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Mirabook is another crowdfunded attempt to turn a smartphone into a laptop

Mirabook is another crowdfunded attempt to turn a smartphone into a laptop

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There has been no end of attempts to turn smartphones into full-blown computers. Last year's Kickstarter sensation, the Superbook, still hasn't shipped. Windows Continuum didn't save Windows Phone. Samsung DeX seems like a fun novelty. And who can forget Motorola's Lapdock?

The Mirabook is another Indiegogo campaign in that vein, but it offers some flexibility that might make it an exception to the rule of failure — if it ever ships, of course. The laptop has a 1080p 13.3-inch display, a keyboard, a yet-to-be-determined battery (a 24-hour battery life is listed as a "stretch goal" at the $3 million funding mark), and it plugs into your phone over USB-C for brains. A touchscreen and backlit keyboard are also potential additions.

What makes Mirabook special is that it's designed to work with all the myriad phone-to-desktop operating systems out there, including Microsoft Continuum, Remix OS, and Samsung DeX. Mirabook also works with PC sticks like the Intel Compute Stick, and even the Raspberry Pi.

Mirabook is $180 for ultra-early backers, $199 for less-early backers, and will retail for $299 when or if it ships — supposedly near the end of the year.

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