The Framework laptop is already a very exciting prospect for folks like us — a high-end computer that we can actually customize, upgrade, and repair with the manufacturer’s blessing? Sounds like music to our ears. But we’re also very excited about seeing how the community can press the modular components of the Framework into service outside of the laptop itself.
A case in point, this absolutely gorgeous retro-inspired computer built by [Penk Chen]. The Mainboard Terminal combines a Framework motherboard, five inch 1080 x 1080 round LCD display, and OLKB Preonic mechanical keyboard into a slick 3D printed enclosure that’s held together with magnets for easy access. Compared to the Raspberry Pi that we usually find tucked into custom computer builds like this, the Framework board offers incredible performance, not to mention the ability to run x86 operating systems and software.
[Penk] has Ubuntu 22.04 LTS loaded up right now, and he reports that everything works as expected, though there are a few xrandr commands you’ll need to run in order for the system to work properly with the circular display. The standard Ubuntu UI doesn’t look particularly well suited to such an unusual viewport, but we imagine that’s an issue you’ll have to learn to live with when experimenting with such an oddball screen.
It was just a few weeks ago that we brought you word that Framework was releasing the mechanical drawings for their Mainboard module, and we predicted then that it would be a huge boon to those building bespoke computers. Truth be told we expected a cyberdeck build of some sort to be the first one to hit our inbox, but you certainly won’t catch us complaining about seeing more faux-vintage personal terminals.
I hope it has an eye of Sauron “screensaver”
Which just occasionally tracks you across the room
now how to add a searchlight to that…
I had to check that I hadn’t been given the wrong medication.
Damnit Scotty, you’ve beamed me to the 60’s again.
I’m getting fallout vibes.
A bit of two tone rusty rustic and I can see that to.
There is a vid on the tube, how toilet seats are made. The bowls are square hence the seats too. Hard to clean corners, really! How to get a seat if they go out of business? Some things are round for a reason, the rest we make rectilinear.
In other words this looks bathroom.
It’s something Hugo Gernsback would have in his magazine.
Large circular radar screens, 19″ and up, were used on early computers as displays, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-1#Graphics_display
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EWQYAfuMYw
Ouch!
Looking at that thing makes my neck hurt.
next article in the pipeline is:
“Hack your Back: keep Tech Neck in Check”
mmmm… cool looking but I’ll pass on anything with a round screen.
I have a smartwatch with a round screen. I’ve had various apps for web or news browsing with it. None flow the text properly. They just give a choice of either cutting off the corners, making it impossible to read the left and right text at the bottom and top of the page no matter how you scroll. Or they squeeze everything into an inscribed box, far too small to see.
Im shocked that no one has mentioned that this just like the terminals used by the Institute in Fallout 4
I like it, but it needs a Cisterian numpad.
Adorable