[IC] High Resolution, High DPI Display

[DrinkTea]

Greetings Geekhackers!

As lovers of fine keyboards, many of you have high standards for your other peripherals as well. That’s why Sencha Electronics LLC. (really, I incorporated for this, it’s legit!) is proud to present the Minimax display!

What is Minimax?
Minimax is a 12.9 inch display for desktops and laptops
Minimax is minimal dot pitch for maximal clarity. Specifically, it’s a 2560 x 1700, 239 DPI, IPS display with a dot pitch of 0.1062 mm.  Standard displays have less than half the pixel density.

Why does high DPI matter?
On our computers We read, write, program, and troll Geekhack. The common theme is text. And when you’re looking at all that text you want it to be as clear as possible. Apple calls it “retina” but I just call it reasonable resolution (thanks, Linus Torvalds).

Are there any similar displays?
Many companies have recognized the benefit of such displays on phones, tablets, and occasionally laptops; but they’ve been slow to make their way into standalone monitors.
For desktops, your only options are expensive, non-portable and still lower DPI than the Minimax. If you want a portable display for your laptop your only options are low PPI.

So why do I want one?
These displays just “look” nice. The massive resolution in a small size looks incredible. Text is crystal clear. With a Pixels Per Inch count approaching print media everything is a joy to read.

How would I use this with a desktop/laptop?
We will either include a stand or you can bring your own(depending on feedback). If we include one, it will be like a tablet stand.  It will also work with most existing tablet stands.
You can use a standard VESA stand. Since they are light, we will have an adapter to mount 2-3 to a single VESA mount, Voltron Style.

OK, so how much?!?!?!
That depends on the final design. Our goal is under $450 $400. And I don't mean $399.99.
Edit: Looking at it, I think $450 was a bit high, even for an upper bound. It might be closer to that if we make a model with a machined aluminum case, though. But that would be v2.


Specs summary:
Screen size (diagonal): 12.9 inches.
Resolution: 2560 x 1700
PPI: 239
Inputs: Displayport
Power: Mini USB (Plug into a wall charger for 100% brightness).

So, who’s interested?
Are you interested in a kit or something fully assembled?
Would you like a stand built into the display or as an attachment?
Do you see yourself using this more with a laptop, desktop, or both?

Here’s a video made by the PCB designer!

If you’re interested or think you might be, please fill out this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16AMzQO-NVlaIHiAg92IvwQ_uvJatXQLk1Fx11zRp9VA/viewform

Project status(updated frequently):
The PCB is done. The display works.
A case prototype will be ready within two weeks.
We hope to start production by the end of february
Currently, there are issues using the display on Apple computers running 10.8 and 10.9 that have ONLY Intel graphics. We are working to solve this and may offer a bounty. Please contact me if you think you can help.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I'm all ears. This will be updated frequently. Thanks for reading!

[Pacifist]

Dam thats a small size

[Hak Foo]

It would be difficult to build a workstation around it.

[DrinkTea]

It would be difficult to build a workstation around it.

The aim is to use it as a second display with a laptop, a secondary display on a desktop, or use a lot of them together.
Personally, I like the idea of using it as a dedicated reading display, since I read a lot of academic papers.

[Pacifist]

It would be difficult to build a workstation around it.

The aim is to use it as a second display with a laptop, a secondary display on a desktop, or use a lot of them together.
Personally, I like the idea of using it as a dedicated reading display, since I read a lot of academic papers.

Its nice, but is it worth $450? Maybe at $200 I would consider it, but I can get IPS monitors for $300

[DrinkTea]

It would be difficult to build a workstation around it.

The aim is to use it as a second display with a laptop, a secondary display on a desktop, or use a lot of them together.
Personally, I like the idea of using it as a dedicated reading display, since I read a lot of academic papers.

Its nice, but is it worth $450? Maybe at $200 I would consider it, but I can get IPS monitors for $300

$450 is an upper bound. This panel is actually IPS. I should add that to the main post. And what you're really paying for is the pixel density. It's awesome for work. Probably less awesome for gaming, unless you want to never need antialiasing again.

[dorkvader]

It would be difficult to build a workstation around it.

The aim is to use it as a second display with a laptop, a secondary display on a desktop, or use a lot of them together.
Personally, I like the idea of using it as a dedicated reading display, since I read a lot of academic papers.

Its nice, but is it worth $450? Maybe at $200 I would consider it, but I can get IPS monitors for $300

That depends on the final design. Our goal is under $450. Right now, we should easily clear that

It was said in the OP, the price is just a guess. Also, I don't think it's comparable to whatever $300 monitor you're thinking of.

[Latin00032]

This is interesting. What kind of display does it use? IPS? What's the refresh rate?

[DrinkTea]

This is interesting. What kind of display does it use? IPS? What's the refresh rate?

What do you mean what kind? It is IPS. Refresh rate is 60Hz, but as shown in the video it can be overclocked to 80.

[do_Og@n]

I use a 2560x1600 30 inch display and the text looks AMAZING on that so I can only imagine what it will look like on such a small display.

Depending on the end price ($450 feels steep only because of the size) I am interested.

[Loligagger]

Possibly interested. How are things like black depth, panel uniformity, calibrated color accuracy, etc?

What about including a vesa stand?

[pasph]

Text will  be defined but very little

[eth0s]

This is pretty interesting.  I would seriously consider buying one.

$450 for a monitor that has 2560 x 1700 resolution, 239 DPI, IPS display with a dot pitch of 0.1062 mm, sounds cheap actually.

I'm just worried that the text will be too small.  My eyes get worse every year, and I'm having trouble with small printed text now, so I don't need a monitor that I can't read without reading glasses.

[DrinkTea]

Text will  be defined but very little

That's a common misconception, but you can scale the text and it looks beautiful. Day-to-day I use a retina MacBook pro running at full resolution with only the text size changes and two IBM T221s on my office computer running Linux Mint.
When we ship the monitor we will include instructions how how to scale everything to your preference.
I tried the prototype on windows 8.1 using different scaling on each display and I was pretty happy. It should also be possible to make it run in "retina mode" on OSx as well.

[DrinkTea]

Possibly interested. How are things like black depth, panel uniformity, calibrated color accuracy, etc?

What about including a vesa stand?

