After their innovative compact modular PC approach, Kangaroo is back at it with an even more impressive product: the Kangaroo Notebook. This two-part system combines a shrunken down PC-on-a-stick (the Kangaroo Mini) with an 11-inch laptop dock that serves as a host for the stick (the Kangaroo Notebook Dock). Simply slide the Mini into the Notebook Dock and voila, you've got a Windows 10 laptop.
Now, you might be asking yourself about the specs here: how much can really be fit into a block that measures 3.75 inches by 1.16 inches and just 0.34 inches thick. You won't be surprised that it's not a powerhouse, but it packs a decent punch for its size. You're looking at an Intel Atom x5 Cherry Trail processor with 2GB of RAM and a 32GB eMMC SSD, alongside 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, and a microSD card slot.
The Notebook Dock's 11.6-inch display is a 1366x768 number — far from the best we've seen, but acceptable for a low-cost modular alternative like this. Build quality of the two pieces wasn't of the highest quality, as Kangaroo admitted they had to keep costs in check for this $300 modular. There's no fancy latching mechanism or spring-loaded ejection for the Mini stick, it's just a friction fit, and a rough insert at that.
Kangaroo looks at the Notebook system as an option for sharing a laptop without having to share files. While you could argue that you could solve this simply by having different user accounts, there's something unique about the Kangaroo Notebook. They kept mum about the possibilities for the Mini stick PC, as right now it's only compatible with the Notebook base. But in the future I wouldn't be surprised to see it showing up as a dockable PC stick in more forms. When you can toss your PC in your pocket, dock it to a big screen at work, slide it into a tablet on the train, and slip it into a compact notebook when you get home, the Kangaroo Mini starts to look like an incredibly versatile little PC.
