Unusual devices often appear on the Kickstarter site, the authors of which are trying to attract the attention of potential buyers in order to begin mass production of their own products. One of these new products was created by the Chinese company Ling Long. We are talking about a device called Lunar PC 2-in-1 Foldable Keyboard & Mini-PC, which is a folding keyboard with a built-in PC.
Image source: videocardz.com/
The new product looks like a keyboard, but is also a full-fledged mini-computer equipped with an APU, memory and storage. The design even includes a 59.2 Wh battery to ensure battery life. The mini-PC comes with 16 or 32 GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, which is soldered on the board. Previously, this computer was presented in China, but now the Chinese manufacturer has decided to try to enter the international market.
Essentially, the Lunar PC blurs the line between what is traditionally considered a mini PC and a laptop without a screen. The design of the device includes a Wi-Fi module for connecting to external devices, for example, wireless screens. There are several interfaces for connecting devices wired, including USB Type-C. According to the developers, one fan on the rear panel is enough to effectively cool the 15-watt AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor. At the same time, the device weighs only 800 g, which, combined with a folding design, will allow it to literally fit in your pocket.
Since the keyboard is what makes typing comfortable, the switches on the Lunar PC are important. The developers did not disclose which switches are used in the new product, but it is known that we are talking about scissor-type switches and an all-metal case. Lunar PC can dissipate up to 50 W from the processor, but it is unknown whether the cooler makes much noise when operating with such power.
As for the cost of Lunar PC, during the fundraising campaign to launch mass production, the cost of the new product was $579 for the version with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of ROM, and $739 for the version with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of ROM. This is significantly more than the cost of Lunar PC in China ($430 and $515). In addition, questions arise about after-sales support for such devices, so it is worth weighing the pros and cons before purchasing one.