CrowView Note: A Laptop that isn’t a Laptop – It’s Way More Useful

Ever wished you could use your Raspberry Pi 5, Android smartphone, or mini PC as a laptop? The CrowView Note, which hit Kickstarter last week, allows you to do precisely that.

From a cursory glance Elecrow’s CrowView Note looks a lot like a regular laptop. It has a 14.1-inch screen, a full-size keyboard, a touchpad, USB and HDMI ports along the sides and, while you can’t see it, a built-in battery too.

CrowView Note is a cheap all-in-one portable monitor – a novel form factor with a myriad of uses

But it’s not a laptop.

There’s no computer inside; no CPU, RAM, storage, or anything else. It’s a portable monitor disguised as a laptop.

You supply the ‘brains’ by connecting a PC, laptop, smartphone, or single-board computer (SBC) using USB Type-C with DisplayPort or a HDMI cable.

The notion should sound familiar to fans of the Nexdock, a smilier device that launched crowdfunding campaigns in 2016 and 2019 to great success.

Elecrow’s CrowView Note is the same idea, just cheaper (entry-level Nexdock is $299, CrowView Note is $129¹) plus it was designed to ensure cable-free connection of Raspberry Pi 5 (or 4) and Jetson Nano SBCs using adapter boards:

It’s arguably the SBC crowd amongst which the CrowView Note will find its feet.

Elecrow, who make this, produce a number of Raspberry Pi add-ons and extras, many aimed at education markets. They’re perhaps best known for the CrowPi2 L, an 11-inch laptop for a Raspberry Pi 4B where it does go inside the case!

Personally, I much prefer the approach taken here. The Pi 5 connects to an adapter board and that slots neatly into the side with ports aligned and power provided by the CrowView Note’s internal battery. GPIO pins, PCIe lane, and ports all remain accessible.

Not that you need to own a Raspberry Pi 5 to use the CrowView Note. The HDMI input and USB Type-C (with DisplayPort) let you connect all kinds of devices (even simultaneously): –

• Connect a PC or laptop to use it as second monitor
• Games consoles (PS4, etc) or handhelds (Steam Deck, etc)
• Tablets and (compatible) iPads to work on a bigger screen
• Android smartphone to use ‘desktop mode’ features with keyboard
• Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, Miracast dongles, to stream content
• Digital camera to preview footage or use as a field monitor
• Blu-Ray or DVD players and anything else with HDMI ou

To zone in a popular use case, a number of Android or Linux smartphone offer desktop mode experiences when connected to an external monitor. If your device has a fully-featured USB Type-C port, you can that functionality with a single cable using this:

You can connect multiple input sources at the same and switch between them by pressing a function key, which is neat.

“But what about the keyboard and touchpad? How do they work?” — well, for anything that isn’t a computer, they won’t.

If you connect your laptop, PC, or smartphone to the CrowView Note using USB-C (with video) all features will work on the host OS/device automatically – keyboard, touchpad, USB port pass-thru.

If you connect your computer using an HDMI cable you will need to also connect a USB-A to USB-A cable between both devices for the keyboard, touchpad, etc to function.

CrowView Note: In Use

Elecrow sent a bunch of press outlets early production units to test. I’ve been playing around mine over the weekend.

CrowView Note is kitted out with bright matte 14.1-inch IPS display (1920×1080) fixed on a 180 degree hinge so you can fold it flat.

There’s an 84-key keyboard (US layout). It’s pleasant enough for typing, and better than my cheap bluetooth one I normally use with my Pi.

The function keys (input switch, brightness, sound, OSD, next/prev, back) at the top of the keyboard affect the monitor, not the host OS. You still use the underlying F1-12 by toggling the FN button on/off.

While the touchpad (detected as a mouse in Ubuntu but still supports some gestures) is roomy and responsive it is plastic-y feeling (the entire device is).

The built-in 2W speakers are surprisingly adequate. Not hissy and not overly tinny – fine for YouTube and a few tunes while you work – just don’t expect Dolby quality!

Powering the CrowView Note is a built-in 5000 mAh battery which powers the screen, speakers, keyboard, etc but also devices connected over USB Type-C (5V).

Arguably, battery life will be the biggest drawback of this device.

In my testing, the 5000 mAh battery in the CrowView Note provided around 3 hours of consistent usage powering my Pi 5 as I did basic tasks: a few tabs open, writing this blog post, streaming Spotify via CLI.

Sounds short, doesn’t it?

But given that the battery in this huge to start with, plus the fact it’s supplying power to the Raspberry Pi, any peripherals connected, and the screen, speakers, keyboard, etc 3 hours seems fair.

