Sure, VIA may have published all the specs for its new OpenBook reference design online. But nothing beats a good video of the insides of a new laptop. So VIA’s Tim Brown shot a little notebook looks like with its case taken apart.

The OpenBook isn’t in production yet, so we’re looking at a prototype here. And VIA won’t be marketing these computers under the OpenBook name. Rather, the reference design was created so that other hardware makers could put together computers designed for use with the VIA C7 and Nano processors. To make it as easy as possible for manufacturers to modify the OpenBook according to their needs, VIA has included two 56 pin connectors for PCI Express Mini cards.

Brown shows how easy it is to snap an HSDPA or WiFi module into place. The idea is that PC makers will be able to customize the machines. But in practice, this should also make the machines great for end users who want to add a little oomph. If you purchase a model that has WiFi but no Bluetooth or HSDPA, it looks like it should be pretty easy to add your own modules without pulling out the soldering iron.

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,543 other subscribers