NexDock 2: The Perfect Raspberry Pi Companion?

[@wermy]

So what do you guys think? Product reviews aren't typically my thing but I've been loving this thing for Pi stuff! 😍

[@pearcomputers]

looks nice :) link maybe? xx www.kickstarter.com/projects/nexcomputer/nexdock-2

[@LenHarms]

I wish chromebooks had this capability, to plug them into a computer and be used as a terminal, then unplug them and they work as a chromebook.

[@megagamer8705]

then they would be used for more than just shitty school laptops!

[@neciasilver5357]

@@megagamer8705 that's exciting what I was thinking

[@andrew9254]

Looks pretty sick, I could see that being a great companion for samsung dex.

[@blahdelablah]

Thanks for the review, looks pretty good. Just FYI, I believe the first device of this kind was the Motorola Lapdock (there were a couple of different models). They were designed as a dock for smartphones, but people have used them with Raspberry Pis in the past.

[@stonent]

Coming up with some kind of SBC cartridge standard with a formfactor like the zero would be nice. Then just slot in your new computer module when you upgrade.

[@stopcreepingyouweirdo]

Compute Module is pretty standard, but traditionally there have been too many competing low-volume products in the SPC / embedded systems space to justify any alliances with cross-manufacturr standards. :\ Maybe the time is now.

[@AlessandroSchiassi]

I'm building my own, using an old Vaio. It's mostly for my Samsung S9+ since it works in DeX mode, but I'm planning on having an HDMI switch so I can connect a Raspi on it.

[@silversonic1]

My Motorola Lapdock is still doing pretty well, but I have only ever used it with my Pi Zero. I know the Pi 4 would be far too demanding on power consumption for the Lapdock to handle it, though.

[@shazmosushi]

This should be integrated into an actual laptop. Having HDMI in (and being able to use your keyboard and trackpad to an external device via USB OTG) should be integrated into an IBM ThinkPad laptop. USB OTG even allows creating a virtual USB stick (hosted on a shared folder or ISO on your laptop). That kind of laptop would be VERY useful for single-board computer hobbyists/developers, and IT system administrators.

[@alexstone691]

Sadly hdmi in seems to be expensive

[@shazmosushi]

@@alexstone691 HDMI IN doesn't have to be implemented with an expensive capture device. You could directly wire it to the laptop screen and just have an input selector switch. This should be very cheap to do, but is still very useful.

[@AshLordCurry]

ab-so-lute-ly, I still don't understand why it's not a thing, imagine using an old laptop as a screen for a headless homemade server, it would be perfect!

[@MY3DCO]

Hey nice Cartboy cameo! Love how universal that dock is! I need one for testing. :)

[@AndersJackson]

I do agree. The turn of time when lost data is a problem. The mouse pad is not as good as it could be. The surface isn't that good. Had no problem with the USB, but I have not used it that much. It would be nice if the device could warn the device about baterie levels. Grate screen though. I have the previous one, and think this is better. And the RPi cable is great.

[@rivera82falcon]

Make a little docking station for that bad boy, that'll be hot. A slot for the pi to sit in or another portable device. Not bad seeing a useful review though instead of the same crap others upload because 100 other youtubers did. Also, I like that you kept it real by being honest and told us some bad things instead of how "awesome and rad" this is.

[@AZREDFERN]

They have all of that extra space inside. Why doesn’t it have a 100Wh battery? Mostly because it’s larger, but it’s also the largest battery you can bring on a plane.

[@wayne02058]

Can you make another video of the nexdock 2 by pairing it up with a smartphone ?

[@aoescool]

look up mrp on youtube he has tons of video with samsung dex connecting to nexdock.. samsung dex is the best.. im typing off my 15 inch monitor connected to blue tooth mouse and key board with samsung galaxy s10e..

[@WIImotionmasher]

For the track pad what does "Feels cheap" mean? Like is it just because its cheap plastic, or does it actually screw up tracking?

