No, the MNT Reform isn’t a laptop from the ‘90s. I assembled this DIY laptop with only a screwdriver and let me tell you, it’s anti-MacBook in e

MNT Reform review: Your DIY laptop fantasy is here at last

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2021-07-24 11:00:05

No, the MNT Reform isn’t a laptop from the ‘90s. I assembled this DIY laptop with only a screwdriver and let me tell you, it’s anti-MacBook in every way, and that is not a bad thing.

The Reform is a clunker that weighs about four pounds and measures 1.57 inches thick. It comes with a plethora of ports at a time when computer makers are removing them. It’s got a trackball — yes a friggin’ trackball. The keyboard has mechanical switches (Kailh Choc Browns); no shallow chiclet keys here. There is no webcam or microphone on the Reform because you deserve not to be snooped on. Also, the Reform isn’t trying to connect you to the cloud; it’s a genuine back-to-basics local laptop that isn’t pushing syncing through Google or iCloud or Microsoft and MNT isn’t trying to sell you on any subscription cloud service, either.

Oh, there’s one other really important thing: you have to build the whole thing yourself. Technically, you can buy a preassembled version of the Reform, but where’s the fun in that? If you’re going to plunk down $1,000+ on this radical, anti-MacBook laptop that’s purposefully designed to be modular, hackable, repairable, and sustainable — with open source components and open source Linux software — you definitely want to assemble it yourself. Otherwise, it’d be like buying a dope Lego set that’s already made — nobody wants that. Constructing the Reform and embracing the DIY/maker spirit is half of the appeal. (I wouldn’t judge you for wanting the Reform kit just to feel like you’re some hacker in Halt and Catch Fire. Nothing wrong with having a vintage computer fantasy.)