About MNT Research
MNT Research is driven by the idea of a digital future that is open source, collaborative, and modular. Our users are the foundation MNT is built upon and we are dedicated to give back to the users by creating open source hardware that is customizable, repairable, and modifyable. We love the idea of helping build a community that shares its knowledge and skills, and that everyone can advance and contribute to current developments in software and components. The right to repair, the durability of our electronics, and independence from corporate devices and operating systems controlled by tycoons are key aspects of our philosophy. Read more about them below!
Key Aspect: Extension of First Life
Fig. 1. Extension of first life.
On this illustration, four panels are displayed, each of them showing a year, an MNT Reform laptop, and a CPU module. In 2020, MNT launched the first Reform laptop ever, featuring an i.MX8MQ module. Two years later, in 2022, we upped the RAM size by 4 and released the LS1028A module for MNT Reform. This one was fully open source and had no binary blobs. A year later, in 2023, we launched the CM4 A311D CPU module which delivered 115% more speed compared to the previous module. The last panel shows the year 2024 with our release of the RCORE RK3588 module that gave MNT Reform an even faster performance: 123% more speed and 8x the RAM compared to the A311D module. Our laptop even got an athmospheric keyboard backlight with programmeable RGB LEDs.
This is just one example of how we make sure that the same computer can be used over the years without becoming obsolete; instead it is being upgraded the whole time. We have also implemented other improvements like protected battery boards and USB-C power delivery. These upgrades make our devices as future-proof as can be which saves costs on the user's end and reduces electronic waste.
Key Aspect: Second Life
Fig. 2. Second life: Open Source Software.
Figure 2 features the logos of Linux-based software like u-boot, Wayland, Debian, and Gnome to illustrate how we use existing software for our devices instead of building everything from scratch. The same software is featured ("recycled") in the whole MNT Reform series, ranging from MNT Reform and Pocket Reform to Reform Next and Desktop Reform. The software we use has been created, updated, and improved by skilled developers for many years, and it is still being maintained. By using with our machines, we contribute to the ongoing development by fixing bugs and helping create a broader field of application.
Fig. 3. Second life: Open Source Hardware.
Since we are building our devices with the help of open source software (as shown in fig. 2), we also want to give something back: All of MNT's sources—be it electronics, firmware, mechanical designs or manuals—are fully open source hardware, thus publicly available (on GitLab). We encourage people to (re-)use what we develop and build something new or reproduce existing parts or even whole devices. Figure 3 illustrates this specific digital form of recycling and indicates that open source hardware reduces waste.
Fig. 4. Second life: Modularity.
Modularity is key for us and Figure 4 shows you what that means. We have the MNT Reform laptop at the center. This device consists of parts such as a motherboard, a keyboard, and a CPU module. These parts can be (re-)used in other Reform devices (such as Pocket Reform and Desktop Reform) or as a standalone device (such as the Standalone Keyboard).
We develop our devices with the concept of modularity in mind: Making modules and other parts of our laptops compatible with each other gives them a second life which in turn reduces electronic waste. Thus, our future devices will also be designed in a modular way.
Key Aspect: Open Computing Autonomy
Fig. 5. Open Computing Autonomy.
Figure 5 illustrates how mechanisms such as self-hosting, data privacy, customization, open source hardware, Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), no venture capital, the MNT Community/Fediverse, and MNT as a company are interconnected. The legend below gives you more explanation on the graphics:
1 MNT Research uses open source hardware to create open source hardware.
2 Our publicly available sources make the customization of MNT products possible.
3 Open source hardware devices are great for self-hosting because users have the means to fully control their own data.
4 On communication platforms like the MNT Community and the Fediverse, open source hardware enthusiasts can exchange information and ideas.
5 Free and open source software and open source hardware are inevitably intertwined.
6 Since all code of FOSS is public, self-hosting gives users autonomy and safety.
7 Several people share their customizations of MNT devices on the MNT Community forum.
8 We have seen a lot of customized MNT devices and we encourage everyone to make their own modifications to our products.
9 We self-host our online shop, but we still rely on banks like PayPal and Wise—therefore a dashed line instead of a solid line.
10 We keep in touch with our users on the MNT Community forum and the Fediverse. Our users often connect with each other on these platforms.
11 MNT doesn't receive any venture capital and we have no investors. We remain independent and autonomous.
12 We use free and open source software like FreeCAD and KiCad. Our own source code is equally publicly available.
13 Our devices are fully documented and we are not interested in your data. We don't use data processing nor telemetry.
14 Investors and shareholders are often interested in personal data. MNT Research doesn't have any reason nor pressure to invade your privacy.
15 FOSS is free, not proprietary, and users can review the full code. This way, you are able to see what happens (or doesn't happen) with your personal data.
16 The MNT Community and the Fediverse are built using free and open source software.