This panel should be pretty good on those counts. But those are good points and I would like to test that.

We will include some kind of stand depending on what people want, but if you're talking about a standard desk-mount VESA stand we may leave that up to you so you can get exactly what you want. You might also have the option to have a stand included in the multi display mounting kit. Individually, the displays are too light to use on some stands (like the ergotron LX, for example).

[DrinkTea]

I use a 2560x1600 30 inch display and the text looks AMAZING on that so I can only imagine what it will look like on such a small display.

Depending on the end price ($450 feels steep only because of the size) I am interested.

Regarding price, please note that what I'm giving is an upper bound. I don't want to give people unrealistic expectations and then have the price higher than what they thought. However, I'm also open to giving discounts on purchases of two or three.

[tp4tissue]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display.... 

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"


Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

[JaccoW]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display....

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"

Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

My thoughts exactly. Especially considering I can get this display for less than half that price...
Sure, no IPS, 15 inch and thicker bezel. But still full-hd, and only needs a cable instead of a little box on the pc's side.

But it is definitely a cool thing.

[DrinkTea]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display....

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"

Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

My thoughts exactly. Especially considering I can get this display for less than half that price...
Sure, no IPS, 15 inch and thicker bezel. But still full-hd, and only needs a cable instead of a little box on the pc's side.

But it is definitely a cool thing.

Not sure if you guys are just trying to threadcrap or not, but I'll treat these as serious concerns.

• I can understand comparing this to other options, but it really is a totally different product with a different purpose
• "FullHD" is a silly marketing term. Even on a 15 inch display it's only about 140 PPI. The difference between this and that is huge. You really need to see it in person, though.
• I'm not sure what you mean by little box. It can be powered by USB and if you have Displayport you're good to go
• I don't know why you think smaller display is related to eye strain. The size of onscreen elements is what matters.
• For a laptop, it's similar in size to your screen. And for a desktop, it is mean to be used as a secondary display or several of them tiled together.

I realize it's different, but don't jump to the conclusion that it's no good. Really, try one. You'll like it! I'm happy to provide any other information you want.

[tp4tissue]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display....

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"

Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

My thoughts exactly. Especially considering I can get this display for less than half that price...
Sure, no IPS, 15 inch and thicker bezel. But still full-hd, and only needs a cable instead of a little box on the pc's side.

But it is definitely a cool thing.

Not sure if you guys are just trying to threadcrap or not, but I'll treat these as serious concerns.

• I can understand comparing this to other options, but it really is a totally different product with a different purpose
• "FullHD" is a silly marketing term. Even on a 15 inch display it's only about 140 PPI. The difference between this and that is huge. You really need to see it in person, though.
• I'm not sure what you mean by little box. It can be powered by USB and if you have Displayport you're good to go
• I don't know why you think smaller display is related to eye strain. The size of onscreen elements is what matters.
• For a laptop, it's similar in size to your screen. And for a desktop, it is mean to be used as a secondary display or several of them tiled together.

I realize it's different, but don't jump to the conclusion that it's no good. Really, try one. You'll like it! I'm happy to provide any other information you want.

Hi DT...

I am not trying to thread crap..


Ur right that the "size" of the onscreen element is as large or larger depending on how close you sit to the screen..

However, your eyes have to struggle to focus on things that are close up..

While things that are Farther away will allow your ciliary muscles (in the eye) to stay in resting position.

This muscle becoming tired is a large component of eye strain..


Which is why "generally"... the larger the display the better..

[DrinkTea]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display....

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"

Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

My thoughts exactly. Especially considering I can get this display for less than half that price...
Sure, no IPS, 15 inch and thicker bezel. But still full-hd, and only needs a cable instead of a little box on the pc's side.

But it is definitely a cool thing.

Not sure if you guys are just trying to threadcrap or not, but I'll treat these as serious concerns.

• I can understand comparing this to other options, but it really is a totally different product with a different purpose
• "FullHD" is a silly marketing term. Even on a 15 inch display it's only about 140 PPI. The difference between this and that is huge. You really need to see it in person, though.
• I'm not sure what you mean by little box. It can be powered by USB and if you have Displayport you're good to go
• I don't know why you think smaller display is related to eye strain. The size of onscreen elements is what matters.
• For a laptop, it's similar in size to your screen. And for a desktop, it is mean to be used as a secondary display or several of them tiled together.

I realize it's different, but don't jump to the conclusion that it's no good. Really, try one. You'll like it! I'm happy to provide any other information you want.

Hi DT...

Show Image

I am not trying to thread crap..


Ur right that the "size" of the onscreen element is as large or larger depending on how close you sit to the screen..

However, your eyes have to struggle to focus on things that are close up..

While things that are Farther away will allow your ciliary muscles (in the eye) to stay in resting position.

This muscle becoming tired is a large component of eye strain..


Which is why "generally"... the larger the display the better..

Show Image

This generally shouldn't be any closer than a laptop and I don't think people strain more with those than desktops.
I think you are right about muscle fatigue, but I'm not sure how much that affects this case. I have a friend who is an ophthalmologist; so I'll ask him about this. But I can tell you from my subjective experience that using T221s, rMBPs and the early version of this display is amazing and I love looking at them.

[riotonthebay]

I've indicated interest in the form.

I think this would be great next to my rMBP. I work in a place where space can be an issue and it's necessary to move around, so workstations aren't a possibility. A reasonably portable, high-resolution, space-saving screen sounds great.

It's going to be tough for me to get in at $450, but that might change in a month or two depending on how far out these screens are.

[t2russo]

I do a lot of dual-screen text based stuff with laptops in limited spaces for work and this would be fantastic.  Once I get a personal one and my boss likes it, I could see picking up a pair or two for the office.

[DrinkTea]

I've indicated interest in the form.

I think this would be great next to my rMBP. I work in a place where space can be an issue and it's necessary to move around, so workstations aren't a possibility. A reasonably portable, high-resolution, space-saving screen sounds great.

It's going to be tough for me to get in at $450, but that might change in a month or two depending on how far out these screens are.

Thanks! At this point we're looking at less than that. I just need to get final costs for the PCB and case to be absolutely sure. I am hoping to have the OSX issues ironed out by the time we ship. Otherwise, I'm going to put a bounty of one free display for whoever can provide a fix..

