Building a Faux Retro Portable Computer
The modern laptop has its origins in the mid to late 1980s, when shrinking computer hardware and improvements to battery technology finally made mobile computing practical. Years before the now iconic clamshell form factor became the standard, these so-called “portable computers” often resembled pieces of luggage with keyboards attached. Even at their peak these machines were nowhere near as practical as the modern ultra-thin notebook computer, but these vintage portables do have a special sort of charm even today.
Looking to recapture some of that magic with modern components, [davedarko] has started working on his own Raspberry Pi portable computer. Just like those machines of yore, his build is designed to be a self-contained computing experience that you can lug around, but not exactly something you’d be popping open on the train. Its extruded aluminum frame holds the display, power supply, and audio hardware, with plenty of room to spare for additional hardware should he decide to pack in a couple hard drives or something more exotic.
We particularly like the 3D printed hinge and lock mechanism he designed that holds the keyboard closed against the front of the frame. Sufficiently old experienced readers will recall this particular feature being a defining characteristic of portables such as the Osborne 1 and Compaq Portable, and it’s great to see it included here. All it needs now is a leather handle on the side to complete the look.
[davedarko] still has some work ahead of him, as ultimately he’d like to completely enclose his computer’s frame with laser cut panels. But the build is already quite far along, and frankly, it’s already at the point where we’d have no problem pulling it out at the next hackerspace meetup. Along with the growing collection of cyberdecks we’ve covered recently, it looks as though 1980s design aesthetic is alive and well within the hacker community.
[Thanks to HappyFox for the tip.]
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