Although it may seem incredible, the current concept that we have of a laptop was born approximately in 1983 . Until laptops with a clamshell closure were invented, manufacturers made keyboard and screen all on the same base, the Apple II being a fairly visual example of what a laptop was of that time. Currently, this type of computer has continued to be seen in movies, series and video games. It is the perfect product for the typical hacker character, who needs to camouflage a computer to access a system without attracting attention, and directly carries a rigid briefcase that transforms into a laptop. These computers are commonly known as “Cyberdecks” and there is a community of Raspberry Pi artisans and experts creating their own versions.
The TRS-80 MC-10 Arcade that Reddit has fallen in love with
The Raspberry Pi subreddit is a gold mine for all those users who like to experiment with technology and tinker with all kinds of gadgets. It is common to see all kinds of highly worked projects with an outstanding level of craftsmanship.
A few days ago, the user crookdmouth opened a thread on the forum showing his new laptop, which is nothing more than a Cyberdeck designed to be a replica of his first computer, a TRS-80 MC-10 . But he not only stayed with aesthetics. The computer case is set up to be a two player arcade machine . A mix that is not only interesting, but goes very well with the design of the computer. According to the user, it is not the first time that he has carried out a project of this type. About 9 years ago, you made your first attempt at creating a computer in a wooden briefcase, but you considered your project a failure due to the fact that the keyboard was really uncomfortable to use.
For this new project, crookdmouth has used a Raspberry Pi 3B with a Pimoroni HyperPixel 4.0 Square display, which is a 4-inch square LCD panel with 720 by 720 pixel resolution. Then, he used a PCB to emulate the input of the analog sticks of his equipment, and completed the project with a portable battery rechargeable via USB, a series of analog buttons and an SK-64 mechanical keyboard , which despite being a cheap product, It has fully customizable Gateron switches and matches perfectly with the aesthetic you have chosen for your Cyberdeck.
How its creator made it: step by step
The computer is controlled with the analog stick as a mouse . The operating system is loaded into a microSD card connected to the Raspberry Pi board. On the side, a switch can be flipped to switch from battery mode to wired power. And, finally, it has an HDMI output to screen a television, a headphone jack and a USB to insert the occasional peripheral.
The finish quality of this Cyberdeck Arcade is truly spectacular and worthy of being done by a true professional. In the Reddit thread, its creator has not only explained the process, but has uploaded a gallery of images to Imgur with the step by step he did to develop the project.