We’ve seen many cyberdecks and home built computers in our time here at Hackaday, but we’ve not seen many so tiny and so neatly built as this one from [Carter Hurd]. It takes the form of a tiny retro PC with a working display and keyboard, and we like it a lot.
The diminutive computer started life as a neat little retro themed Bluetooth speaker that a company bravely sent him for a project when he declined the chance to review it. Out came the speaker and electronics, and in went a USB Blackberry keyboard with a custom made bezel where the speaker’s keys had been.
The display is a 4″ LCD designed for a Raspberry Pi, and somewhat incredibly, he trimmed its corners to fit into the case. Making the curved CRT-style display front was achieved with vacuum form plastic, and a new display bezel was 3D printed.
A full-size Raspberry Pi fits in the base of the unit, and here he admits that it’s not the tidiest job. Perhaps a Pi Zero would have been more unobtrusive, but either way from the top and front it’s a really cute little machine. It may not be the only tiny cyberdeck we’ve seen, but it’s certainly a well-built one.
Amazing love it, you have great talents.
Thanks!
Not my cup of tea. He basically replaced the whole thing. Inside and out. I would much rather want to see a build to rewrite the software to do something cool. It has individually addressable pixel display and multiple buttons. It can do a lot of cool things without breaking its original design.
well hey good news you can go buy the speaker and do it yourself.
Too damn expensive though. $80+ for a speaker. $30, I am in.
Neither mine. Never understood that hype about miniaturization. I mean, it’s okay for an exhibition. Like miniature towns, landscapes, model trains. These things don’t really function, they’re art, show elements. But for personal use? I prefer things to be haptic and usable. If it has to be a miniature model, why not use dimensions that are still reasonable. Say, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 etc. Or simply shoe-box sized? Sometimes I think that we owe this craziness the 3D printer hype. These printers are still in their infancy. The usable printing size of a cigarette box is a joke. With real wood or metal working skills much better things could be made.