A fully open hardware and software laptop is already intriguing but what if it could be folded to fit in your pocket? The MNT Pocket Reform does exactly that in a 7-inch clamshell that comes with Debian GNU and supports other Linux distributions. You can wow your friends with this mini computer’s mechanical keyboard, 1080p display, and modular design that invites you to adapt and expand it to meet your own needs.
To be fair, you’ll need a somewhat roomy pocket to be able to fit the MNT Pocket Reform inside. The original plan was for a 5-inch screen but the MNT team told IEEE Spectrum this size made the keyboard too cramped for comfort so it was scaled up a bit to make typing easier.
The 7-inch mechanical keyboard has 60 keys and a trackball so there’s no need to attach or pair input devices. Bluetooth 5.0 and two USB-C ports make it easy to connect a larger keyboard and mouse if you’d like. The ortholinear keyboard aligns keys in a rectangular grid pattern which might take some getting used to and touch typists will certainly feel more comfortable with an external keyboard’s traditional layout.
The latest news from MNT’s website is the completion of fulfillment to Crowd Supply, a crowd-funding platform for engineers. Good progress is being made on Raspberry Pi integration so the MNT Pocket Reform could be a nice computer to pair with electronics projects.
Measuring just 20 × 12.6 × 4.5 cm, the MNT Pocket Reform is a complete laptop with several ARM processor options with 4 to 16GB of memory; up to 128GB of flash storage, up to 2TB SSD, and a MicroSD card slot; a 7-inch, 1080p display and micro-HDMI output at up to 4K resolution; a 60-key, backlit, mechanical keyboard with trackball; Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
You can see this is a serious computer with plenty of expansion and connection options. It’s powered by an 8000mAh battery that can be charged with Power Delivery. Being a super-portable laptop, there’s also an option for mobile internet with a 4G/5G/LTE modem and a micro SIM card slot. Pricing is not yet available but you can learn more at and check the MNT Pocket Reform’s progress on Crowd Supply.
