Show HN: I made an open-source laptop from scratch

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reception

  • Thread is overwhelmingly positive; many call it one of the best posts they’ve seen on HN and a “hall of fame” project.
  • Commenters are struck by the breadth of skills (EE, mechanical, firmware, software, industrial design, documentation, storytelling).
  • Several note they know few professional engineers who could execute something this integrated, let alone a high school student.

Cost, resources & accessibility

  • Creator reports R&D spend around $4.7k, with an estimated per‑unit DIY cost around $1.5k if you skip failed iterations.
  • CNC case from a Chinese shop is ~$300 for top/mid/bottom in anodized aluminum.
  • Multiple people point out that supportive parents, an elite high school with funding and lab access, and time in high school are major enablers; others share experiences of having interest but no money, tools, or mentors.
  • Some push back on “anyone can do this,” preferring “anyone with enough money, time, and ability.”

Technical design & challenges

  • Use of an RK3588 SoM is praised as a smart way to avoid the hardest SoC-level power‑up and bring‑up problems while still tackling high‑speed design.
  • High‑speed interfaces (USB‑C, DisplayPort/eDP, PCIe) are seen as the most impressive part; eDP reportedly took months and a respin.
  • The detachable wireless keyboard is widely admired; people brainstorm charging it from the main battery, shrinking its battery, and even making it split/ergonomic.
  • Case and hinge design (including reusing commercial laptop hinges) is another recurring point of interest.

Open‑source status & performance

  • Most of the stack is open except unavoidable blobs for the SoC, display, and trackpad. Some argue that prevents calling it “fully” open hardware; others say this is an acceptable compromise compared with typical proprietary laptops.
  • One commenter challenges calling it “high‑end” on performance grounds, noting that RK3588 lags modern x86 laptop CPUs; others respond that max performance was not the project’s goal and the complexity would be similar with another SoM.

Potential improvements & ecosystem

  • Suggestions include: flex PCBs for cleaner cabling, touchscreen or detachable screen, modular standards for laptop internals, and further boot‑time optimizations.
  • Several point to related open hardware laptops and RK3588 boards, as well as the Raspberry Pi ecosystem as an alternative SoM path.
  • Many encourage turning it into a kit or small‑batch product, while acknowledging the logistical burden.