I do a lot of dual-screen text based stuff with laptops in limited spaces for work and this would be fantastic.  Once I get a personal one and my boss likes it, I could see picking up a pair or two for the office.

Awesome. If you could fill out the form so I have all of this in one place I'd be thrilled. This reminds me that I am willing to give discounts for buying multiple displays at time as well as referral fees if anyone you tell about it makes a purchase.

[JaccoW]

Most into-it computer people don't want to sit in front of a tiny screen / laptop unless they have to..

even though the resolution is high... The small display makes for far greater eye strain.

Not sure of the purpose of this display....

just because "you can"  doesn't mean "you should"

Agree, it's very cool... it's essentially a tablet screen, but cut bigger.

My thoughts exactly. Especially considering I can get this display for less than half that price...
Sure, no IPS, 15 inch and thicker bezel. But still full-hd, and only needs a cable instead of a little box on the pc's side.

But it is definitely a cool thing.

Not sure if you guys are just trying to threadcrap or not, but I'll treat these as serious concerns.

• I can understand comparing this to other options, but it really is a totally different product with a different purpose
• "FullHD" is a silly marketing term. Even on a 15 inch display it's only about 140 PPI. The difference between this and that is huge. You really need to see it in person, though.
• I'm not sure what you mean by little box. It can be powered by USB and if you have Displayport you're good to go
• I don't know why you think smaller display is related to eye strain. The size of onscreen elements is what matters.
• For a laptop, it's similar in size to your screen. And for a desktop, it is mean to be used as a secondary display or several of them tiled together.

I realize it's different, but don't jump to the conclusion that it's no good. Really, try one. You'll like it! I'm happy to provide any other information you want.

Never said I didn't like it.
But I did just read an article about a 31,5” 4K/UltraHD screen and that too has a ppi of 140 and people are already complaining that things are getting too small for regular desktop use in it's current form. Even with scaling. Link, in Dutch if you want.

I am asking you to "sell" your product to me, tell me what makes it special and what I could use it for.
Not to bring you down but to help you improve by thinking about the difficult stuff.
For example, what are you basing your price on?

Otherwise it is just a really cool toy for a very specific niche... that is not entirely clear.
An expensive toy even... like pretty much everything on this forum. 

But back on topic; what kind of latency are we talking about? Brightness? Glossy or reflective?

[Loligagger]

How many mm is the bezel? Seems pretty thin so you could possibly do something crazy like grid four together to make a pseudo 5120x3400 screen.

Not like my GPU has enough displayport outs for that anyway.

[IvanIvanovich]

Size wise I have been looking for something pretty close, but mostly at 1440xwhatever. It's just about right to use in portrait with my 27". At $400 price point though... I don't know...

[lcs]

another cool thing that I can't get because I live in Brazil

[DrinkTea]

Never said I didn't like it.
But I did just read an article about a 31,5” 4K/UltraHD screen and that too has a ppi of 140 and people are already complaining that things are getting too small for regular desktop use in it's current form. Even with scaling. Link, in Dutch if you want.

I am asking you to "sell" your product to me, tell me what makes it special and what I could use it for.
Not to bring you down but to help you improve by thinking about the difficult stuff.
For example, what are you basing your price on?

Otherwise it is just a really cool toy for a very specific niche... that is not entirely clear.
An expensive toy even... like pretty much everything on this forum. 

But back on topic; what kind of latency are we talking about? Brightness? Glossy or reflective?

That seems like an issue with having the wrong scaling settings. You should be able to scale to get any size you want. And also note that more software is moving toward resolution independence.

I'm imagining using it as a reading monitor on a desktop. Just put your text on, scale it until it's comfortable, pull the display as close as you want and away you go. I read a lot of papers so I'd love this. Or if you program a lot it could be helpful. I am considering trying to use many smaller monitors instead of one or two big ones to see if that helps me organize my work space better. Also, a lot of people are using their laptops as desktops. So, if you want a second monitor, why use one made for the distance you sit from a desktop. This will go nicely next to a laptop.
It is also light enough to take with you. For example, when I ride Amtrak, I like to work in the cafe car. The table's big enough for another small display. This would be great. Same goes for people who could use a second display in a coffee shop. I think it's best for people using a high DPI laptop already since the using one of those other portable displays with a high DPI laptop would be mighty disappointing.
And I'm sure there are other great uses I haven't though of. If anyone thinks of one, please post it here!

The price is based on my costs, which I haven't finalized yet. Given that this will be a small batch product, at least at first, per unit prices for parts aren't the best, and fixed costs aren't spread out as much as I'd like. I'd much rather overestimate than underestimate. And I do want to bring costs down. It's not like if I can save money on I'll pocket all of that as extra profit either. I really do want to provide a good product that you're happy buying and I'm happy selling. So as soon as I get a better handle on my costs, I'll update you guys.

The brightness is listed as 400 nit. It looks like it's semi gloss. No grainy anti-glare coating but not as a shiny as some screens out there. I don't know yet about input lag or pixel response time, but it does run well at 60Hz, and as shown in the video, at least some of them overlcock to 80Hz with no problem.

How many mm is the bezel? Seems pretty thin so you could possibly do something crazy like grid four together to make a pseudo 5120x3400 screen.

Not like my GPU has enough displayport outs for that anyway.

On the top, and left, about 3mm. On the right, about 5, and about 7 + room for the cable on the bottom. You might be able to use an MST hub if you really want to. Or get a cheap second card with displayports if you're using it for 2d.

Size wise I have been looking for something pretty close, but mostly at 1440xwhatever. It's just about right to use in portrait with my 27". At $400 price point though... I don't know...

Again, I think $400 is on the high end. I needed to give some idea of a price but don't want to disappoint anyone by guessing too low. It's better to price it surprisingly low than surprisingly high.

another cool thing that I can't get because I live in Brazil

We might be able to work something out for international shipping if you're willing to pay for it.

[lcs]

We might be able to work something out for international shipping if you're willing to pay for it.

The problem is that besides shipping I would most likely pay a ridiculous tax

One solution I can think of is that if you're going to sell them 'continuously' I may be able to get one when someone goes to the US

[DrinkTea]

We might be able to work something out for international shipping if you're willing to pay for it.

