Planet Computers it caused a sensation when it burst onto the scene almost exactly five years ago. This London-based hardware company bet on nostalgia for the days of mobile touch keyboards and tried to bring the PDA into the 5st century with the Gemini. The 2020 Astro Slide XNUMXG followed a similar vein, fueling a highly successful crowdfunding campaign, despite launching early in the pandemic.
Now Planet is launching a line of ARM-powered Linux desktops. The new XR line bills itself as the "first out-of-the-box Linux mini-desktop experience," which means there's little for the end user to do to get Ubuntu computers up and running.
"The XR series is Planet's first foray into the personal computer market," CEO Janko Mrsic-Flogel said in a statement. "By producing Linux on a mini desktop PC, the XR is another step toward creating a more open and inclusive computing ecosystem."
The line launches with two systems: the XR1 and the XR2. The first has a quad-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The second has eight cores and a Mali-G610 GPU. RAM ranges from 4 GB to 32 GB, and storage ranges from 32 to 256 GB (you can go up to 2 TB with plugins).
The same built-in nostalgia you'll find on Planet mobile devices isn't present. The addition of a color touch screen is certainly interesting, as it offers controls and details on system performance.
“Planet has always innovated with device form factors,” says Mrsic-Flogel, “and we're especially excited about the XR's integrated color touchscreen, which gives Linux users a new level of control and confidence, as well as the perfect platform for developers to access smart Linux devices.”
Like its predecessor, the XR will be available via Indiegogo. Those ahead will be able to pick up the XR1 for £399 ($477) or the XR2 for £499 ($596).
