Funded within 5 minutes, soulscircuit are clearly onto a winner here with their upcoming Pilet open source modular mini computers powered by the Raspberry Pi 5.
Something I covered here on GamingOnLinux back in early December, because they really do look like a lot of fun. Even though I have no need, I really want one! Coming in two different form factors there's the Pilet 5 and Pilet 7. They both share similar internals, it's mainly about the screen size for what you wish to do with it. The Pilet 5 is more like an all-in-one PC console while the Pilet 7 is more like a tablet.
As they explain: "Pilet is a retro-futuristic, open-source mini-computer powered by the Raspberry Pi 5. With 7-hour battery life and fully modifiable hardware and software, it's built for tinkerers, creatives, learners, and coders who want total freedom. Escape the limitations of closed devices and locked-down systems and bring the fun back into computing."
Check out their video on it below:
Direct Link
Features:
- Raspberry Pi 5: Pilet is powered by the latest Raspberry Pi 5, bringing performance boost alongside advanced features like PCIe and NVMe support.
- Long battery-life: With a seven-hour battery life, you're free to take your Raspberry Pi projects anywhere, no longer bound to the desk.
- Open Source: Unlike modern iOS/Android tablets and computers that are closed and offer no room for hardware customization, Pilet runs on open-source hardware and software, giving you full control. After launch, we’ll release full schematics, PCB files, CAD files, and source code—giving you the freedom to tweak and modify both the hardware and software.
- Simple, Practical Design: We've embraced the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle to minimize unnecessary complexity. No extra drivers or hardware hassles—just straightforward, 3D-printable, and fully customizable components.
- Modularity: Pilet’s modular design encourages creativity. You can design and build your own modules, whether it's for cameras, sensors, or actuators. We’re also working on modules like LTE and NVMe.
Have a look on the Kickstarter campaign. At time of writing the campaign is fully funded and is pulling in funds rapidly approaching £100K. The minimum pledge for the hardware is about £162 which gets you the Pilet 7, or about £173 for the Pilet 5.
The Raspberry Pi 5 board is not included in this kit. You can use the Pi 5 you already have or purchase it separately.
200$ for only case+screen without board itself, schematics of that, and no batteries. All this bought separately. I know that, board around 120$ for 16gb RAM, but they could point it on main page. I found this info in FAQ, before nearly bought one too.
Just kinda that they advertise how battery long last and how fast it is, while they selling it without it...
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