The problem is that besides shipping I would most likely pay a ridiculous tax

One solution I can think of is that if you're going to sell them 'continuously' I may be able to get one when someone goes to the US

Looking to, at the very least, do a few rounds.

[Pacifist]

How much power does this thing draw from USB? I might use it as a mobile display for a raspberry pi

[darkfire32]

Put my interest down on your google docs. Looks really interesting but to be fair, I don't think I will buy these if they exceed 200 bucks for one. Sorry, but I don't want my student debt to rise any higher.

[DrinkTea]

How much power does this thing draw from USB? I might use it as a mobile display for a raspberry pi

Maximum power draw for the panel is 9.57 Watts. 4 for logic, 5.57 for the backlight. The board draws very little. USB 2 could power it at partial brightness. I know some USB ports are designed to handle more, but you'd need to check. It is displayport only though, so you'd need to make sure the raspberry pi supports that. We had issues with HDMI, both in terms of getting something that could convert the signal as well as licensing.

Put my interest down on your google docs. Looks really interesting but to be fair, I don't think I will buy these if they exceed 200 bucks for one. Sorry, but I don't want my student debt to rise any higher.

Totally understand. $200 is probably lower than we can do, but hopefully we'll provide something compelling enough for you to reconsider.

[dorkvader]

I got a chance to see the prototype in December, and I was really impressed!

[jalaj]

Which type of protective material will be used over the led ips screen?

[DrinkTea]

Which type of protective material will be used over the led ips screen?

For desktop use we don't need any protective material. We are investigating clear acrylic, other plastics and glass to be used when traveling. Another option was to sell a carrying case or protective cover so that those who want to carry it around can protect the panel but not drive up costs for desktop users.

[thegagne]

What would be really nice is for a case that lets you connect them bezel free (removable bezel on each side?) for diy multipanel.

[DrinkTea]

What would be really nice is for a case that lets you connect them bezel free (removable bezel on each side?) for diy multipanel.

The bezel will already be very thin but we can certainly consider that. Although with that level of access to the internal if you open it I couldn't take a return if anything goes wrong.

[osi]

Definitely interested here. If the price can come down a tad. Is there a possibility of lower resolutions with a price reduction?

This would be great for travelling. Especially those times when one needs to work on a 'headless unit'.

Would the display support a connection coming from an adapter such as DVI of HDMI?

[DrinkTea]

Definitely interested here. If the price can come down a tad. Is there a possibility of lower resolutions with a price reduction?

This would be great for travelling. Especially those times when one needs to work on a 'headless unit'.

Would the display support a connection coming from an adapter such as DVI of HDMI?

Right now we are focusing our efforts on this model. We can possibly use other panels in the future. Currently getting quotes for parts so I'll have a better idea of the price soon, but I do think we can drop the price a bit.

There are issues with licensing HDMI and at the time the board was being designed, certain parts we'd need for it weren't available anyway. In the interest of keeping costs and size down as well, we only have native displayport, but I have found dual link DVI to DP converters that should work. I am going to get one to test.

[graboy]

I have already made a few posts about this website here, but this thinkpad forum may also be intrested in the product. They often hack in 2048x1536 (4:3) displays into older thinkpads, running the numbers quick I could see the Minimax fitting well into a 13.1' 16:10 x301 or x201 laptop, DisplayPort convinently happens to be included on these models, so with a bit of soldering a cable could be run internally to a new screen.

[DrinkTea]

I have already made a few posts about this website here, but this thinkpad forum may also be intrested in the product. They often hack in 2048x1536 (4:3) displays into older thinkpads, running the numbers quick I could see the Minimax fitting well into a 13.1' 16:10 x301 or x201 laptop, DisplayPort convinently happens to be included on these models, so with a bit of soldering a cable could be run internally to a new screen.

Neat! Are you a member there? If so, do you think you could link to this thread, since I'm not sure how much forums appreciate a new guy coming in and starting off with a sales pitch. Or I could try. Which forum would it be best to post on do you think?

[dorkvader]

Which type of protective material will be used over the led ips screen?

For desktop use we don't need any protective material. We are investigating clear acrylic, other plastics and glass to be used when traveling. Another option was to sell a carrying case or protective cover so that those who want to carry it around can protect the panel but not drive up costs for desktop users.

Also note that acrylic will block less light across the visible spectrum than [untreated] glass. Treated glass is very expensive.

I was just thinking the other day about a "docking station" type concept to hold the panel.

[MarkPharaoh]

I really want to like this idea as it's a real pain to fit a 2nd 20+ inch monitor on my workstation, but the price just seems prohibitive considering the kinds of use a monitor like this would have in a workstation.

Best of luck though, hope there's a sizable interest!

[DrinkTea]

I really want to like this idea as it's a real pain to fit a 2nd 20+ inch monitor on my workstation, but the price just seems prohibitive considering the kinds of use a monitor like this would have in a workstation.

Best of luck though, hope there's a sizable interest!

Well, when you think about it, the closest you can get to the pixel density of this is the 24 inch dell 4k display, and that's $1300. Area-wise, that's about 3.23x the size of this. So, on a cost per area basis this should be the same or less. And this is portable, whereas that isn't. And this wouldn't require any difficult MST configuration.

I realize people want it to be as cheap as possible, and like I've said, if I can bring the price down from $400 I will, but you have to make the right comparisons when talking about the price. It's kind of a new thing and it's tempting to try and find things to compare it to, but I really don't think any such comparison will be 100% accurate.

I hope there's interest too! Seems like we have a solid, growing following so far. I'm really looking forward to showing all of you the complete prototype as soon as it's ready.

[DrinkTea]

I saw an prototype case today. It's coming along nicely and I'll post pictures soon.
For those of you who would use it while travelling, how important is thinness and where do you imagine the most convenient plug locations to be?

[Melvang]

If  you go with acrylic for a cover over the panel please have some sort of scratch resistant coating as from my experience acrylic scratches pretty easily and is a major pain to buff/polish out.

[dorkvader]

If  you go with acrylic for a cover over the panel please have some sort of scratch resistant coating as from my experience acrylic scratches pretty easily and is a major pain to buff/polish out.

it's always a tradeoff. PMMA is good for a panel cover, as it permits more light than pretty much any other polymer. PolyCarbonate is a bit tougher, but transmits less light and is much more expensive.

