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[Project] Pi-Based Laptop (Part 1 - Planning)

Following up from a previous post, I have started to source out components to build a Pi-based laptop. As mentioned, using a Raspberry Pi 3B+ is out of the question, as I want a faster laptop that I am able to tolerate using as an everyday carry.

I feel that the laptop needs to fulfill the following criteria physically for me to use it as an everyday carry:-
Item Requirement
Lightweight < 1.5kg
Small form factor A4 paper (30cm * 21cm)
Thickness < 1.8cm
Connectivity Minimum 2 x USB Type A ports, Ethernet jack, HDMI output, Headphone Jack, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Battery Life Minimum 4 hours

Thus far, I think the hardest requirement to meet is the 1.8cm thickness as I plan to integrate a keyboard and a trackpad into the main body itself. Neither of which are easy to fit into such a thin form factor.

Additionally, I need the laptop to be operating smoothly (so that I won't throw the laptop on the floor after completing it, in rage). As such, I also came up with a list of hardware requirements that whichever board I am using needs to meet.
Item Requirements
CPU 64 bit Quad-core 1.4GHz (minimum)
GPU Any Mali GPU (preferably 2 cores or more)
RAM 2GB (optimally 4GB), 1000MHz or faster, DDR3 or better
Audio out 3.5mm audio jack
Storage NOT MicroSD or onboard storage (minimum 64GB)
Wireles Onboard Wi-Fi (must support 802.11ac) and Bluetooth
Wired Gigabit Ethernet
USB USB3.0 Type A (minimum 2 ports)
Power Intake < 24W
Video Out Minimum 1080p
Weight < 100g
Operating temperature 70 ~ 80 degree Celsius
Form factor The smaller the better

"But hey, isn't the laptop very easy to make? Just throw the SBC into the main body, connect the batteries and charging circuit." Well, if I only integrate the board into the main body, then I would see the following problems:-
  1. With the Ethernet jack and USB ports on the board, this will make the body itself very thick.
  2. If I just throw the board into the main body, all the I/O ports will be clustered at the side, and at the back - not the most ideal place to have I/O ports.
So, I have decided that a lot of onboard I/O has to be desoldered and rewired to make the final product something thinner to work with.

And finally, I also came up with a list of things to cram into the tiny form factor, mostly so I can gauge how tight the fit needs to be, as well as plan what components to look out for.
  • The SBC
  • A screen (minimum 10.1 inches diagonally)
  • The screen controller board
  • Camera (webcam)
  • Friction hinges
  • Dual speakers
  • Charging circuit
  • Battery packs (yes, "s")
  • Internal USB ports for keyboard and trackpad, possibly webcam
  • Keyboard
  • Trackpad
  • External ports
"Wow, isn't that a little ambitious?" Yes, yes it may be a little ambitious to cram everything mentioned above into a very small form factor. But I will try my best to make this project a reality.

That's all for this post. Look out for a follow-up post, where I will compare which SBC I will be using for this project.
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