PINE, the rival company of Raspberry Pi and maker of the $20 Pine A64, has just announced its two below $100-priced Linux laptops, known as PINEBOOK. The affordable Linux laptop is powered by Quad-Core ARM Cortex A53 64-bit processor and comes with an 11.6" or 14" monitor.
Specifications of PINEBOOK
Based on its product guide, PINEBOOK is a light and thin Open Source notebook. The laptop's processor is the same one used on its famous PINE A64 Single Board Computer, the most competitive rival so far of Raspberry Pi.
The notebook is lightweight (1.2 kg) given its full-size keyboard and its multi-touch pad is large for easy usage. PINEBOOK has its mini HDMI port that can be used to connect to TV or bigger external HDMI screens for presentations or watching videos.
PINEBOOK also has a built-in slot for microSD card (SD, SDHC, SDXC). This is a great news for users of the notebook who need to have additional expanded storage of up to 256 GB. It also has 2 USB 2.0 Port, headphone jack, and a built-in mic. PINEBOOK is preinstalled with a PINE A64-supported operating system and a built-in 1.2 MP front camera.
According to CNX, PINEBOOK is expected to be capable of supporting most, if not all, of the operating systems that can be handled by PINE A64(+) boards. Operating systems like Ubuntu, Debian, Android 5.1/7.0, Remix and other Linux variants can be used.
However, for the OS to run properly, the firmware needs to have minor configuration tweaks since the notebook comes with an LPDDR3 RAM.
Price of PINEBOOK
The 11.6 inch and 14-inch PINEBOOK are priced at $89 and $99 respectively. Given its price, these could become one of the cheapest laptops today.
For now, PINEBOOK is still not ready for purchase but you can register to their site to get the latest update from their sales team. It's the best way for now to get hold of this affordable Linux laptop.