It may be possible to include an aluminium front plate, but the case would have to be designed differently, and you'd most likely end up with visible screw heads or considerable added expense.

So it all depends on your use case and what options you want. I expect there'll be some options & customizeability, and that despite that, not everyone will be satisfied.

[shrapneL]

Definitely interested! Would be awesome to have as a second display for reading and such!

[DrinkTea]

Thanks! If you haven't already, please fill out the interest form.
Also, regarding covers, I'm leaning towards some sort of removable cover that can double as a stand. Because no matter what we use, the screen will still look better if there's no layer over it.

[do_Og@n]

Filled out the form. Can't wait to see where this goes!

[DrinkTea]

Filled out the form. Can't wait to see where this goes!

Me too! Thanks for your interest.
If any of you who have expressed interest (or haven't) know people you think would be, please let them know. Any referred sales will receive a bounty. Exactly how much is TBD though.

[DrinkTea]

After much reflection and looking at survey results so far, I think we're going to go with an option with no built in stand for the first version. It should be compatible with a wide variety of VESA mounts and tablet stands for travel use. This will also help keep costs manageable for a small run.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter. Thanks again!

[osi]

After much reflection and looking at survey results so far, I think we're going to go with an option with no built in stand for the first version. It should be compatible with a wide variety of VESA mounts and tablet stands for travel use. This will also help keep costs manageable for a small run.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter. Thanks again!

+1 for keeping the costs down. The frequent updates are nice too 

[graboy]

Neat! Are you a member there? If so, do you think you could link to this thread, since I'm not sure how much forums appreciate a new guy coming in and starting off with a sales pitch. Or I could try. Which forum would it be best to post on do you think?

Sorry, never got back to this, I'm not a registered member there, however I think that community would be very interested in it. I'd recommend that you email an the as it doesn't seem like there's really an appropriate forum there.

[inteli722]

I really, really wish I could pull the cash to grab this, especially if it comes cased. I think ~12 inches is the perfect size for portability, and I would love to have a portable secondary monitor for my laptop. However, I first need to get a new laptop, and $400 is a bit much for a high-school student, eh?

If you could bring it to market for a longer time than just a group buy, then that'd definitely be something I could consider.

This question may have already been answered, but I could really care less: What's the power draw on this. You said it could be powered off of USB, but could you power it from a computer's USB port, or would it have to be from the wall? If it's the former, then this would be the perfect mobile secondary display, but it would be a bit difficult if it had to be wall-powered.

Please ignore my rudeness and ignorance. Again, I'd love to see this out on the open market instead of a group buy scenario for reasons stated above, so I could possibly get my hands on one when I have the money in a couple years.

[DrinkTea]

Neat! Are you a member there? If so, do you think you could link to this thread, since I'm not sure how much forums appreciate a new guy coming in and starting off with a sales pitch. Or I could try. Which forum would it be best to post on do you think?

Sorry, never got back to this, I'm not a registered member there, however I think that community would be very interested in it. I'd recommend that you email an the as it doesn't seem like there's really an appropriate forum there.

Yeah, I didn't see one either. I guess I'll give that a try. Not sure who I'd contact though, but I'll look around. Thanks again for the tip!

I really, really wish I could pull the cash to grab this, especially if it comes cased. I think ~12 inches is the perfect size for portability, and I would love to have a portable secondary monitor for my laptop. However, I first need to get a new laptop, and $400 is a bit much for a high-school student, eh?

If you could bring it to market for a longer time than just a group buy, then that'd definitely be something I could consider.

This question may have already been answered, but I could really care less: What's the power draw on this. You said it could be powered off of USB, but could you power it from a computer's USB port, or would it have to be from the wall? If it's the former, then this would be the perfect mobile secondary display, but it would be a bit difficult if it had to be wall-powered.

Please ignore my rudeness and ignorance. Again, I'd love to see this out on the open market instead of a group buy scenario for reasons stated above, so I could possibly get my hands on one when I have the money in a couple years.

Hey, no problem. Total power draw is <10W.  It works, but not at full brightness on a single USB port. However, on USB 3 ports it might work at higher brightness since I think some provide more power. I will check. Also, I want to try it with one of those dual headed USB cables as well. I hope that after the GB we can start selling it.  But we'll see how this goes.
If you can drum up some sales for me from people outside of the forum I'll see what I can do about getting you one at a discount. Same rule applies to everyone here.

[DrinkTea]

Just wanted to get a brief update for anyone who is interested. We're getting ready to have the PCBs made and I'm thinking of selling 'kits' before the full product since we're still getting the final case version worked out.
The kit would contain the board, cable to connect the board to the display (these are hard to find and very expensive if you want just one) and possibly a panel. Alternatively, you could bring your own panel. While this has been tested with one panel, there are more high dpi eDP panels available now and people may want to try those as well.

Thanks again for all of your interest.

[jacobolus]

Is anything happening with this?

[brainT]

Is anything happening with this?

This. Very interested!

Here's the closest comparable thing out there: https://www.adafruit.com/products/1652  and, to me, the extra couple inches or so would be worth a $100+ price bump over the adafruit screen.

[okwchin]

Added to the google docs. Good to see if its still happening, have to see if the OP gets back onboard to this thread.

I would be using this as a monitor to accompany an ITX desktop unit. Will be used as a primary monitor in a mobile scenario, and maybe as a (4th) display when at home. Ideally want a 15+" panel as it will be easier on the eyes while still being compact enough to travel with. A 12" panel would be narrower than a 60% keyboard!!! Pretty squinty for a primary desktop panel if its used without scaling, but thats dependent on how I use the screen. Scaling on OSX is fairly straight forward. I can see myself placing this screen flat on the table in front of me, with my keyboard and mouse placed behind that. Allows me to keep the screen close to me. Otherwise a more conventional screen behind the keyboard layout for desktop usage.

A small screen with High DPI means it ends up getting used close up. Not a screen that can be placed 2-3 feet away. Especially when I am used to using multi-monitor setups with larger pixel pitches to help keep things readable at a distance. It is sold as a screen that is meant to be compact, so this is not a criticism of the intent of this monitor. Next to a laptop, this can be great.

