I’m wondering if there are any plans to build 2-in-1 notebooks (convertible laptops). Something like the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.
Schools are starting to recommend those types of notebooks for our children, and in fact they are handy - you get the best of both worlds, a full-blown power horse of a computer with the ease of use of a keyboard-less tablet. And an “integrated tablet stand” for free.
I’ve decided I buy only those for all members of the family. But I’ll only allow libre software. Now, a 2-in-1 (13" or 14") Librem notebook would just be awesome!
I think the long-planned, but never built, Librem 11 laptop with touchscreen and detachable keyboard sounds like something you might consider. I don’t know where that laptop is in Purism’s thinking now that they are all-in for the phone for 2019.
Thank you for your input which helps us to sharpen our focus when choosing our way forward with new products. Currently we have not made any decision but what I think I can disclose is that we are indeed considering smaller than 13" devices (and larger than phone) and are also thinking about 2-in-1 solutions. The problem with the 2-in-1 is though that these are usually based on pretty low end CPUs since most the machine has to be contained in the LCD section (CPU, RAM, storage, primary battery).
I have a different use for electronic devices in mind than what is currently probably mainstream. I feel uncomfortable with carrying around a “brick” of a phone. I feel uncomfortable with the limits of a small (smart phone / smart watch / tablet) screen and interaction patterns. I’m unhappy that I and others pull out their smart phone to look up the current time. I’m as unhappy about the fragmentation of features among smart phone apps as I am unhappy about the diverse feature offering of the different form factors. I want everything everywhere, and nothing artificial (read: computer use patterns) getting in my way.
Why I believe a 2-in-1 has become popular
A computer of the size of a sheet of paper offering the features of the main different form factors in a combined way makes people happy. It’s doing away with the limitations of the various form factors we’ve tried. While I’m a software developer, working with a computer most of my time during the day, I want a device so “lightweight to use” (a tablet form factor) in my spare time when I’m interacting socially – without having to sacrifice the power of my full-blown developer machine.
Same goes for a watch-size computer, which in my eyes should have no need for a display (but that’s a different story). And everything in-between is somewhat ill-sized as a full-blown computer, because it doesn’t fit into a “normal”, pre-computer, human interaction pattern.
It would simplify life if all future - notebook form factor - computers may simply be convertible by design. It looks like a very small feature addition to let the screen be turned around for 360° (I understand it’s a technical challenge), but it makes a huge difference for human-to-human interaction when a computer is present. I won’t buy non-convertible models anymore - for anyone in my family - since I’m experiencing how good they feel.
We hope to revisit this later when we can get back into the design process for this product after we have cleared our current priorities. So for now, I’ll close this discussion thread to avoid ambiguity and consolidate threads.