Brad Linder

Brad Linder tracks the frontier of small and low-power computing, focusing on the inexpensive, experimental, and highly hackable devices that sit between mainstream PCs and embedded hardware. He runs Liliputing and concentrates on mini PCs, single-board computers, niche laptops, and handhelds, with an emphasis on detailed specifications, real-world constraints, and how enthusiasts can tinker with them.

Small computers, big detail

Linder’s core coverage centers on compact computers: mini desktops, fanless systems, stick PCs, and other small-form-factor machines that squeeze full operating systems into tiny enclosures. His headlines routinely flag CPU families, RAM and storage configurations, ports, upgrade options, and price points, making his pieces read as quick-reference spec sheets as much as news updates. He profiles devices built around both x86 and ARM chips, paying close attention to power consumption, thermal design, and whether a box is best suited for desktop work, media playback, or light server duties. New systems from specialist brands recur across his bylines, and he often notes how a new model fits into the maker’s existing lineup or competes with earlier generations and rival mini PCs.

Alongside barebones hardware announcements, he follows small laptops, 2‑in‑1s, and handheld PCs that blur the line between traditional notebooks and game consoles. His articles on these machines highlight display size and resolution, input options, and battery life, but he is just as likely to call out unusual form factors or keyboard layouts that matter to power users. When a device targets a narrow use case—portable emulation, fanless office work, home theater PC, or home lab—he surfaces that positioning directly from the spec sheet and marketing language rather than broad, generic labels.

Crowdfunded hardware and emerging architectures

Linder frequently covers hardware that exists on the edge of the market: crowdfunded devices, dev kits, and boards that are aimed at early adopters. In his recurring “Lilbits” roundup column, for example, he has highlighted a RISC‑V router campaign alongside other niche projects, treating crowdfunding as a source of news but also as an indicator of where enthusiast interest is shifting. He gives readers the essential technical context for these campaigns—processor architecture, radios, expansion options—while making clear when a product is a prototype, a developer board, or a mature consumer device.

Emerging architectures and components are a through-line in this part of his beat. He pays attention to RISC‑V, new ARM cores, and unusual combinations of chipsets and connectivity, often noting compatibility with existing toolchains and operating systems. His coverage of an E Ink color development kit, for instance, focuses less on lifestyle marketing and more on what the kit can actually drive, interface options, and who it is realistically for (developers and hackers rather than casual readers). Across these stories he consistently foregrounds capability and constraints over hype, making experimental hardware feel concrete rather than speculative.

Operating systems, firmware, and customization

Linder’s hardware reporting is tightly coupled with operating systems and firmware. Many of his pieces explain which versions of Windows, Linux distributions, or ChromeOS builds a device supports, and whether there are limitations around drivers, secure boot, or firmware locks. He tracks BIOS and firmware updates that unlock additional features, add CPU support, or fix thermal and power problems in mini PCs and small laptops. When community projects bring alternative operating systems to off-the-shelf hardware, he covers those ports, documenting installation methods, stability, and what does or does not work.

Customization of mainstream platforms is another recurring strand. In the “Lilbits” column that touches on Windows 11 taskbar customization, he treats interface tweaks and utilities as part of the same world as the hardware: tools for tailoring a small computer to a specific workflow. He often links interface changes or new OS builds back to their impact on low-power or compact devices—for example, how an update affects performance, storage footprint, or support for older processors that commonly show up in budget mini PCs and Chromebooks.

Roundups, ongoing coverage, and cross-platform experience

Linder uses news roundups as a structural device to keep his readers aligned with incremental developments across his crowded beat. His “Lilbits” posts bundle several short items—such as a RISC‑V networking project, an E Ink dev kit, and a Windows customization tool—into a single, scannable update. Each item is concise and factual, usually anchored by a key spec, a short line of context, and a pointer to more detailed information. This format allows him to surface small but relevant changes (new firmware builds, minor hardware revisions, software betas) that would not justify a full standalone story but matter to enthusiasts tracking a specific class of devices.

Beyond roundups, his archive shows sustained, longitudinal coverage of particular product families and categories. He returns to the same mini PC lines across multiple generations, tracks recurring brands of single-board computers, and follows handheld PCs from announcement through shipping and subsequent revisions. That continuity lets him point out when a new model reuses an older chassis, when a processor change meaningfully shifts performance, or when a claimed upgrade is mostly cosmetic. Readers who follow a given device type—fanless boxes, ARM boards, portable gaming PCs—find his coverage building into an informal history of that niche.

Outside of Liliputing, Linder has experience in both broadcast and online technology journalism, and that background shows in his writing style. His posts favor short, declarative sentences, clear explanations of why a change matters, and an economy of language that keeps even dense spec rundowns readable. Across formats, his work is defined less by access to marquee product launches and more by persistent attention to the small, affordable, and often overlooked computers that tinkerers and early adopters rely on.