Laptops have been getting thinner, more powerful and increasingly difficult to customize. The Reform from Berlin's MNT Research dares to be different with open software and open hardware that invites modders to get under the hood and go wild.

Currently raising production funds on Crowd Supply, the MNT Reform is not tied to any contracts, cloud services, user agreements and so on. It doesn't come with any internal microphones or camera modules, and if you want Wi-Fi, you'll need to plug in a removable PCIe card. But it has been designed to be taken apart, studied, modified, reassembled and more.

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A Vivante GC7000Lite GPU serves up graphics to a 12.5-inch Full HD display, and there's a 128 x 32-pixel OLED panel above the keyboard to view interactions with the system controller. It comes with Debian GNU/Linux 11 loaded onto an SD card, but if you want to run another operating system, you can.

MNT Research has gone to Crowd Supply to launch a $999, open source hardware “MNT Reform” laptop that runs Linux on an i.MX8M based Boundary Devices Nitrogen8M SOM and offers a 12.5-inch HD screen and an NVMe SSD.

We first reported on the MNT Reform laptop back in 2017 when the prototype was equipped with a 10-inch screen and an i.MX6 SoC via Fedeval’s TinyRex Ultra module. Now MNT Research has revised the design with an i.MX8M Quad, a 12.5-inch HD display, and NVMe support and has launched it on Crowd Supply.

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At publication time, the MNT Reform crowdfunding campaign had reached about $85K with a goal of $115K, with another 38 days to go. Packages start at $550 for the motherboard with 4GB LPDDR4 and an SD card preloaded with Debian 11, based on the Linux 5.x mainline kernel. You also get an international 110/230V power supply and a heatsink.

PC enthusiasts have flocked to crowdfunding platform Crowdsupply to back an ongoing campaign for a unique new laptop: the MNT Reform.

In a nutshell, the device promises to be open, customizable, hackable and entirely transparent. It's also the only notebook in existence that complies in full with the standards of the Open Source Hardware Association.

At the time of writing, 108 backers have committed more than $124,600 - well over the initial goal of $115,000 and with 35 days left in the campaign.

In the world of technology, slower and inefficient machines and their high sales can be termed an oxymoron but for a new ‘MNT reform’, the pair of opposites seem to be working quite well.

In a nutshell, the device promises to be completely transparent, open, customizable, hackable and it is also the only existing notebook that fully complies with Open Source Hardware Association standards. Until now, 108 supporters have committed to contribute a whopping sum of more than $124,600 which is well above the target $115,000 and with 35 days remaining in the campaign.

A new modular laptop has launched via the Crowd Supply website designed to run free and open source software but also use open hardware. Enabling owners to easily swap out parts replace batteries, hack and tweak the laptop to suit their needs and requirements. Watch the demonstration video below to learn more about the open source DIY laptop specifically created for customisation and user privacy.

The MNT Reform laptop is now available to purchase with prices starting from $1,300, with worldwide shipping included and expected to take place during December 2020. If you would prefer your laptop fully assembled then pledges start from $1,500.

MNT Research GmbH just launched a campaign on Crowd Supply for laptop that's completely Open Source, the MNT Reform via Tech Radar. The laptop was built to be a "DIY laptop for hacking, customization, and privacy." It protects privacy by not having microphones or cameras, and can be repaired with a single screwdriver, according to MNT Research GmbH. You can order an MNT Reform that's already put together to $1,300 or order one to build yourself for $999.

The MNT Reform is the only laptop to fully comply with the Open Source Hardware Association standards, according to MNT Research GmbH. In its campaign video, its makers highlight how the laptop is "open hardware and fully documented." The drivers, input devices, system controllers, and other components are open source.

In addition to being open source, the MNT Reform is built for simple repairs. MNT Research GmbH shows that it can be taken apart with a single screwdriver. You can also swap out the batteries, as in several cylindrical batteries, which is certainly unique for a laptop. It has eight 18650 battery cells that look like standard batteries.