Budget-Friendly Laptop Rekindles Old Tech Buzzword; Industry Takes Notice

Budget-Friendly Laptop Rekindles Old Tech Buzzword; Industry Takes Notice | Expert Analysis

It looks like a standard laptop, but it’s not.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

The CrowView Note is currently on Kickstarter, set to ship in November 2024 for $139.
The CrowView Note greatly simplifies using a single board computer, phone, or mini PC as a laptop.
Hopefully, the CrowView Note will ship with proper documentation, as it is rather frustrating without it.

I remember a decade or so ago when Canonical was set to unleash a new bit of technology that would revolutionize the computing world. That tech was the Ubuntu Phone and the feature was Convergence, which would let users “dock” their phone to a display and turn it into a desktop PC. Unfortunately, Canonical couldn’t deliver on that promise and Convergence was left in the hands of Samsung and DeX. That technology has still never really taken off.

Now, the CrowView Note promises to “empower your devices as laptops.”

Also: Make multi-tasking a breeze: Grab one of these dual- or triple-screen monitors, now on sale

This product is still on Kickstarter. I don’t usually review products on Kickstarter, because there’s always the possibility that they’ll never come to fruition. This product, however, is so cool that I couldn’t resist writing a review now. The CrowView Note has been fully funded (it happened within 28 minutes), the PCB boards are ready, and deliveries are set for November 2024.

ZDNET RECOMMENDS CrowView Note If you’ve always wanted to use your phone with a larger screen, a full keyboard, and a trackpad, the CrowView Note simplifies this task. View at Kickstarter

The specs

14” FHD IPS display with a 1920 X 1080 resolution and 100% sRGB with a 180-degree hinge
5,000 mAh battery
USB-C (x2), mini HDMI, headphone jack, USB-A (x2), and DC 3.5 mm power interface ports
60Hz refresh rate
Contrast ratio - 1,000:1
Aspect ratio - 16:9
Brightness - 300cd/m^2
Integrates with mini PCs, tablets PCs, and SBCs
Compatible with Raspberry Pie 5, 4B, 3B, 3B+, and Zero; Jetson Nano Developer Kit, phones (must support full-featured USB-C function); PC; game consoles, and more
Price - $130 early bird pricing (but there are only a handful of units left) and $140 after that

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My experience

I’m not going to lie… at first, the CrowView Note frustrated me. First off, there’s little in the way of documentation. That’s probably because I was sent a review unit and not what the consumer would receive. Because of that, it wasn’t clear how to connect a device. I assumed I could simply run an HDMI to mini HDMI cable from my mini PC to the CrowView Note and all would be fine.

That was not the case.

If you want to use the CrowView Note in flat mode, you can do that.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

In order to get the mini PC working, I thought I had to connect both the HDMI and a USB-C cable. After speaking to the PR rep, I learned that I really only needed to use the USB-C connection for that PC.

Instructions would have been nice.

Once the PC was properly connected, the CrowView worked exactly as expected, and I had effectively transformed that mini PC into a laptop (one that would be confined to a desk, but a laptop nonetheless). You can connect the CrowView Note to different devices (I’ve tested it with an Android phone and a mini PC so far) so you don’t have to worry about a separate monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Also: The best large monitors to handle your school and remote work with ease

Honestly, I was surprised at how well the CrowView Note worked. I’ve tested other, similar, products only to find they couldn’t live up to the promises made by the manufacturer. Other than the complication of knowing how to connect a specific device, the CrowView Note not only lived up to my expectations, but surpassed them.

The CrowView Note worked wonders for a mini PC I had sitting around collecting dust. As for Android, the results were hit-and-miss. I was able to use my Pixel 8 Pro (although getting apps to work in full landscape mode was a challenge) but not a single Android tablet I own would work (which is because none of them use full-function USB-C). Thankfully I was able to get a good enough feel of how the CrowView Note works with Android via my Pixel.

Also: The best mini PCs you can buy: Expert recommended

I like it.

I like it a lot.

I could see myself using the CrowView Note in several ways:

Using my phone at my desk
Making a mini PC more flexible
Converting a supported tablet into a writing device
A guest PC

The best thing about using the CrowView Note is that I don’t have to worry about locating a keyboard and mouse to use with whatever I attach. Instead, the keyboard and trackpad work for converting any device into a laptop that isn’t quite as mobile as a standard laptop, but is just as usable.

Also: This sub-$500 mini PC is powerful enough to support up to three monitors

Is the CrowView Note for everyone? No. If, however, you regularly make use of single-board computers (such as the Raspberry Pi), have a mini PC that’s not in use, or a phone/table that supports full-featured USB-C, this handy device is a real gem. At $140, it’s certainly a lot cheaper than purchasing a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse just for those devices.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Is the CrowView Note perfect? The display isn’t the greatest I’ve used (the locked in 60Hz refresh rate means it’s not going to be as clear as a phone with a 120Hz refresh rate) and the lack of instructions can lead to plenty of confusion, but once I was able to get this baby up and running, I realized just how often I could use it.

This could be $140 well spent if you’re looking to make using certain devices considerably easier. If you’ve always wanted to use your phone on a larger screen or have a mini PC lying around, the CrowView Note might be the best way to go.