ARM Laptops

What choices are there with respect to ARM Laptops.
(ie with work going on with the Linux/RO)

The PiTop 2 at the 2018 SW show – seemed to have a much better keyboard the PiTop 1.

Thanks

The PiTop 2 at the 2018 SW show – seemed to have a much better keyboard the PiTop 1.

It definitely is! As I probably said at the time (I don’t know if anyone else had one there!) the limitations with v2 are around monitoring the battery life – it’s a good six hours, but still catches you out when it just dies. Overall, it’s a much better build than v1, but until someone cracks the API for the battery monitoring, it’s great, but a gamble after five hours!

Obviously this all works nicely with Pi-Top OS, and with Raspbian I believe.

A second-hand Always Innovating Touch Book, RISC OS still works, but no recent Linux.

I still fantasize about putting a Sitara processor on a board inside the Olimex Teres but sadly don’t have the time…anyone else out there who can lay out a PCB and doesn’t have a pesky job to go to…?

Seriously though, just how good is the PiTopV2 keyboard? Can you confidentally touch-type on it?

Has anyone done a road test – for the ‘PiTopV2’ with ‘RISC OS’ in mind?

Has anyone done a road test – for the ‘PiTopV2’ with ‘RISC OS’ in mind?

It runs RISC OS fairly well. As long as you don’t want to monitor battery life or have sound. I’m aware that someone is working on power off control software and battery power monitoring.

Screen brightness is hardwired into the keyboard anyway.

The Pi-Top v2 speaker doesn’t seem to work with RISC OS. The problem generally appears to be with the API for the Pi-Top v2 not being available. Pi-Top will point enquiries to a page, but the information is pretty much ‘not there’.

All that said, it’s a MUCH better proposition that the original. The keyboard and screen are far superior and the quality control seems to have improved. Again, I know of someone who has an issue with a Pi-Top v2 that Support can’t resolve without replacing the part, which is much more of a ‘replace the whole thing’ job than it was with the Pi-Top.

I haven’t really picked up the Pi-Top since I installed RISC OS on the v2, such is the difference!

Stay tuned, no comments.

See:

https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/12/topics/15842?page=1

https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/12/topics/15842?page=2#posts-117579

Just my 1.5 cents worth (or is it pence on this forum):

€0,02 here. ;-)

A somewhat more expensive £549 will get you a PiTop v2. But, on the other hand, it’s a ready built system so you don’t need to design and make a case, find a screen, find a suitable keyboard, etc etc.

A “similar price” ¹ will get you an ARMbook which is a laptop designed as a laptop, rather than a modified Pi

¹ RComp’s site says “from £399”. Trying to pin down an actual price seems next to impossible. Are there options? Different models? Broken cog award?

Eleven months ago I got myself an ARMbook. It is basically a neat Linux laptop that runs RISC OS from an SSD card, once it has been inserted at the side. Sadly, the Wifi connectivity no longer works. That does not affect the use of RISC OS which lacks the drivers anyway. The Linux side is fine but I am now tied to a cable internet connection. In fact Manjaro-ARM Linux I find pretty impressive, especially the ease of updating.

Would this wifi problem be software or hardware?

Have you tried Linux RO?

Are these laptops still available?

Would this wifi problem be software or hardware?

Hardware, I am pretty certain. The CPU board and the WiFi board have little metal covers, held in place by black tape. The WiFi board’s cover was found to be displaced.

Have you tried Linux RO?

No. Which distributions/CPUs does it work on?

Are these laptops still available?

Ask Andrew Rawnsley at RComp (mailto:rcomp@rcomp.co.uk).

I bought myself a little tp-link wifi dongle, as it advertised itself as working with Linux. My Armbook runs Manjaro when the RISC OS SD-card is absent. It appeared to work fine. Then I noticed that the wifi was still working, even when the tp-link was not connected. Amazing! It looks as if the wifi on my ArmBook was not broken! It is a bit like barren couples who adopt a child and then find that they are not barren after all.

Or like my friend whose ancient MacBook’s trackpad had stopped working – until she bought a mouse!

Has anyone tried Linux RO on one of the Mediatek MT8183-based Chromebooks (e.g. the HP Chromebook 11a or the Lenovo Duet)? They’re faster than any of the options above and can be had for as little as £200.

I’ve been holding out for the next generation of Mediatek Chromebooks, but look to have a bit of a wait on my hands due to chip shortages.

Just be certain that it’s a recent device patched against MTK-su.
https://www.xda-developers.com/mediatek-su-rootkit-exploit/

Ref Linux on the Armbook – have you tried Tim’s Linux RO on it?

The way that RO can be used alongside other OS on the Raspberry Pi I think I understand, superficially. The way it works for the ArmBook is different, so Andrew Rawnsley has told me. Also, does formatting and loading emmc memory require special tools?

Found a HP Chromebook 11a on ebay for £110 and decided to take the plunge. It’ll be replacing an Amazon tablet that should sell for £80-90 so I’m only investing a further £20. I’ll try Linux RO on it once it’s arrived and will report back.