Raspberry Pi made waves in recent years as a computer that you can buy for just $35. It's tiny, though, and its built-in capabilities are limited. Is there anything in the same spirit, but with more actual hardware?

That's pretty much the question Chumby designer Andrew "Bunnie" Huang asked. Finding the current answers unsatisfying, he set out to create a new kind of computer: an open source laptop.

"I've been a hacker of consumer electronics," Huang told Mashable. "I find myself typically designing products I don't use. I decided I wanted to design something I wanted to use."

So what exactly is an open source laptop? Named Novena, it's a Linux-powered machine where every component can be modified by the user. Anyone who owns one will be able to rewire and reprogram individual components — the source code of each one will be available. And the actual casing, unlike most laptops, is made to be opened up and tinkered with.

"It's meant to have an easy and accessible approach to electronics on the inside," Huang says. "You can actually download the design source. You can understand the intent of every component."

Obviously, Novena is for hackers only, and Huang says he doesn't expect there will be a lot of demand. His crowdfunding campaign, hosted by Crowd Supply, is seeking $250,000, but since each laptop will cost about $2,000 in contributions, he doesn't expect to move more than a couple hundred.

"Making more of them isn't a problem," he says. "The trick is making less of them. What we're hoping is to make enough money to develop the next generation of this."

So who would want a fully programmable laptop? Huang says researchers, engineers and product developers all would have interest, but also anyone concerned about security. Since the owner can drill down as far as they want into components, there's an "enhanced level of inspectability," he points out.

The campaign on Crowd Supply begins today and runs until May 18.

Image: Crowd Supply

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