Reddit user dingody had a problem — his Google Pixelbook Go‘s display broke. The typical solution would be to purchase a new laptop, or perhaps try to get the device repaired. This Redditor had other plans.
With some tinkering and dismembering, he removed the screen entirely from the laptop, leaving a keyboard and trackpad base that functions no different than any other desktop computer.
The user describes his solution as a “half Chromebook.” As it turns out, there’s an entire subreddit community known as r/halftop where like-minded users convert their own laptops into keyboard computers.
The solution is a clever one. If the keyboard, trackpad, ports, and internal components are all operational, it seems wasteful to toss out a device simply because of a faulty screen. In the case of the Pixelbook Go, a single USB-C connection can power both the device, as well as an external monitor.
The idea of a compact Mac Mini-style computer housed within a keyboard is not new. Apple has long been rumoured to be testing the product category internally. Until the day arrives that the hybrid form factor is mainstreamed, you can check out “halftops” and “Macslabs” over on the subreddit.
Source: dingody Via: Android Police
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