First of all, if you’re reading this thread, please don’t put the onus on MNT to produce this kind of thing! @minute has expressed not having interest in making an x86 module, and I think that’s completely fair.
That said, this thread is to talk about whether or not whether or not it might be possible for such a thing to appear, esp from the community side. Given that I regularly hear from talking to users that “well, I can’t use something that’s not x86 practically”, mainly I am looking at whether or not there’s really a chance of something being possible.
I see there seems to be one micro x86 board which might be able to have something approximating the right form factor, the LattePanda Mu. I’m not sure of any others. Thoughts?
Ignoring the politics and privacy/control issues related to x86, there’s one big blocker: heat. I have a couple of odroid H4(+) boards with an intel N97 processor. The boards themselves are pretty large (by MNT standards), being just under mini-ITX form factor, and most of that area is taken up by a beefy heatsink, that stands almost as tall as the 2usb+ethernet port module. Even so, I have to keep a close eye on how much load I put it under because it can get very hot (passively cooled in open air at present).
i think this could be awesome if the community were to come out with a package including a better top plate that’s all metal, like aluminum, and had some small channels in it akin to a heatsink, and sell the CPU module and back plate combo on something like Etsy (similar to how the RK3588 modules for the original Reform have the copper heatsinks bundled in). the trick would be getting some wifi and maybe cellular antennas through some small holes to stick on the outside, as RF noise would be horrible with all metal enclosure.
if this ends up becoming a reality, i’m working on making my own design for some simple screw on accessory slots to attach full sized modules to the back of the Pocket reform (they’re designed, just figuring out how to 3D print it best and post print processing), for adding major functions that just don’t fit, like a comms module that has LORA, Meshtastic, maybe a disassembled walkie talkie, etc, all in a single little “backpack”, and i’d love to see the custom backplates in this “upgrade kit” include my design (so if someone does do this, shoot me a message or an @ here on the forums) especially as the slots are curved on the sides and provide the perfect spot for some antennas.
First of all, holy moly the external eGPU demo is awesome!
Second of all… I don’t know what’s not possible, I think it’s just something that comes up sometimes, and it’s made me think/wonder about how feasible an x86 approach is. I get the sense that it’s completely unviable for the Pocket, but maybe is possible for the Next, due to heat distribution concerns. But I really don’t know.
Regardless, I guess Apple has normalized having aarch64 laptops, so maybe it’s really not a concern!
I have just ordered a Tuxedo as my daily driver.
Reasons:
While some things might be possible in principle, they might not actually be possible for all people or people like me. I have spent quite some time trying to set up Steam on my MNT Pocket Reform. That is a nobrainer on Linux / AMD64.
I want to run MS Office. Yes, I know about LibreOffice but it is about being used to do things in a specific way for quite some time. So I will probably run a Windows VM on Linux. I suspect I could run a Windows ARM + MS Office in a VM on a (Pocket) Reform but again I am not sure how.
The Windows VM will also provide me with a way to run my scanner software and some other software.
I do like the Pocket Reform for the small size and it is an amazing machine. But yes, native AMD64 would be great. In particular as Framework is no option for me any more due to their latest action.
Exactly why I have renewed interest in MNT and the possibility of a x86_64 board with something like the 7w i3-N300. The only other even remotely comparable* option is not an option, at all (*very different, but similar problem space).
FYI I have heard that it’s possible to get the Intel SoCs directly from Intel, maybe through Mouser, but I couldn’t figure out out. I have spoken with some people who did not have good experiences with the LattePanda company, alas, so it may be worth exploring going directly (I really just don’t know though)
probably the biggest thing for me about x86 on reform is the trackball. I hate touchpads, and literally every laptop manufacturer seems to have switched to these hideous pressure sensitive ‘haptic’ touchpads that are near impossible to use with my multiple medical conditions affecting dexterity, co-ordination, inability to judge or control applied force and on top of that i have an intention tremor. Touchpads are bearable when they have actual physical buttons but those have been apple’d out of the laptop ecosystem apparently.
as an aside, I also strongly dislike Intel, but if there was an AMD based SoM (Especially a Ryzen one) I’d be all over it.
