Preface

Early in the MNT Reform project, we made—working in the kitchen—13 prototypes for us and a handful of adventurous people. These were much more primitive predecessors of the laptop that you received today, based on an older processor and an eclectic mix of materials. Each already came with an Operator Handbook: 30 manually bound pages of schematics and instructions for handling the prototype. It was but a rough sketch of the book that you are reading now.

The original handbook turned out to be an icebreaker and conversation aid when talking about MNT Reform with other people. We wrote this new handbook in the same spirit: to make your MNT Reform more approachable, understandable, but also more discussible. The book will be your companion when taking MNT Reform apart and learning the basics of using the machine.

At a time when electronics are becoming ever more secretive, MNT Reform and this book buck the trends—but they are not sacred artifacts. They are meant to be taken apart, discussed, hacked, built upon. Scribble in the margins. Make it your own.