Superbook

[Gren]

Hey guys,

I backed this a few days ago:-

Basically it's a laptop shell that connects to your android phone giving you a screen, keyboard and trackpad, and also provides 8 hours of charge. I believe there's also talk of connectivity for the RPi.
It provides a desktop-like experience for Android via an app. Seems kinda intruiging, hence my backing it
Anyone else backed it?

Wonder if there's any chance Pyra can use it?

Gren.

 

[Alperoot]

I think the portability of Pyra is one of its most important things so, I wouldn't back it for that. Connectivity for the Raspberry Pi makes much more sense because it would basically turn Raspberry Pi into a laptop, so we have that.
About Android, I guess it is missing a bit much to be a computer

 

[levi]

If it appeared as a usb display, keyboard and mouse I guess the it would just be plug and play on the Pyra, but the fact it needs you to run an app on your phone makes it more likely it's using some proprietary connections, which would need to be reverse engineered to be of any use with a Pyra. Know any reverse engineers interested in both this and a Pyra?

 

[tigerroast]

Wonder if there's any chance Pyra can use it?

That would be incredibly redundant, considering the "all-in-one" approach the Pyra takes. What I mean is, the Superbook is meant to add functionality to a smartphone that the Pyra already has. Keyboard, non-touchscreen mouse controls, can already boot a standard Linux distro for PC functionality.

Hell, maybe we could have a spin-off of MaruOS and just switch between Debian and a "just-for-Pyra" custom Android ROM.

Also, I think this would undermine ambitions for a docking station. A "homegrown" solution, if you will. That would be awesome.

 

[PowerGod]

Wonder if there's any chance Pyra can use it?

First of all the Pyra will be indeed ready for everything pluggable to turn it into a "big" PC, with hdmi monitors, usb mouse/keyboards, etc...

What I can't understand is why going around with a Pyra and a "portable PC case"... why not just buying a real portable PC ? It's also more powerful...
and related to the smartphone I can comprehend the need of a keyboard and bigger monitor, but still with a real PC you can both plug your phone while recharging it and sharing the keyboard...

 

[bitibyte]

In addition, rpi and Superbook:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12254850

 

[comradekingu]

This would make sense to me if it used the phone as a trackpad.
A better keyboard would put it above and beyond what others have on offer, this seems like exactly the same.