[@Tyrone696]

Good question, I would like to know also

[@badactor9063]

Wermy, we need an answer!

[@trixniisama]

It's the two according to LTT channel.

[@DAveShillito]

I backed the NexDock 1, and rarely use it since the BT connection is, as you said, really annoying to work with. Also I totally forgot the keyboard would be US configuration which makes it annoying for me who is used to a UK setup. Finally the power supply they provided didn't feel safe to me, so that was replaced. They defiantly seem to have made improvements on this version, and I'd be tempted again, but unfortunately the US keyboard would still make it a no go for me.

[@cravatenoire3269]

guess you know now they come with different keyboard layouts. Was your Nexdock battery removable like a laptop' ? TY

[@DoctorX17]

Looks pretty cool. I hope people with Android devices looking at this know that not all Android phones can do display out, though... Also, I love that teeny tiny Hyper 212 look-a-like cooler, that's adorable

[@nicofish1000]

Im thinking about a nextdock and a pi4 as a laptop replacement. I gave my laptop to my sister since I hardly use it. I figure if im not going to use a laptop that often I want something where I dont care if the hardware goes out of date.

[@cravatenoire3269]

Does it come with a REMOVABLE BATTERY set-up like in Laptops. 1:10 GB Docking is very interesting.

[@AgeingBoyPsychic]

This is the future of laptops. we've been able to build PCs forever, now that's possible for laptops, and they're way more versatile than any x86 laptop you can buy today, and almost limitlessly expandable and upgradeable, until the connections it uses are not used anymore, which will be a looooooooong time for USB. And when Apple starts using ARM chips in their laptops (which looks likely to happen soon) ARM app support will skyrocket. I'm excited, I'll definitely buy one for my RasPi 4, but I'll wait for the touchscreen version.I'd also love to see a version that uses the Raspberry Pi compute module internally (which uses the same DDR2 SODIMM connectors found in laptops), and then hopefully other SBC manufacturers will make compute module versions of their boards.

[@jzda1slabrider852]

They need to have a slot on the back where you can stick your phone and it needs to get down between 100 and $150 ,,,, but I like the idea

[@chrisE815]

It will never be that cheap until a major brand "builds" it... I agree on the phone holder though!

[@RichardBronosky]

Wouldn’t it be cool to see a future where a portable computer were 4 components? Display, Keyboard+Mouse/Trackpad, Battery, and Compute would all be separate and highly interchangeable.

[@photon_4422]

id like to see something a little bit thicker that you could put a modified sbc in, but this thing is pretty neat.

[@theablanca17]

rpi compute module 3 isn't that thick. Wouldn't that work? In theory

[@photon_4422]

@@theablanca17 I completely forgot that existed. Compute module would be perfect for something like that

[@Strawberry92fs]

I've been saying for YEARS that the future of portable computing would be something like this, although In my head I had it combined with those sort of "laptop dock" things. You have your phone, which has this amazing processor in it, so you just plug your phone into a processorless laptop thing, maybe have a dock with a graphics card or extra RAM or an optical drive. Just have one device that can be a phone, or a laptop, or a desktop replacement.

[@GameDawgs]

I think you might be onto something there. A lot of people I know don't need anything more than their phone. They could use the "dock" for the few times they need to write long documents or for convince, but 90+% of their daily lives could be done on the phone.

[@LelandHasGames]

Seeing as how you can hook up many things into it, it is kind of a no brainer.

[@stpidstuff]

Can you make a MintyPI in an Altoids Smalls container? I think "MiniPI" would be a good name.

[@cocoshort6528]

proaly coundn't because of a pi zeros size, but maybe with anothe tiny computer like that he may be able to

[@stpidstuff]

@@cocoshort6528 Yeah, a different, smaller computer would work, i mean, they did make a gameboy mini that's about the same size as the altoids smalls container, so.....

