[bitecode]

> "A laptop with exactly zero compromises"

I mean the size, weight, awkwardness and small trackpad all seem like compromises to me. I'd suspect the battery life too. And some of the screens aren't placed in the most practical of locations.

That said it's a pretty impressive prototype.

[ben174]

I prefer the version with the printer: https://i.imgur.com/RCgJg6F.gif

[Yetanfou]

Once upon a previous century I tested a laptop with a built-in printer for an article I wrote for a magazine. Paper was fed through a slit underneath the keyboard, ink was dribbled on it from a microscopically small ink cartridge and in only half a minute it worked its way through a single A4 sheet.

It was made by Canon under the name Notejet [1]. It did not come with a built-in desk though.

[1] http://laptop.pics/canon-notejet/

[jodrellblank]

Not built-in, but https://youtu.be/2nR3dDVgAVQ?t=51 is someone using a HP 200LX MS-DOS based palmtop and battery powered portable battery powered small Pentax printer, in 2015.

[thomasqbrady]

What is that from?

[bazzargh]

I didn't recognize the movie but the two onlookers are John Turturro and Mel Smith - which pegs it as Brain Donors (1992) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103872/

[cyberpunk]

According to the specs, this 12KG laptop gets 28 minutes at full power on batteries >_<

And it's not allowed on airplanes..

[wheybags]

Why even waste weight on battery at that point. That is a built in ups, not a portable device.

[londons_explore]

A built in UPS is really helpful for moving from room to room around a home or office.

For a long time I've wanted something with all the properties of a desktop PC, but the ability to move it to another room while booted and without having to do multiple journeys.

A serious enough setup I could use it for work every day, yet still with the ability to take it to the living room to do stuff while supervising the kids...

[greggyb]

Put the whole thing on a platform with casters and bolt the case and a UPS to the thing. With a solid metal base, you could put on a shelf for mouse and keyboard and a stand for a monitor.

This seems like a pretty achievable project if you have access to a workshop.

[wl]

You can buy such a thing off the shelf. They're called "Workstations on Wheels" or "WoWs" and they're everywhere in medical facilities.

[djrogers]

For a device that may be deployed in or from a vehicle or locations which may or may not have 100% stable power, a built in UPS is great.

Also, that 'ups' allows one to move the device around - it is called out as a mobile SOC.

[pmiller2]

Seriously? 12 kilos? That's heavier than an Osborne 1 [0], and that was considered a luggable computer rather than a laptop per se.

---

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_1

[hn_expanscape]

The venerable Osborne 1! Now that's a trip down memory lane!

[hn_expanscape]

This is due to regulations regarding max Watt Hour ratings for lithium batteries on planes. However we are still working on this.

[NikolaeVarius]

Battery regulations are the weirdest goddamn thing. TSA forced me to stow batteries in checked in luggage when I literally pointed to the regulation (I had a copy on my phone just in case this exact scenario happened) that I had to bring it on carry on. Nope didn't care, I guess the battery looked scary

I had to pay like 80 bucks to check a random bag with those batteries.

[hn_expanscape]

Agreed - I understand the reasoning but it is frustrating.

[LeifCarrotson]

And with the "Out of band always visible battery gauge" you can literally watch the charge tick down by 1% every 20 seconds!

I expect it's not a big deal for actual usage, with my controls engineering workstation I typically only use my batteries to transfer from the dock in my office to the dock in the shop and vice versa, and to hold the laptop in suspend when I go to and from work.

[djsumdog]

> And it's not allowed on airplanes

Is the battery limit just for carry-on or for checked too? Could you just check this in?

[jpalomaki]

The limit is much tighter for checked-in luggage. You are supposed to carry the batteries with you.

This is due to fire safety.

[hn_expanscape]

YUP. This is correct.

[hn_expanscape]

Thanks. The palm rest screen is actually really useful in day to day operation.

[Jean-Philipe]

I thought they meant that as a joke?

[xwdv]

Zero compromise doesn’t mean you get what you want. Actually the opposite sometimes.

[bena]

Yes it does. That's why "zero compromise" is usually a losing proposition, because there are often requirements that conflict with each other.

You can't have 7 screens, long battery life, and have it be light weight. That would be zero compromises.

It's basically the old adage: Fast, cheap, good - pick two.

They've sacrificed any kind of portability for more screens.

[hn_expanscape]

Believe it or not there are alternatives to our Aurora 7 prototype but those are too large to fit in standard backpack. They usually consist of monitors bolted on to a standard desktop chassis and don't feature integrated batteries. The Aurora 7 folds down then fits into a backpack.

[bena]

Believe it or not, a 25 pound laptop you can't bring on an airplane isn't what anyone would call portable.

If that's portable, then so is any number of small PCs that could fit in a backpack.

[xwdv]

I don’t get the outrage, a small 7L PC could weigh 25 pounds and is very portable.

You might be thinking ultra-portable.

[bena]

Outrage or general non-acceptance of claim.

[dragonwriter]

> Zero compromise doesn’t mean you get what you want

Yes, it does. If I don't get all of what I want, then, ipso facto, the product involves some compromise.

Now, if you mean “Zero compromise is almost always a marketing lie”, that's definitely true.

[xwdv]

No, if the manufacturer decides to make the product however they want and not listen to any of the user’s needs or requests, that is zero compromise from them.