Planet Computer systems turned heads when it arrived on the scene nearly precisely 5 years in the past. The London-based {hardware} startup was banking on a little bit of nostalgia for the times of tactile cellular keyboards, because it tried to pull the PDA kicking and screaming into the twenty first century with the Gemini. 2020’s Astro Slide 5G adopted in the same vein, spurring on a extremely profitable crowdfunding marketing campaign, despite being launched originally of the pandemic.
At present, the agency hit MWC in Barcelona with, considerably sarcastically, a non-mobile gadget. Planet is launching a line of ARM-powered Linux desktop PCs. The brand new XR line is being pushed because the “first-ever out-of-the-box Linux mini desktop expertise,” which means that the top person has to do little to get the Ubuntu packing containers up and operating.
“The XR collection is Planet’s first foray into the non-public laptop market,” CEO Janko Mrsic-Flogel says in a launch tied to this morning’s information. “By productizing Linux right into a mini desktop PC, the XR is one other step in direction of making a extra open and inclusive computing ecosystem.”
Picture Credit: Planet Computer systems
The road is launching with two techniques — the XR1 and XR2, fittingly. The previous incorporates a four-core processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The latter will get you eight cores and a Mali-G610 GPU. RAM runs 4GB to 32GB and storage is out there from 32 to 256GB (you will get that as much as 2TB with add-ons).
There isn’t any of the identical built-in nostalgia current that you simply’ll discover in Planet’s cellular gadgets. The addition of a coloration touchscreen is definitely fascinating, providing controls and particulars on system efficiency.
“Planet has at all times innovated with gadget kind components,” says Mrsic-Flogel, “and we’re particularly excited in regards to the XR’s built-in coloration touchscreen, which provides Linux customers a brand new stage of management and confidence, in addition to the right platform for builders to entry sensible Linux home equipment.”
Like its predecessor, the XR can be made obtainable through Indiegogo. Those that get in early can choose up the XR1 at £399 ($477) or the XR2 for £499 ($596).