Frequent unplugging will be relevant. A strong mounting for the connector is preferred. The connector is soldered onto the PCB, and thats about all you can do, so a solid mounting for the PCB would be pretty good.

A streamlined and smooth case will be important. I see myself slipping this screen into a bag along with my desktop (or laptop). Exposed screws and sharp edges would be bad news, so something thats slick and clean would be nice. You can imagine slipping this into a laptop bag with the laptop, and the laptop case being utterly destroyed by this screen. Defacing the top surface of a brand new thousand dollar laptop would be blasphemy!

Legs would be helpful, but need to be removable, or foldable for flat carrying of the screen. Even better would be one that is integral with the case (meaning it folds away cleanly), if it does not add to significantly to the thickness. Otherwise its possible to source third party tablet stands or similar.

Absolute thinnness is not essential, if it can satisfy the requirement of a streamlined smooth case. 10mm would be Brilliant, but something about 15mm, maybe up to 20mm thick would be acceptable. Thats about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. 25mm onwards would be acceptable if it had all integral legs and cable storage, but beyond that, I would rather buy a kit and make my own case. Essentially, I want to see any increase in thickness put to good efficient use. A 10mm screen is just as good as a 20mm screen with integral legs.

Plug locations - Something that would allow the cables to plug into the back of the screen would be good. It should have the connector plugged in parallel to the back surface so it doesn't stick out the back, allowing the screen to be placed on a table flat if need be, preferably placed toward the top of the panel so that it tilts nicely if placed flat (and the case is not flat). Don't really want the connector on the outer edges, as that would mean the connector would stick out, and this may be an issue if trying to line up panels next to one another (like next to a laptop).

Thats my take on such a panel, and what would constitute the ideal panel for my uses. Hope that helps.

Oh and this is the "portable" desktop computer this monitor might be used for.

[DrinkTea]

Thanks for your interest. It's going slowly, but we're in the process of putting together a kickstarter. I expect we'll have a finalized prototype within a few weeks. The reason for a kickstarter is that the hopefully larger scale will let us do a bit more than having a group buy here. But I see there might be enough interest for a small "test run" if people want an early (but still nice looking and perfectly functional) version.
Anyway, regarding features.
1. The case is acrylic. This is good for weight and cost. We had considered glue, but will now likely have screws that are flush with the case. If costs allow we may consider a version with aluminum for the front and back layers, kind of like some GON designs. The screws will be flush with the case. There will also be a removable "stand" piece so you can prop it up next to a laptop, for example. We've also considered just using one on the many tablet stands available, but we do want to include the "full package". One thing we haven't settled yet is whether or not to have a layer of something, probably clear acrylic, over the panel itself. If people are going to put it in a bag, we would need that or to sell an optional travel protector. I'm inclined to have an exposed panel with an optional protector.
2. The cables will come out parallel to the panel on the back. Right now we're looking at full size displayport but may make a mini version if there is enough demand.
3. I've seen the adafruit display and it's nice but I do think this is better for most uses. As was pointed out, it is somewhat small, even by laptop standards. The case also requires assembly, has screws sticking out and has the PCB exposed. So, probably not great for travel. It also uses a barrel plug for power; the MiniMax is powered through a mini USB cable and can even be powered from a port directly, albeit not at full brightness (though it wasn't dim at all when I tried it).

I hope this answers any questions. I'll check this board more frequently and try to be better about updates. Once again, I'm glad people are interested in this. I think it's a neat product and would love to get it into the hands of people who can enjoy and make great use of it.

Added to the google docs. Good to see if its still happening, have to see if the OP gets back onboard to this thread.

I would be using this as a monitor to accompany an ITX desktop unit. Will be used as a primary monitor in a mobile scenario, and maybe as a (4th) display when at home. Ideally want a 15+" panel as it will be easier on the eyes while still being compact enough to travel with. A 12" panel would be narrower than a 60% keyboard!!! Pretty squinty for a primary desktop panel if its used without scaling, but thats dependent on how I use the screen. Scaling on OSX is fairly straight forward. I can see myself placing this screen flat on the table in front of me, with my keyboard and mouse placed behind that. Allows me to keep the screen close to me. Otherwise a more conventional screen behind the keyboard layout for desktop usage.

A small screen with High DPI means it ends up getting used close up. Not a screen that can be placed 2-3 feet away. Especially when I am used to using multi-monitor setups with larger pixel pitches to help keep things readable at a distance. It is sold as a screen that is meant to be compact, so this is not a criticism of the intent of this monitor. Next to a laptop, this can be great.

Frequent unplugging will be relevant. A strong mounting for the connector is preferred. The connector is soldered onto the PCB, and thats about all you can do, so a solid mounting for the PCB would be pretty good.

A streamlined and smooth case will be important. I see myself slipping this screen into a bag along with my desktop (or laptop). Exposed screws and sharp edges would be bad news, so something thats slick and clean would be nice. You can imagine slipping this into a laptop bag with the laptop, and the laptop case being utterly destroyed by this screen. Defacing the top surface of a brand new thousand dollar laptop would be blasphemy!

Legs would be helpful, but need to be removable, or foldable for flat carrying of the screen. Even better would be one that is integral with the case (meaning it folds away cleanly), if it does not add to significantly to the thickness. Otherwise its possible to source third party tablet stands or similar.

Absolute thinnness is not essential, if it can satisfy the requirement of a streamlined smooth case. 10mm would be Brilliant, but something about 15mm, maybe up to 20mm thick would be acceptable. Thats about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. 25mm onwards would be acceptable if it had all integral legs and cable storage, but beyond that, I would rather buy a kit and make my own case. Essentially, I want to see any increase in thickness put to good efficient use. A 10mm screen is just as good as a 20mm screen with integral legs.

Plug locations - Something that would allow the cables to plug into the back of the screen would be good. It should have the connector plugged in parallel to the back surface so it doesn't stick out the back, allowing the screen to be placed on a table flat if need be, preferably placed toward the top of the panel so that it tilts nicely if placed flat (and the case is not flat). Don't really want the connector on the outer edges, as that would mean the connector would stick out, and this may be an issue if trying to line up panels next to one another (like next to a laptop).

Thats my take on such a panel, and what would constitute the ideal panel for my uses. Hope that helps.