[@gettinfr0stii823]

The pi-top looks amazing, but they haven't brought one out for the Raspberry Pi 4 yet. I'm thinking of buying a RPi and one of the laptop kits as a cheap alternative to a laptop (as you can get a 8GB RAM system for way less than a laptop would cost)

[@oldtimeengineer26]

for the cost I think I would just buy a laptop pc for a little more

[@unixtan]

Only makes sense to pair Nexdock with a compatible phone for mobility instead of an SBC. Also, the laptop gets an upgrade every time you change your phone.

[@deviouslick5097]

Can you use this with a regular PC? Would the keyboard and trackpad work?

[@352GNV]

what is the black mini laptop in this video?

[@wermy]

That’s a OneMix 3S

[@snekhat7223]

Hey, an idea, how about you make an emulator, like a gameboy, but with the bottom part of the ds lite, it can run gameboy advance, snes, etc, but everything is inside the bottom part of a ds lite :)

[@Xpurple]

I'm still using my atrix dock. It's far from perfect, but it works.

[@Wedeemgaming]

I have a motile which I did a video for which will be up soon and the usb ports on there are tight as well. Every time I pull a cord I have to use great force and because the laptop is really light it will pull. Make me cringe since it is a metal laptop and I worried about scratches at the bottom of the laptop!

[@mandelbro777]

What a great idea.

[@mrbio-gs9ve]

i also happy bro and liked your comment

[@BenjaminDls]

I want one, but I was wondering, why to you have to plug both ends of the spliter to the Pi (the type C for power yes, but the type A ?) Can you go type C to type C and keep the 2 type A from the Pi free ?

[@prinzz06]

do you know if the device will be damaged if someone accidentally plugged power to data port?

[@alanricketts1671]

When I connect my Note 10 Plus to the NexDock 2, Dex does not open. Dex worked the very first time that I connected my phone. But not since. Any ideas????????????

[@ichi1082]

What is it with these tight USB ports these days. Feels like every other device from China has this issue (in my case the GPD Micro PC and a no-name power bank I recently got)

[@XenGi]

I can get a decent thinkpad used for around 150$ which is probably 10x more powerful than a raspberry pi. Why would I get something like this instead? Considering that I would use the Pi for emulation etc.

[@gambino3701]

What is that digital clock you have on your bench?

[@wermy]

That is a “Divoom timebox mini.” It’s neat but I would not pay full price for it, I got it for super cheap on clearance.

[@Tw3akst3r]

So, can you plug in an external drive for storage via what you referenced as the right side USB hub?

[@retreauxnintendeaux1663]

Just curious how it compares to a RasPad? Probably closer to the PiTop...?

[@RetroWolf13]

Oh yes can't wait

[@mrbio-gs9ve]

resperry pie supports 64 bit pc or 32 bit

[@somanathsahoo5668]

Can this work with a mac mini when connected with it.

[@thanosmourtzoukos5048]

hmmmmmmm what if you can use it for server debugging ?

[@colorplease9570]

But can it play doom?

[@wermy]

No. But it does have L and R keys. 😬

[@Wedeemgaming]

I like it, the design mostly but it would have been nice if the single board computer was internal!

[@theWSt]

Nice device! Beside that, what's that Mini-Laptop at 1:35 ?

[@marvbloke]

Yeah - would really like to know about that mini laptop

[@wermy]

That’s a OneMix 3S. Nice little laptop, I use it for anything I need windows for (except gaming).

[@wermy]

OneMix 3S :)

[@theWSt]

I like that thing, but it's expensive

[@FoxhoundOSP]

how would this setup work as far as a mobile Dex setup?

[@mattivirta]

laptop but not inside anythink laptop, can use raspi board. but price need be about 50$ then have ok. additional part to raspi.- not more must cost.

[@thursmornsunlight]

man...this is what the Superbook was supposed to be...I have a $200 CAD brick that never powered up...

[@simmonslucas]

Just ordered my Raspberry PI 4. Wish I would have backed this.