I don’t imagine people will buy this with a view to lounging on the couch all evening, Pi dangling out (oo-er), and binge-watching the 1990s Ninja Turtles movies.

To my mind, the versatility of this device lends itself to specific, focused tasks.

When using the device solely as a passive device as, say, an external screen for another laptop or a Steam Deck or a Fire Stick, expect to get up to 6 hours continuous usage, a bit less if you’ve got the screen on full brightness and you’re hammering away on the keyboard.

As the battery is not “seen” by the host OS, how do keep tabs on the battery level? Easy: press the dedicated battery function key. This shows current battery level via an OSD. You don’t get much warning when it’s running low though, so tap that key often!

As this costs from $169 — MSRP, it’s currently available for $129 — the build materials aren’t premium. The chassis is entirely plastic, and while it feels pleasant, it doesn’t feel robust. I wouldn’t throw this in my backpack without some protection.

Plastic material aside, it feels well made. Rigid, smooth, no bumps, no misaligned ports, no wonky key caps, etc.

This isn’t the kind of device everyone has need for. Those who have their Raspberry Pi in a case or integrated into a fixed workspace setup won’t find the “use your Pi anywhere” gambit as appealing, since wires will still be involved.

For me?

Before: Grab my Pi, power adapter, HDMI cable, keyboard, mouse, my portable monitor, its USB A to USB Type-C power cable, and stand, find a big enough surface near a power outlet, connect everything, and enjoy computing over a spaghetti heap.

Now: Grab my Pi, plug it it in to the adapter board, plug the adapter board into the side of the CrowView Note 14, power the device on, and et voila: a fully-functional, wire-free setup I can move around the room with.

Plus, the fact I can use other devices with this, e.g., as an external monitor to my main laptop, or a larger screen to game on than my Anbernic RG35xx H handheld has, makes it especially novel. Nothing I couldn’t do with a regular monitor, just less hassle.

Of course, this is not a mass-market device. It won’t appeal to TikTok teens or tech-baffled elders. It’s geeky. It’s niche. It’s very specific use-case. Taking it to the local coffee shop a Pi hanging out the side isn’t the USP — though you could, innit.

I really like this. I coveted the Nexdock but the price always put me off, with later models costing as much as a cheap, no-frills Window laptop or Chromebook. For an accessory I’ll use some of the time? Nah, too much.

The CrowView Note is considerably cheaper, sitting at a price point not far off a regular FHD portable monitor (I paid $119 for my 15″ one a few years ago) – but it’s an all-in-one portable monitor with battery, keyboard, mouse, so is far more versatile.

I think I’ve overused the ‘v’ word in this post, so apologies!

Should this prove popular — it met its (admittedly low) crowdfunding goal in 28 minutes — I’d love to see an improved version down the line. A bigger battery, a backlit keyboard, and a 360-degree hinge so the keyboard can face down (as a stand) for a better ‘screen’ experience.

Anything you’d like to see them add? Let me know in the comments.

Want One? Act Fast…

The CrowView Note looks like a laptop but it is an accessory, and anyone comparing it to a laptop shouldn’t; it won’t replace one, nor is is trying to – no more than any other portable monitor can.

But the low price point (and added features) make it a compelling alternative to a portable monitor. Indeed, I think the CrowView Note offers great value, especially for those who’d eyed up similar products like the Nexdock but were put off by the higher price.

It’s not perfect. The battery life could be better, and the build materials won’t win any awards. But for $129 (at the time of writing), it’s a frickin’ handy piece of kit that does what it does, and does it well.

So if you’re pumped by the idea of turning your Raspberry Pi into a portable laptop, or you want a battery-powered portable monitor you can connect multiple devices to, this is worth checking out.

You can “buy” the CrowView Note on KickStarter until the end of August. Prices start at $129 for early backers ($119 tier now gone). Raspberry Pi and Jetson Nano adapter boards cost an extra $5 each, but are (imo) essential if you plan to use it with either (or both, get you).

Further discounts are available if buying more than one. Shipping is expected to start in October.

If you read this after the campaign ends, don’t fret: Elecrow plans to stock and sell them beyond this date, albeit at a higher price of $169 (but if they hit Amazon, like most Elecrow products do, perhaps a little lower than that).

Head over to Kickstarter to learn more, and let me know in the comments what you’d use this for.

1. Early bird pricing; will be $169 after the campaign ends – though given Elecrow always have sales, I’d be amazed if it ever cost more… ↩︎