ICYMI: MNT Pocket Reform official development details

Yes exactly, thanks!

In case you’re new to Reform, there are a number of compatible CPU/RAM modules coming including this LS1028A option, and a Raspberry Pi CM4 adapter (which uses a common connector shared by a few similar single board computers, like the SoQuartz from Pine64).

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The Pi4 will be pretty awesome, provided the Pi OS includes driver support for the Reform mainboard?

Is this necessary, or should it already work?

So I’m moving house right now, and all of my homes servers are down atm. I am just posting because I want to stay on top of the Pocket Reform. I really want to place an order just as soon as the opportunity is available.

I also have just received my Librem 5 and have a ton of things to talk about that I think will run parallel to the Pocket. (Long story short: I think the Pocket makes a lot more sense for the SoC than a phone.)

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We will be sure to update this thread whenever there’s more to share! Thanks as always for your enthusiasm!

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ICYMI, there’s now a page on Crowd Supply for the Pocket Reform project. The campaign isn’t live yet, but you can sign up with your email address to get notified once it launches!

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Thanks for adding the link! I’ll post when the campaign launches. Should be in only a few weeks.

I’ll definitely consider one when they become available on the MNT store. Not doing clownsupply again after last time

What happened last time on crowdsupply?

the worst case of systemic incompetence I’ve ever seen from a large company.

In short, they repeatedly delayed delivery for months (over a year) with no communication, unnecessarily shipped it around the world multiple times, then decided they couldn’t ship it at all due to it containing batteries so they offered me the opportunity to cancel the order, then decided I couldn’t cancel after all so refunded my VAT payment and left me to deal with the import procedures which I’d already paid them to deal with.

Then they decided that they actually didn’t have the all the components I’d ordered so they wanted to send it in two separate packages so I’d have to deal with customs and import twice. They also demanded payment of additional unspecified ‘taxes’ from other customers, though they didn’t try that one with me.

Oh I didn’t know they ship things themselves. I assumed they r just providing the platform to collect the funding and the shipping is up to the manufacture of the product.
Would be nice to be able to preorder outside of crowdsource, what would also avoid some fees for MNT.

@pandora @loonylion please move this discussion elsewhere if you want to continue it–it’s somewhat off topic since this thread covers Pocket news and other details. I understand that there were some frustrating issues with fulfillment in the past, but CS/Mouser have worked to improve those processes since then.

We encourage everyone to support the campaign, especially if you want a Pocket Reform sooner rather than later. Crowd Supply is a trusted, important partner for MNT and the broader open hardware community.

I’m guessing the pocket wont be available sans SoM? I have a LS1028A on predorder and if I could get a pocket without an included SoM it would be nice to reuse the i.MX8 from my full fat reform, rather than have it be lying redundant on a shelf somewhere.

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I believe the intention is to allow this. I believe I have heard this intention from MNT himself once or twice.

The crowdfunding campaign is live now (and fully funded after barely a day)!

There’s also a thread on these forums for asking technical questions.

There are no purchasing options without a SOM, or listing on the MNT Shop. Which makes sense (to me, anyway), since it’s more natural for those kinds of things to happen later, after the crowdfunding stage.

There are other ways to fit the keys in the footprint but they also kind of suck

Nonetheless the problem with sending the parts needlessly several times around the world and handling import fees individually when ordering from EU remains.

Also the campaign does not offer the LS1028A module.

While I agree that it’s less than ideal for EU shoppers, the ability to get global distribution via Mouser is a huge advantage that cannot be underscored enough.

The LS1028A module is not compatible with Pocket Reform right now. The output from the module does not natively work with the display setup in Pocket.

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Any chance that something like the Rockchip RK3588S would be available in the Pocket Reform? That would be so great!

AFAIK this time everything will be handled through Fedex, and customs will be pre-cleared: 2023-03-18.log.

Also, an anecdotal experience: I backed/bought a Precursor through CrowdSupply at the end of 2021, everything happened through them including shipping.

Even if the device itself was shipped by the product creator from Singapore to CS, my shipment was handled by Fedex and no customs fees were charged.

I’m confident this will be the case for Pocket Reform as well this time.

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