The manufacturing team behind the Liche Pi 4A, has unveiled a brand new RISC-V laptop for RISC-V developers, that looks like a shrunken-down Lenovo ThinkPad. Known as the Lichee Console 4A, the laptop features a display size of just 7 inches, 16GB of memory, and an LM4A TH1520 processor. The new ThinkPad-like laptop is now available for preorder, starting at $299.
Despite its small size, the Lichee Console 4A packs the features and functionality that you'd generally expect from a mainstream x86 laptop in this price range: LPDDR4X memory, 128GB of eMMC storage, and an optional external NGFF SSD. Display-wise, the video resolution of the 7-inch display is 1280 x 800 featuring capacitive touch touchscreen support, plus a mini HDMI port for external monitor output. There's also a 2MP front camera that should suffice for basic web calling.
1 x USB3.0 Type-A, 1 x USB3.0 Type-C 1 x USB2.0 Type-A 1 x MicroSD Slot
Battery
3000 mAh@7.6V
Case
Aluminum Alloy Case
Size & Weight
18 x 14 x 2 cm, 650g
For connectivity, the LicheeConsole4A sports several networking and I/O standards, including Wi-Fi 6E support, Bluetooth 5.4 support, optional 1 Gbps ethernet, as well as USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 support. There are three USB ports in total on the device: You get a single 3.0 Type-A port, one 2.0 Type-A port, and is a USB 3.0 port with the newer Type-C connector. Additionally, there's also a microSD slot reader, which can expand the device's storage on top of what it already has.
Other miscellaneous specs include a battery capacity of 3000mAh, RedPoint (seemingly a copy of Lenovo's TrackPoint), a 72-key keyboard, an aluminum outer shell, and a weight of 650 grams.
The Lichee Console 4A is geared towards RISC-V developers, enabling them to run and test RISC-V code on the go. And a device this small should let RISC-V developers work and use the device in places where an ordinary laptop might be too cumbersome to operate.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
A "development" machine with a 7-inch screen and an impossibly cramped keyboard, seriously? We are not in the 1970s anymore. Call it what it is, a toy.
A "development" machine with a 7-inch screen and an impossibly cramped keyboard, seriously? We are not in the 1970s anymore. Call it what it is, a toy.
If you don't have an external keyboard and monitor in the 21st century, good luck.
Developer is obviously a euphemism for "stuff might not work reliably or at all". It doesn't mean "optimized for flyboy coders who need massive gui programs w AI assistance to write hello world scripts".
