakhtar1865]

@@nc3826 >"But I get it this channel is an echo chamber for "repairability".... It could cost a million dollars and most people viewing this post would still love it.... Sorry, I'm just too pragmatic for most people watching this channel////" What's with that condescending tone, dude?

[@nc3826]

@@sheikhshakilakhtar1865 dude? Puff Puff Pass

[@BenjaminAlbertclerk]

Forgot to check, do USB connectors and staff

[@TaelsDoll]

score?

[@stephenxs8354]

For that cost you could buy a faster better less bulky bigger laptop several times over. So every 2-3 years get a new one even better if you dont mind used one you can extend the purchase a few more times/years.

[@adrianblack7179]

You're literally describing the reason this thing exists.

[@scottvogel8477]

I didn't know this was a thing. I kind of want it when I have some extra spending money.

[@ingusmant]

I too like repetitive stress injury

[@owlmostdead9492]

The keyboard also comes with 10/10 arthritis

[@tonn333]

And it's ortholinear.... I absolutely loathe them

[@warpspeedscp]

@@tonn333 ortho is easier for me to type on tho, I miss keys far less on ortho than on the usual layout.

[@tonn333]

@@warpspeedscp I assume you don't touch type with ten fingers

[@TradieTrev]

@@tonn333 she's not the layout for me and I'm only a 6 finger sort of bloke!

[@warpspeedscp]

@@tonn333 Well, my max wpm is only about 60, but I do indeed touch type the way most are taught to do it.

[@whoa_guy]

why not just get a pi5 ?

[@SmokingMan26]

This is cool idea but just saw the price....

[@DanielMonteiroNit]

What kills it for me is the clicky keyboard. I get it, it probably feels great to type...but imagine trying to get something done on an airplane? People would throw me out in the middle of the ocean

[@2disbetter]

You decide the type of switches that are used. Linear or clicky. I went linear because I hate the click, and the keyboard is very quite. One a plane with all of that cabin noise, no one is going to hear you type regardless, but especially if you go with the linear switches.

[@DanielMonteiroNit]

@@2disbetter tell me it has great buoyancy in oceanic waters and it's a 🦭 sealed deal

[@nitrobear]

I absolutely adore the idea but everything from it feels like the opposite of what I would want in a laptop. But hey, the schematics are there for me to make a version that could cater to my needs if I wanted to, that's why it's so cool! I love it and hate it with a burning passion though, it feels weird LOL

[@HuskyMoment]

Very cool. Not quite $1000+ for a raspberry pi case cool, but very cool.

[@Kataroku]

Netbooks making a comeback?

[@nickybeingnicky]

Its €850. Thats insane.

[@ScottStanley-x4j]

Alejandrin Lock

[@MarnerKatherine-n3d]

Dane Lights

[@ahmeterhanarik]

No case size shaming please.

[@DatMelloOne]

only 3% battery 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@DavidFossum-p6b]

Kendra Islands

[@jakeeheredia]

Beautiful I love it! But that gigantic screen bezel.. 😖

[@AwildaCreedon-v5y]

Baumbach Villages

[@Edek_Zgredek800]

The question is: Does it run Doom?

[@superNova5837]

yes Anything that can will at some point in time

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

If I can't you can just upgrade chip...lol

[@PerryMells-s3o]

Chelsea Drives

[@igiveupfine]

WANT

[@AndreasA.S.]

but why is it so expensive.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Because they're probably making very few of them which increases the price of the parts. Because it's really not meant to be a consumer-facing product yet and is more or less proof of concept building in open source project. Because they can't subsidize it with collecting your data.

[@BobCollins42]

My only disappointment was the use of Phillips head screws. Can't we move on from that crap?

[@PronounsR4Pussys]

Philips screws are meant to have the screwdriver jump out so it doesnt over screw and cause damage to what the screw is securing. What screw are you going to use instead since you never suggested what screw would be better for them to use?

[@nothingtoseeherelolkek]

What do you want instead? Torx?

[@BobCollins42]

@@nothingtoseeherelolkek Torx would be fine, as would several others. Phillips head is crap.

[@mrsvcd]

The charm with this laptop is that you easily can replace them.

[@mprooveit3588]

Fine, use JIS instead.

[@25RAD]

Nice. The device is useful for... 0.1% of all laptop users?

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

It's proof of concept for a completely modular open source laptop. It's not relevant as a consumer-facing product, but it's one of the most relevant devices in terms of creating an alternative to the ridiculous closed source data collecting spying machines that we have from Apple and Samsung and Lenovo and so on... I think the whole point of the project may have gone over your head

[@nothingtoseeherelolkek]

Who needs that for €850? It’s a genuine question. As small machine with Linux I buy some €70 laptop and it have: better display, better keyboard, touch screen, muuuuch better cpu, it supports more software that whatever this rockchip abomination is. In 3-5 years when it completely dies, I just buy another one. And it more ecofriendly bc hardware used for longer. My laptop doesn’t looks like cyberdeck tho, that’s a minus.

[@Empty_Vima]

A 10-inch 4K 21:9 graphic tablet. It will bury all those ideas if a good one comes out...

[@MTC4Vetrinarian]

Hi

[@Ruhgtfo]

RTX? Yes this is useful ?? NO this is junk