This Custom Xbox One Turns The Console Into a Laptop

[Fanghawk]

This Custom Xbox One Turns The Console Into a Laptop

The Xbook One laptop makes the Xbox One a little more portable, and can be purchased online.

We've got all kinds of gaming platforms to choose from these days, but sometimes that's not enough. Sometimes you want to <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/10469-OUYA-Review-More-Whimper-Than-Bang>put your Android games on a big screen TV, or <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135381-SteamBoy-Aims-To-Be-The-Handheld-Steam-Machine-Update>take your Steam library on the road with you. And when you don't have an option to do that, well, usually there are third-party modders who can provide it for you. Case in point: The Xbook One is a laptop featuring a built-in Xbox One, for when you want to conveniently pack up your console and take it wherever you'd like.

The Xbook One was built by Ed Zarick, a self-taught engineer who previously built laptops for the Xbox and Xbox 360. Now he's turning his attention to the latest generation, packing the Xbox One into a plastic laptop case with a 1080p 22&#8243; LED screen. Even better, the Xbox One system is unmodified, so it still has full access to online services like Xbox Live.

Zarick details the development process in his blog, specifically his use of 3D printed parts and what he updated from the Xbook 360, but there's a few points to note. First the drawbacks: the Xbook One doesn't include a battery (Zarick claims the console would drain it far too quickly) so you're still relying on power cords. Also, the unit is still just an Xbox One; there's no built-in keyboard or option to install another OS. Finally, the Xbook One costs $1496 with the Kinect, and $1095 without (adding an HDMI output is an extra $50).

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On the plus side, the Xbook One seems to work effectively as a semi-portable 500GB console. It fully supports wireless Xbox controllers, and the built-in screen and speakers mean you don't need anything extra to start playing. If that appeals to you, and the price isn't a deterrent, you can purchase one directly from Zarick using a Paypal link <a href=http://www.edsjunk.net/wordpress/?p=163>near the bottom of this page.

Source: <a href=http://www.edsjunk.net/wordpress/?p=163>EdsJunk.net, via <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-15-xbook-one-xbox-one-laptop-usd1500>Eurogamer

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[Devieus]

Is it really a laptop if it doesn't have a battery? Lots of other consoles have had monitor add-ons, they were never credited as being laptops. It also seems not to look as great as a TV would.

But I guess it could work if you're bored enough in class.

 

[ron1n]

If you can hook it up to the TV via HDMI and use it like a regular Xbone with no overheating issues, then I suppose it could be handy to have a more versatile take-anywhere console that is also used in the lounge-room.

Would be handy to have at a LAN too I suppose.

Still, big price tag for some marginal convenience.

 

[mrgerry123]

What's the point of a 1080p screen shouldn't it be 792p.

Joking

 

[WouldYouKindly]

I'd rather spend that money on a laptop. Let's see what I can get for 1100.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317538

Oh, look, it's the same price and 4 times as powerful(well, the processor kicks the everloving shit out of the Xbone). Granted, it's a smaller screen, but hey, can't win on everything. However, you can actually modify it how you see fit and don't have to pay someone every month just so you can use what should be considered basic features of a game.

 

[truckspond]

So it's a laptop that is stuck on one OS, has no battery at all and costs a small fortune...

You get better value with a MacBook - at least with those you get a battery and can run ubuntu. It's a decent gimmic but...

CAPTCHA: move along

... ninja'd by the captcha...

 

[ExtraDebit]

It's not a fucking laptop, it's a semi portable xbone. And $1100? are you fucking kidding me? I can get 2 xbone for that! Without the price it just looks like a pointless mod to a hardware, with the price it's just a piece of shit.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well it would be cool if there was a substantial battery and the price point close to the original. But what he ended up making is a slightly more convenient Xbox at 3x the price... not exactly a mod that makes any sense.

P.S. I also wouldn't go ordering these until quadruple confirmed MS is ok with it, because I highly doubt he asked if he can sell their console in his format.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Ben Heck [http://www.benheck.com/xbox-360-portable-2012/] has done a few 360 mods like this, usually for around $2000. (And I know Ben's work is top notch. This guy is new to me.) He probably is tinkering with one right now. Doing this as project for yourself or a few other people is neat, but trying to make it a business model seems ridiculous. Even if you make parts from CNC machining or 3D printing, there's still a lot of wiring work and having your own warranty(Ben's is 1 year for the latest 360 build, this guy's is 30 days. Hmmm?) for the risk that console components themselves go kaput, whether it's your fault or MS's rush job they're known for.

Some third party always releases some $150-200 monitor attachment for the latest systems within a year or two, and since the only benefit these mods have over one of those is a higher quality picture, this is just for the money burners out there in the world. Neither choice offers a battery solution so your still not able to grab it and run to the coffee shop or WC mid-game. I'd rather save my $1100 to build my own CNC router/ big 3D printer and make a ABS or aluminum bracket to attach a VESA monitor to a xbone/PS4 without voiding the OEM warranty if possible. It might not be as sleek, but I don't trust proprietary parts to last much longer than the warranty anymore.

Also, why is the kinect model so expensive? He doesn't say how it fits into the xbook. That sounds like an interesting problem that would either have an ingenious solution or make the whole thing considerably thicker to make the kinect work properly (or at least as good as you can get a kinect to work).