A 480-gram Moto Razr rig replaced a laptop—once

ZDNET’s Adam Doud set out to see how small a usable mobile workstation could get, and landed on a setup that weighs just 480 grams: a Motorola Razr, Clicks Power Keyboard, and Logitech Mobi Fold mouse. He wrote the entire story on that kit.

The idea came from a familiar tradeoff for frequent travelers: less weight versus more screen space and power. Doud says his usual lightweight option for events such as CES is an MSI Prestige 13 at under two pounds, but this experiment pushed portability much further. The whole workstation fits in a pocket, and he says it could make it possible to work in places like an economy airplane seat without even carrying a backpack.

The Clicks Power Keyboard is a universal physical keyboard that attaches to the back of a phone via MagSafe, with a magnetic ring included for phones that lack magnetic wireless charging. It slides out from behind the phone when needed, in a Palm Pre-style design, and can also charge the phone. Doud highlights its number row and outward-canted keys as standout features.

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The Moto Razr was the core of the setup because of its 3.6-inch cover screen and its ability to stand on its own in tent mode, eliminating the need for a separate stand. Doud also says the Razr offers a more versatile cover screen than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, while adding that he will reserve final judgment until the Flip 8 arrives later this year. He also credits Motorola’s silicone carbon battery with lasting longer and charging faster than Samsung’s lithium-ion battery.

The last piece was Logitech’s Mobi Fold mouse, a compact accessory that folds in half for easier carrying. It includes three buttons, including a touch-sensitive middle button for scrolling.

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Still, Doud is clear that the setup was more novelty than replacement. He calls the whole thing “an exercise in the absurd” and says that, in practice, it is “not a great idea.” His main complaints were straightforward: he prefers typing on a phone’s virtual keyboard, found the compact mouse only adequate, and says the Razr’s cover display is simply too small for serious writing.

He did finish the article on the tiny workstation. He just does not expect to do it again.