Pinebook Pro 'xtreme'

[Arwen]

Let us be clear about the RK3588. It's not released yet, expected to be released first quarter next year. Any PBP main board replacement is likely to be a minimum of 6 months beyond that. And only if there is enough interest to make it happen. So don't look for this for about 1 year.

All that said, I've worked in computer hardware and software development long enough, that setting rough future goals allows for some ideas to start floating around. Like if the RK3588 supports 6GB or 8GB of memory, a memory increase might be on the update wish list. We can't say, YET. But, if people make a reasonable wish list, we can see what IS doable.

For the volume that PBP targets, a 19" monster, or laptop with 360 degree hinge, just is outside of the target for PBPs. So not on a reasonable wish list.

My desired hardware changes, (as of today):
- RK3588
- 6GB or 8GB of memory
- Depending on what is possible, another eMMC slot or internal MicroSD card slot, (still researching this one). Makes mirroring, bakups or boot recovery easier.
- Easier access to the hardware switches. Either through hole in chassis. Or tiny removably panel.

The last is desired since "bricking" by messing up the eMMC is possible and the only way around is the full opening of the back. Just to access a switch.
Gee, makes me wish we had a eMMC software kill switch :-) F9 anyone?.

@Arwen 

Would it be possible to make smoke small “compartment” in laptop chases so we can always carry few SD cards around with different images? Sliding door of some kind? I really would like to have few spare sdcard’s or with foddering images?
is this reasonable request in future?

8G ram would be awesome. Also much improved track pad

The 8GB RAM could only happen IF a new CPU was selected that supported 8GB of memory, and replacement CPU board were made. The current CPU, RockChip RK3399 is limited to 4GBs of memory. This will likely take a while, (my estimate, which is really just a guess, is >1 year, if ever).

The trackpad has been improved some in software. There is potential to improve further, if / when the firmware is dis-assembled & updated.

I don't see adding non-active Micro SD card storage on the PBP as something that would be widely desired.


The real solution to having spare OS images is using a boot time menu. A recent U-Boot improvement includes using the Pinebook Pro's LCD and builtin keyboard to both select boot device, (from the widest selection). And to allowing booting to different partitions on the same device. Or different kernels on the same partition. This new U-Boot is not ready for prime time, as their are too many gotchas, but it does work. Here is the forum thread discussing it;

[split] U-Boot with NVMe support, keyboard & display working

There are even pictures of a boot menu. Both boot menus, (device selection and OS selection), change per user. My Pinebook Pros don't yet have NVMe adapters, so that does not show up on the device selection menu. And the OS selection menu is user editable in "/boot/ext...", (I don't remember the exact path).

Whence you have the ability to select a boot target, you can leave the SD card in all the time. Further, their are now 400GB and 512GB Micro SD cards, (from reliable manufacturers, not fake flash device scammers). So, you could have 10 x 50GB OS images on a single 512GB Micro SD card. And boot to any one of them. And always making sure one of them is bootable, (for recovery).

Gee, this ended up being a bit long...