Re:Show HN: I Made an Open-Source Laptop from Scratch
by labolg on Thursday January 23, 2025 @12:15PM
(#42805845)
Yes and no.
I have independently learned some electronics (digital and high speed) starting about 10 years ago and aren't that surprised that an ambitious high schooler with resources can now do it. There have always been younger people who wanted to do whatever they saw. Up until 5 years ago it was however hard to make a laptop.
There weren't many SOM modules available, which meant you had to learn to route memory. Open source carrier board designs can now be found on GitHub as well. Multi-layer board were expensive to have made, and slow to get. There wasn't assembly so you had to learn to solder really small components, which requires a microscope and other specialized tools. CNC is still a bit expensive, but still a lot easier than injection molding. KiCad still isn't the best for high speed, but a lot better than it used to be. Sourcing parts in general was much harder.
Just like PHP brought framework, template, programming language, hosting, community and whatever else so when a teenager wanted to make a website they could, the things that goes into making a laptop have now become easier.
I like that the attitude is positive, but it feels slightly lame as well. The big reason you can do this today is because of everyone who among other things fought to get features into KiCad, started lowering the price of PCBs by pooling and reselling, designed various development boards and so on. You still can't really make a x86 laptop because of everything being under NDA, not possible to buy and the advanced routing required. Or maybe you now can with the LattePanda...
So in that sense ignorance of the limitations help, but it wouldn't have previously. It is possible, easier even, to figure this out as an adult. Hacker News were for some reason never that interested though.
I have independently learned some electronics (digital and high speed) starting about 10 years ago and aren't that surprised that an ambitious high schooler with resources can now do it. There have always been younger people who wanted to do whatever they saw. Up until 5 years ago it was however hard to make a laptop.
There weren't many SOM modules available, which meant you had to learn to route memory. Open source carrier board designs can now be found on GitHub as well. Multi-layer board were expensive to have made, and slow to get. There wasn't assembly so you had to learn to solder really small components, which requires a microscope and other specialized tools. CNC is still a bit expensive, but still a lot easier than injection molding. KiCad still isn't the best for high speed, but a lot better than it used to be. Sourcing parts in general was much harder.
Just like PHP brought framework, template, programming language, hosting, community and whatever else so when a teenager wanted to make a website they could, the things that goes into making a laptop have now become easier.
I like that the attitude is positive, but it feels slightly lame as well. The big reason you can do this today is because of everyone who among other things fought to get features into KiCad, started lowering the price of PCBs by pooling and reselling, designed various development boards and so on. You still can't really make a x86 laptop because of everything being under NDA, not possible to buy and the advanced routing required. Or maybe you now can with the LattePanda...
So in that sense ignorance of the limitations help, but it wouldn't have previously. It is possible, easier even, to figure this out as an adult. Hacker News were for some reason never that interested though.