The LapPi 2.0 is a DIY laptop kit with an acrylic enclosure, a UPS HAT with a 18650 battery holder, and off-the-shelf parts including speakers, a touchscreen display, a Raspberry Pi camera, and a wireless keyboard that’s suitable for the Raspberry Pi 4 and pretty much any other small single board computer from Radxa, Orange Pi, Banana Pi, FriendlyElec, Hardkernel, and others.
We’ve seen several Raspberry Pi laptops over the years with the CrowPi L and Pi-Top, and I have to say the LapPi 2.0 is not the most eye-pleasing or sophisticated design, but at least, it’s versatile and not limited to the Raspberry Pi family.
LapPi 2.0 kit content and highlights:
- Display – 7-inch 5-point capacitive touchscreen IPS display with 1024×600 resolution support for audio output via 3.5mm audio jack and 4-pin header
- Camera – Official 8MP Raspberry Pi Noir camera with night vision support
- Audio – 2x 5W/8 Ohm speakers (10 x 4.5 x 2.1 cm each)
- Keyboard – Mini 2.4GHz wireless keyboard with 280 mAh rechargeable battery
- UPS – UPS board taking two 18650 batteries and equipped with 2x USB ports, a 0.91-inch OLED information display
- Enclosure – 3mm thick acrylic enclosure available in clear, black, red, or yellow colors
- Misc
- 2x hinges
- micro USB and Type-C cables for power
- micro HDMI and HDMI connectors plus flex cable
- Pack of screws and standoffs
- Protective case
- Power adapter
- Dimensions – About 27 x 19 x 7.5 cm when closed
- Weight – 1.52 kg
The LapPi 2.0 is available as a unassemble kit or pre-assembled. Looking at the thickness of the kit, it’s more like a carrying case for your DIY project… As noted in the introduction, most of the items are off-the-self parts and it appears the only parts made by SB Components are the acrylic panels and the UPS HAT for Raspberry Pi that was launched on Kickstarter last year. So it’s something you could reproduce yourself if you own a laser-cutting machine.
The LapPi 2.0 Kickstarter campaign has already surpassed its 2,000 GBP goal with about $9,400 raised so far. Rewards start at about $244 US for the unassembled kit, and $269 for the assembled kit. That’s without any SBC, and you’d also need to add two 18650 batteries, so the value proposition may not be there unless you absolutely need a portable DIY Raspberry Pi / SBC laptop kit, and don’t have time to make it yourself… There are also bundles with a Raspberry Pi 4 SBC that brings the price to over $300. Shipping is expected to start in March 2023.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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I’m glad there are ongoing developments in this space, even if as noted the LapPi (2) isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing – though I don’t think it’s supposed to be? – but I figure it’s worth mentioning that thanks to Waveshare, the pi-top [3] is no longer limited to RPi SBCs as the Waveshare CM4 to RPi3B+ adapter can be used with SOMs from Radxa, Pine64, eventually BananaPi…