SleekPortable

A handheld UMPC designed for serious use

Contributions are welcome!

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Rationale

The lack of portable computing options that ain't heavy laptops or anti-repair - design tablets is lacking.

• Espechally when it comes to devices with actual keyboards that people can type almost blindly on.
  • Shure, one could take a Pi 400, strap a screen and battery bank to it but that's hardly compact anymore!

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Goal

Be compact

It needs to be portable as in "fitting into pockets"...

• The maximum feasible size for jackets is 12cm overall depth and an ultrawide form factor (See VAIO P11Z), but that's not an option besides Cargo Pants and deep-pocket Jackets.
• The maximum feasible size for Pants is that of the GBA SP [with a bit of wiggle room in terms of depth] as it's pretty chonky...

A Specification Sheet (Work in Progress!) can be found here.

The exact case is to be determined. Some Comparisons have been noted down here.

Be useful

It needs to be able to run a useable Linux OS.

• _OS/1337 may be fine for some, but ideally it should be capable of more.
  • If in doubt, it needs to be able to fit a Raspberry Pi Zero W (2) for it's compute needs.
    • But generally any SBC in it's form factor should work.
• Make it a simple yet nifty system.
  • Not just for "red teaming" networks with Kali Linux.
  • Make it a nice PDA-esque system for efficient use on the go.

It needs to have sufficient connectivity.

• MicroSD (Boot Storage)
• USB (Additional Hardware)
  • Using the "Cartridge Slot" at the rear/underside for connectivity next to some ports.
  • internal parts?
    • Keyboard
    • Trackpoint + buttons
    • Hub to connect all of the external and internal ports
• 3,5mm TRRS (CTIA-Compliant) Headset Jack
  • OMTP compatibility with passive adapters.
  • Optional Switch for AV-Out?
• USB-C Power Delivery [at least 5V @ 3A max.] for charging.
  • Port at the underside for a dock
    • Hardware switch: Power/charging only or power + data (i.e. for a Dock similar to the GPI Case 2 and Analogue Pocket).
• Nice to Haves:
  • 100Mbit/s Ethernet [via USB]
    • Power over Ethernet as either a port on the dock and or cartridge similar to some Pi0 accessories.
  • Cartridge Slot
    • The design and pinout is to be determined.
      • Some comparisons are noted down here.

It needs to make sense.

• It needs to have useful features
  • hot-swappable batteries
    • it needs to have sufficient battery runtime anyway.
• It needs to be affordable
  • If it's as expensive as a Laptop + Smartphone, then there's no reason to use it.

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Acknowledgements

This project is inspired by various devices beloved by many.

• GameBoy Advance SP
  • For being a compact handheld that feels great and just is super pocketable.
    • It's dimensions & form factor is the design inspiration
• PDAs & early Smartphones
  • Nokia Communicator - series
  • BlackBerry Curve
  • Palm Treo 600
  • Cybiko, a PDA aimed at Kids which used a patented mesh networking technology in the 915 MHz ISM Band, predating DASH7, LoRa(WAN) & Meshtastic/MeshCore for over a decade.
• Anbernic RG34XXSP
  • Obviously a copy of the GBA SP's design, but with a more modern ARM SoC used to play various Retro Games from microSD cards.
• Retroflag GPi Case (2), a popular case for Pi Zero W & CM4 W SBCs in the form factor of the original GameBoy.
• Sony VAIO P
  • For showcasing what a Netbook can do if budget isn't holding it down.
    • Unfortunately it's garbage iGPU made it age worse than the original Eee PC
• solder.party KeebDeck
  • A tiny, opensource Thumb Keyboard inspired by the Blackberry Bold 9700 keyboard and it's diminishing stockpiles of replacements.
• Xbox 360 Chatpad
  • Another tiny Keyboard used mostly for Text Chatting on Xbox Live and typing in Text on the Xbox 360 instead of the on-screen keyboard.
• dreamGEAR MiniKey
  • A discontinued, tiny USB Keyboard originally marketed for use on the PlayStation 2 for entering game cheats.
• violence.works VT-69 Terminal
  • A stupid terminal that is portable and provides the ability to also host a Pi Zero (W).
• Pagers like the iconic NTT Pocket Bell, BlackBerry 950, RockSTAR Burst & GroundControl RockSTAR [the latter ones using the Iridium 9602 Module].
• Flip Phones like the iconic Motorola RAZR.
• Marcin Plaza's upcycled foldable Phone because it's cool.
• Iridium 9555
  • Your Chonky Brick Satellite Phone that only got beaten by the Iridium 9575 & Iridium Extreme PTT.
  • Designed to be rugged and just work globally!
• Waveshare GamePi20
  • A compact case for the Raspberry Pi Zero (W) to turn it into a Handheld similar to the GameBoy micro.