Oh and this is the "portable" desktop computer this monitor might be used for.

Show Image

[jacobolus]

Thanks for your interest. It's going slowly, but we're in the process of putting together a kickstarter. I expect we'll have a finalized prototype within a few weeks. The reason for a kickstarter is that the hopefully larger scale will let us do a bit more than having a group buy here. But I see there might be enough interest for a small "test run" if people want an early (but still nice looking and perfectly functional) version.

Have you finished any case prototypes so far? What do you need to do to prototype the case? In January your post said “A case prototype will be ready within two weeks.” – I’m assuming life got in the way?

[DrinkTea]

Thanks for your interest. It's going slowly, but we're in the process of putting together a kickstarter. I expect we'll have a finalized prototype within a few weeks. The reason for a kickstarter is that the hopefully larger scale will let us do a bit more than having a group buy here. But I see there might be enough interest for a small "test run" if people want an early (but still nice looking and perfectly functional) version.

Have you finished any case prototypes so far? What do you need to do to prototype the case? In January your post said “A case prototype will be ready within two weeks.” – I’m assuming life got in the way?

Haha. Indeed. We actually do have a prototype, but wasn't fit for public consumption. It's gone through some minor revisions. As is often the case, I have fallen victim to the planning fallacy. I am a grad student so I have a lot of stuff to do. But alas, that's no excuse. I want to get some sweet displays into the hands of cool people!

[okwchin]

Thanks for your interest. It's going slowly, but we're in the process of putting together a kickstarter. I expect we'll have a finalized prototype within a few weeks. The reason for a kickstarter is that the hopefully larger scale will let us do a bit more than having a group buy here. But I see there might be enough interest for a small "test run" if people want an early (but still nice looking and perfectly functional) version.
Anyway, regarding features.
1. The case is acrylic. This is good for weight and cost. We had considered glue, but will now likely have screws that are flush with the case. If costs allow we may consider a version with aluminum for the front and back layers, kind of like some GON designs. The screws will be flush with the case. There will also be a removable "stand" piece so you can prop it up next to a laptop, for example. We've also considered just using one on the many tablet stands available, but we do want to include the "full package". One thing we haven't settled yet is whether or not to have a layer of something, probably clear acrylic, over the panel itself. If people are going to put it in a bag, we would need that or to sell an optional travel protector. I'm inclined to have an exposed panel with an optional protector.
2. The cables will come out parallel to the panel on the back. Right now we're looking at full size displayport but may make a mini version if there is enough demand.
3. I've seen the adafruit display and it's nice but I do think this is better for most uses. As was pointed out, it is somewhat small, even by laptop standards. The case also requires assembly, has screws sticking out and has the PCB exposed. So, probably not great for travel. It also uses a barrel plug for power; the MiniMax is powered through a mini USB cable and can even be powered from a port directly, albeit not at full brightness (though it wasn't dim at all when I tried it).

I hope this answers any questions. I'll check this board more frequently and try to be better about updates. Once again, I'm glad people are interested in this. I think it's a neat product and would love to get it into the hands of people who can enjoy and make great use of it.

1) A screwed together case appeals to be for the ability to be able to re-open if required, however glued panels can look good if done well. Aluminium would look really neat, especially if you can have the screws threaded into the front panel from the back, allowing for that clean look. The other advantage aluminium can also offer (if manufacturing costs allow) is a thinner bezel, both in the x and y axes, but also in the Z axis, meaning you can mill out where the screen fits into the back of the front panel, and you have a nice say 1-2mm thick lip over the screen. Costs I would imagine would blow through the roof if we went that way, unfortunately.

A bare panel for me personally is fine, as this screen will be stored against a flat hard surface. Having acrylic over the screen is structurally a good idea, but the fear is always with optical translucency, especially when it is subject to scratching. (then again, theres always the possibility of scratching the real panel.

2) Full size DP can still work. Either way is fine for me

3) The MiniUSB power source is attractive as it makes it an easily applied unit for any user. I am not sure if I understand USB protocols, but to utilise full power from a high output capable USB port, does it require a data connection? or will most 2A ports happily deliver 2A without a data connection (i.e. 5V and gnd connections only)

[DrinkTea]

1) Yeah, we want it to be openable for two reasons at least. One is so it's easier for us to fix if there's a problem. The other is that I'm down with people opening up the case and tinkering. Just no warranty if you do that, you know? One of the reasons we're leaning toward Kickstarter or something is that we can have stretch goals that let us start making aluminum versions. But milling is probably out, at least for now. We'd likely go with flat layers cut with a water jet or something.
2) Cool!
3) I don't think it requires a data connection. Do "charging ports" supply 2A? If so I want to test it with one of those. Because that should be enough for full brightness without a wall wart. Also, usb 3.1 promises MORE POWER! But yeah, over regular usb ports it seems to work ok at less than max brightness. Total power consumption should be 10W or less at all times.

1) A screwed together case appeals to be for the ability to be able to re-open if required, however glued panels can look good if done well. Aluminium would look really neat, especially if you can have the screws threaded into the front panel from the back, allowing for that clean look. The other advantage aluminium can also offer (if manufacturing costs allow) is a thinner bezel, both in the x and y axes, but also in the Z axis, meaning you can mill out where the screen fits into the back of the front panel, and you have a nice say 1-2mm thick lip over the screen. Costs I would imagine would blow through the roof if we went that way, unfortunately.

A bare panel for me personally is fine, as this screen will be stored against a flat hard surface. Having acrylic over the screen is structurally a good idea, but the fear is always with optical translucency, especially when it is subject to scratching. (then again, theres always the possibility of scratching the real panel.

2) Full size DP can still work. Either way is fine for me

3) The MiniUSB power source is attractive as it makes it an easily applied unit for any user. I am not sure if I understand USB protocols, but to utilise full power from a high output capable USB port, does it require a data connection? or will most 2A ports happily deliver 2A without a data connection (i.e. 5V and gnd connections only)

[okwchin]

For a product non-specific to the keyboard community, I agree that something like kickstarter is an appropriate way to go.

Charging ports, Some provide power all the time, some provide a 2A output, and some do both?

What happens when you use a normal usb3 port and continue to increase brightness, does the screen simply not get any brighter beyond a level of brightness, or does the USB port cut out, and you lose power all together.

