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Thank you for visiting my project. Please see the other pages in the wiki to review my preliminary planning, which includes hardware spec, known challenges, design choices, estimated timeline, long term roadmap with variant ideas.
In today's world, there are screens aplenty. They are everywhere, replacing paper, posters, and whiteboards with displays. Lest our homes, but many workplaces and even schools have external monitors for use with laptops. Boardrooms are equipped with big screen TVs or projectors, not to forget everyone has a fairly good screen in their pocket. So, why do I need to carry another screen, with my laptop, when I just need the familiar desktop environment of Windows, Linux, or MacOS? iOS and Android alternatives just aren't the same, and while the world tries to create the perfect finger-friendly workspace; Windows, MacOS, and Linux still dominate for getting most tasks done.
This concept started for me in late 2022 when I got an Oculus Quest 2. Whether gaming in VR or using Virtual Desktop for PCVR and flat-screen games, my Quest headset quickly replaced my monitor for all gaming (shout out to VorpX for converting flat-screen games to stereo 3D). Yes, the Quest 2 doesn't match the latest gaming monitors in quality or refresh rate (fingers crossed for Quest 4 with HDR), but with Virtual Desktop being wireless, I could game in [choose] room, chair, or bed, and even began experimenting, "if the moons align", on the go. (In all fairness, using something like Moonlight for many years). Despite this, it didn't occur to me to work via my VR headset until over a year later, using apps like Immersed or Virtual Desktop. (the latter only recently added support for multiple displays.)
Last year, I switched to a Samsung Fold (from iPhone) and started using Samsung DeX for almost half my work, especially since I've had to be more remote this year. Due to the remote work and previously experimenting with streaming my Quest 2 outside the house, I started using Moonlight Streaming for some gaming, particularly with in transit. About 2 weeks into this, there was a particularly frustration day, with two moments, which lead to the conception of a device such as the Mu-boo Cub Mug (it's a ridiculous name... but that's why its stuck so far).
It was a planned, packed 14-hour day, while in a wait room or in transit, I attempted play via moonlight, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but the cellular networks weren't cooperating. Later, in a busy environment where I needed to focus on getting some work done, it occurred to me, "if only i had my Oculus to remote into my home office and work on massive virtual monitors". However, I remembered the terrible network conditions from earlier in the day, and it also would have been a pain to carry around a laptop that day. So the thought occurred, if only i had a pocket size Windows PC I could stream into. I spent some time searching but didn't come up with anything that fit; x86, moderately powerful yet pocketable and battery powered. This planted the idea of a smaller, more portable solution that could be streamed from. Possible a laptop replacement. I don't know if it would qualify as a cyberdeck.
Over the next two months, I used my Quest more for remote work but faced hiccups like a PC freeze, random reboot (likely due to brownout, but software not set to startup at boot), a router stall, and on many occasions of network sluggishness. I even ran out of data on my plan one month. Lowering the resolution to 900p on Moonlight usually helped, and for the screen size to held screen distance, plus how games are designed, it hard to notice. But in a work scenario using VR, if it's not 1080p its awful, especially when the screen is centimeter from my eyes. Higher resolution means higher chance of "hiccups". A PC locally, in my pocket, all these "hicups" would be easily addressed or not at all.
At this point, i have this desire for a new mini/micro-pc, but it's got to be portable, and be USB-PD powered (It's 2024, I mean most of the mini-pc's don't run near 100W and we've had 240W official since 2022).
Finally, last month, it really got to me. While working as AV at a conference, I saw people using handheld PCs like the Asus Ally and Steamdeck. IMO, I (almost) had a better system, a high end desktop gaming Rig in my hands, more powerful then any handheld. Capable of any game @ 60+ FPS; I just needed reliable and consistent remote access.
It weight on me so much, as there were hours of downtime during the conference, I could be getting through my back catalogue of game. In the hotel, I had next to no cell signal. And, even if i could access the WiFi (which I wouldn't expose to), likely there would be all kind of network lockdown, possible ports blocked, yet alone reduction in bandwidth due to the thousands of people attending the conference. Why couldn't my beautiful folding phone be my "steamdeck"... it could if only.... and in those moments of despair, when I did get a cell connection, I found the Lattepanda Mu.
It's a pretty powerful N100 x86 chip in card-sized compute module. This form-factor makes it perfect, no, the only way, for me prototype my idea, and get the minimalized design im looking for, without all the complex PCB work need for an x86 chip, including PCB RAM Traces. The small size allows for a custom design that isn't too heavy but still functional. I don't want a 5kg weight in my pocket, but it don't need to be an Apple feather, either.
This idea could become a unique project for many to enjoy. I'm open to anyone interested in contributing their time, effort, or support to complete this project so they can build their own device.