[@AdamKueflef]

What cooler are you using on your pi4

[@qhrqayyumhassanriyad4891]

Will anyone sell it. I need buy one.??

[@adriancortinas7676]

This device is impressive helps multitask.

[@andrewwhitfield5480]

Sentio? Remember that one?

[@electronic7979]

Super

[@ConanRider]

Is this any better than a portable monitor?

[@wermy]

Well that’s kind of what it is, but with the (huge) added benefits of keyboard/mouse and battery too. :)

[@jannioferreira]

just put a sansung s10 motherboard inside and solder some wires to the usb type c

[@himfizzle91]

Link to purchase?

[@wermy]

NexDock.com :)

[@QLTD]

I need one

[@NexXxus86]

my coworker has one, I want one.

[@danagoyette7932]

I won't even consider the NexDock 2, because the NexDock 1 was inexcusably terrible in easily avoidable ways, to the point where I'd say backers got screwed. The worst part is the touchpad that randomly clicks on things. You so much as breathe on it while typing, it clicks. If they had at least disabled tapping, then the most it could do is harmlessly wiggle the cursor. It's not even logically a touchpad, it's a pretendtobeamouse-pad.

[@chinjongwong8959]

I LIKE THIS😁😁😁

[@theoneandonlymichael6627]

Wow, I can't believe someone reviewed that thing. Enjoy your new toy.

[@steelfalconx2000]

Well I can buy a great Enterprise refurb laptop for that price...

[@paparansen]

at least that

[@MrBobWareham]

so it is 260 for a screen and keyboard you have to be joking I can purchase a laptop for that

[@wermy]

It is *not* meant to be a laptop replacement, it’s meant to be a portable screen/keyboard/mouse/battery for the types of uses I showed. If those uses don’t excite you then yes a laptop makes a lot more sense for you. :)

[@RetroWolf13]

Let me watch I tell you bro

[@nicknmd2776]

Swweeeeet looks good my boi

[@alxleiva]

Great idea but you can also buy a chrombook for that price which is standalone. I'd buy one only if it'd be cheaper.

[@wermy]

If all you want to do with it is chromebook-type things then sure, that makes a lot more sense. This is more aimed at people who want a portable monitor/keyboard/mouse setup with a battery, to make things like the Raspberry Pi portable. :)

[@alxleiva]

@@wermy well I can see how useful it can be, I just compared the benchmark of a $899 HP probook 11 with a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy scores higher on multi-core. So it'd be cheaper to buy a NexDock. I also like to have the ability to connect my pi's. Thanks for the video, it was very informative.

[@qureshiowais6951]

SSH

[@GeorgeTJ]

This thing is only good as a Dock for your SBCs, other kinds of testing or software developing. Due to its seriously BAD speakers, it can't be used as a laptop, tablet replacement or media device in general. That's a lesson NOT learnt by the Nexdock team. They featured the worst speakers in the world with the first Nexdock and back then they reassured us, that version 2 would come with high quality speakers in the future. Well nexdock 2 has now landed but the speakers remain dreadful. So think twice before you buy this. Consider how you are going to use it and set your expectations accordingly. It's not dead cheap after all. A big big shame and the last Nexdock I ever buy.

[@GeorgeTJ]

The speakers are HORRIBLE. Well, speakers...

[@OnlyEpicEmber]

Surely you're better off with a cheap laptop?

[@wermy]

For day to day computer use definitely. But for testing things on raspberry pi-like devices and working on projects it’s awesome! :)

[@theamazingfuzzy5913]

its too expencive for what it is

[@LUKAS3675]

"I'm not an android user"... ok no bias, just unusual for a "nerd" (nerd in a good way) "keyboard feels chap like a chromebook"... ok I'm out of here

[@ms.sammanthalee5156]

lost my dad we bury him saturday can you invent a to keep folks from being homeless i got till the middle of next month....

[@PrivateSi]

Junk.

[@tetsuoz7]

Totally useless.

[@mrbio-gs9ve]

how