[DrinkTea]

For a product non-specific to the keyboard community, I agree that something like kickstarter is an appropriate way to go.

Charging ports, Some provide power all the time, some provide a 2A output, and some do both?

What happens when you use a normal usb3 port and continue to increase brightness, does the screen simply not get any brighter beyond a level of brightness, or does the USB port cut out, and you lose power all together.

Not sure about the charging ports. It started to flicked when the brightness was turned up too high on a regular port then it went back to normal when I turned it down.

[GSimon]

I'd be really interested in something like this.

[okwchin]

Wondering if theres any news on this front ? Would still be in the market for something like this. 

[DrinkTea]

We are launching a kickstarter very soon. Stay tuned!

[DrinkTea]

Awaiting approval from kickstarter!

[kitsun8]

Just saw this a few months late. lucky I'm not too late though )
+1 from me

[DrinkTea]

And here it is
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/935235616/minimax-the-portable-professional-high-dpi-display

Not sure if this is the best place to post it on the forum or if there's anywhere else. If it's better to post in another part, let me know. And please share!

[Findecanor]

Heh. A couple of erronous claims on than Kickstarter page.

It claims that standard displays have 72 PPI... yeah, on the first Macintosh back in 1984 yes. The current norm is around 100 PPI.

2560×1700 is not "four times" the resolution than "HD Video". It is 2 times the resolution of 16:9 720p with black bars at the top and bottom. Four times the number of pixels = twice the resolution.

[DrinkTea]

I didn't write that part, but maybe we should change it. 100 -> 239 is still a pretty big jump. Also, sometimes you've got to exaggerate a little ;-)

Heh. The Kickstarter page says that Standard displays have 72 PPI... eh, on the first Macintosh back in 1984 yes.
The current norm is around 100 PPI.

[okwchin]

Looks good to see it come closer to fruition. Do you have a picture of the back of the display? I really want to know how it looks at the back to know how it holds itself up, and to rate how backpack safe it will be.

The clear acrylic? housing looks nice, as far as I can tell in the ironically small photos Maybe I'm getting spoilt for high resolution files


1) Show us its back side (can see it a little in the video)

2) How are the connections in the back mounted? Happy if there is sufficient strength in the connector itself, as long as I wont be ripping it off while moving the screen with a stiff DP cable.

3) What direction are the cables in the back. My guess based on the video would be that its in that bottom acrylic block, and faces upwards?

4) What are those lumpy things in the corners and sides of the housing. Looks like rubber feet sticking out, but I suspect its more likely a hole through the case to hold the panels together?

5) Is the display behind a layer of acrylic? or is it open to show off its beauty.

6) How is the display currently being held up. Are there feet/legs? and removable for backpack use? The video seems to suggest thats the case

7) Are the case panels glued together, or screwed together, or other.

USB power, whats its minimum amperage supply required to reach full brightness. I recall you mentioned that you didn't get full brightness on a normal USB port 450-500mA?


I'm so excited to see this happen, already joined the campaign. 

[CPTBadAss]

I'm unfamiliar with how Kickstarters work so please bear with me. If I don't choose an option in which I get hardware, is there no way for me to buy the display later? And is the early adopter price cheaper than what I would pay later? I'm intrigued but the price isn't working well with my current budget.

[DrinkTea]

Looks good to see it come closer to fruition. Do you have a picture of the back of the display? I really want to know how it looks at the back to know how it holds itself up, and to rate how backpack safe it will be.

The clear acrylic? housing looks nice, as far as I can tell in the ironically small photos Maybe I'm getting spoilt for high resolution files


1) Show us its back side (can see it a little in the video)

2) How are the connections in the back mounted? Happy if there is sufficient strength in the connector itself, as long as I wont be ripping it off while moving the screen with a stiff DP cable.

3) What direction are the cables in the back. My guess based on the video would be that its in that bottom acrylic block, and faces upwards?

4) What are those lumpy things in the corners and sides of the housing. Looks like rubber feet sticking out, but I suspect its more likely a hole through the case to hold the panels together?

5) Is the display behind a layer of acrylic? or is it open to show off its beauty.

6) How is the display currently being held up. Are there feet/legs? and removable for backpack use? The video seems to suggest thats the case

7) Are the case panels glued together, or screwed together, or other.

USB power, whats its minimum amperage supply required to reach full brightness. I recall you mentioned that you didn't get full brightness on a normal USB port 450-500mA?


I'm so excited to see this happen, already joined the campaign. 

1. We are making some changes to it. Will update when it's ready.
2. The board in inside another few layers of acrylic. It is secure.
3. They point down. The ribbon cable goes up from the bottom of the panel and then around.
4. Yes, it holds them together. We will have a more elegant solution for the final product.
5. Open.
6. Right now we are using a removable piece to prop it up from behind. There are several other ideas we have, though.
7. We're going to go with screws, most likely, to allow for disassembly. We had originally considered glue, but that has problems.
8. I'm not sure. Over a USB 3 port at least it gets pretty bright with no problems. I will see what it takes for absolute maximum brightness.

I'm unfamiliar with how Kickstarters work so please bear with me. If I don't choose an option in which I get hardware, is there no way for me to buy the display later? And is the early adopter price cheaper than what I would pay later? I'm intrigued but the price isn't working well with my current budget.

If the campaign is successful, I'll order a few extra units to sell. You don't get charged until the end of the campaign anyway. The kickstarter prices are cheaper than what we'd sell it for after the campaign.

[DrinkTea]

Campaign update for whomever is following this thread. We're almost a third of the way there! Super psyched that it's going well.
But we still have a ways to go and getting the word to as many people as possible is key. If you think the project is cool, could I request people on twitter and facebook to share the campaign?
Thanks! And thanks for supporting the project!

[okwchin]

Getting there!

I know I don't want to be talking about this, but what happens as we get closer to the minimum pledge but just miss out? Will there be other ways for this to go ahead?

[DrinkTea]

Sorry to necro, but as it is obvious, the project failed on kickstarter. And I have other obligations so I can't let it go forward right now.
However, if anyone wants to do anything with this, let me know. I have the PCB design files and information about how stuff works. It'd be nice to see people do stuff with this.