CrowView Note is a laptop-like device that is ready to work with Pi, phones and mini PCs

Elecrow has launched an interesting project on Kickstarter that looks like a 14-inch laptop but isn't. It basically brings a laptop experience to connected phones, single-board computers, and portable game consoles.

Single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi, while not as powerful as full-fledged desktops or laptops, can be great for coding or creating documents, working on your emails, browsing the web, or watching online videos. But while the board itself is quite portable, you'll still need to wire up a monitor, keyboard, and mouse before you can get everything working.

CrowView Note will allow your Pi to be mobile without having to carry around a bunch of peripherals. So what we have here is a 14-inch 1080p IPS monitor hinged to a low-profile keyboard and touchpad. There’s a 5,000mAh battery inside the body to power the Note and the computer board – although you’ll need to get yourself an adapter/bridge board to interface with the Elecrow device. The Pi can then be booted up and the Note can be used as a portable Pi station.

Elecrow

And it's not just Pi enthusiasts who can benefit from the mobile project work. The company also says that NVIDIA's Jetson Nano Dev Kit is also compatible (again, via a bridge) with the Orange Pi, Beaglebone, Banana Pi, and a bunch of other single-board computers.

If you’re working from a desktop-mode smartphone with Samsung DEX, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can plug it in via USB-C and play with more screen space, while still using a real keyboard and touchpad. The same goes for mini PCs – the setup is compatible with a wide range of operating platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Android, and Linux. And gamers can simply connect a PS4/5, Xbox, Switch, or portable console to the cable and enjoy the 300-nit display.

Elecrow

At its core, the CrowView Note is similar to the Elecrow second screen we reviewed last year , but with its own keyboard and battery. Like that crowdfunded device, the company has taken to Kickstarter to fund production of the Note. Pledges currently start at $130 (plus an extra $5 if you want a Pi or Jetson bridge).

The usual crowdfunding caveats apply, but if all goes as planned with the already-funded campaign, shipping is estimated to begin in November. There's more in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter