4 ms·

Make a tiny Raspberry Pi based cyberdeck

95 points by rcarmo 3y ago

karmakaze 3y ago
I used to be interested in Cyberdecks that packed essential compute and comms in a small rugged form factor. Now I realize the term means small cool-looking fully-functional possibly impractical prop. I like these too but more as an observer than user. I like the exoframe of this one--it's like a laptop with eye level screen.
- zokier 3y ago
  Also there are so many cool cyberdeck (and adjacent) builds around that the bar is very high; plain raspi in some lasercut plywood is pretty barebones. Just few days HaD had this random build featured: https://hackaday.com/2024/02/02/retro-styled-rasti-laptop-packs-framework-mobo/ https://hackaday.com/2024/02/02/retro-styled-rasti-laptop-pa...
  - criddell 3y ago
    I keep hoping to find a cyberdeck that’s better than the Radio Shack Model 100 from 40 years ago. It ran for 20 hours on 4 AA batteries. I think the Raspberry Pi is usually the weak point. By itself, you only get 3-4 hours of runtime on 4 AA batteries.
    - karmakaze 3y ago
      Wow, I didn't realize it only used 4 AA's. Didn't have one but saw a few. The screen wasn't bad and the keyboard was fantastic, which was a point of focus for me since my Atari 400 had membrane keys (though I got really good at slide-press typing on it).
    - zokier 3y ago
      Raspberry Pi Pico should be able to get that sort of battery life. Finding appropriate display might be the most difficult part. There are already some BASIC implementations for rp2040 floating around.
  - jmprspret 3y ago
    This is awesome, and such a good use of framework parts! I hope to see more building DIY machines in custom form factors using framework hardware.
RecycledEle 3y ago
One if my students, years ago, bult an amazing laptop (that's what we called it) and was very proud of it. He mentioned it in an application to an Ivy League university, but did not know to call it a cyberdeck. They refused him admission because he did not know that term. The lesson is: There are millions if bright kids who reinvent things, but are denied even admission to college because they are not part of the in-crows that knows the jargon. I wish I could remember his name. Also, the one my student built was quite rugged. That might be what impressed me most about it. Making it rugged is another level of skil that most makers never obtain.
- jcoder 3y ago
  You’re saying the university denied their application because they referred to their homebrew device as a “laptop” and not a “cyberdeck”? I’m far from any of the worlds involved, but that just seems extremely unlikely to be the reason. In fact I’d expect the opposite—the uni not understanding that an applicant’s “cyberdeck” is actually a homemade laptop—a concept anyone can grasp
- mysteria 3y ago
  How did you know that he was refused admission because he called it a laptop? This all sounds very strange to me.
- LeafItAlone 3y ago
  > He mentioned it in an application to an Ivy League university, but did not know to call it a cyberdeck. They refused him admission because he did not know that term. > The lesson is: There are millions if bright kids who reinvent things, but are denied even admission to college because they are not part of the in-crows that knows the jargon. If it’s any consolation, the chances are they would have met the same response even if using “cyberdeck”. Millions of otherwise similarly qualified people have been rejected from Ivy League universities because there are only a limited number of sports each year and many more applicants. Despite what one may think, unless you really stand out (do something national news worthy, legacy, or come from a family rich enough to get a building name after you) there is definitely luck involved in getting the right admissions workers to notice your application. One project in an admissions packet usually won’t make the cut.
hinkley 3y ago
That bent cable is making me inexplicably angry. They make usb cables with right angle bends in them. I used them on my RPi-clone cluster so I could keep the cables out of my way.
throwaway4aday 3y ago
Kinda neat but it seems a lot of "cyberdecks" are now just converging on "laptop" or "palm pilot". The essence behind a cyberdeck is its retro-futuristic design which produces an anachronistic feeling like some out of place object from another timeline dropped by a multiverse traveler. The Lisperati1000[0] nailed it with its surprising screen dimensions, form factor, color and keycap choices, and using it for Lisp programming. For a commercial solution it's hard to beat the Cardputer[1] with its chunky off white case, riotous multi-color labelling, quirky features, inscrutable purpose and the fact it comes in a blister pack like it's something you'd pick up in a gas station convenience store in an alternate 1988. [0] https://www.hackster.io/news/the-lisperati1000-is-a-cyberdeck-terminal-dedicated-to-lisp-programming-bb564f2ffcff https://www.hackster.io/news/the-lisperati1000-is-a-cyberdec... [1] https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5stamps3 https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5...
- kibwen 3y ago
  The OP strikes me as slightly more Solarpunk than Cyberpunk, which honestly interests me more, although "solardeck" doesn't have quite the ring to it.
- jakearmitage 3y ago
  TIL about the carputter. This is fantastic.
sublinear 3y ago
Making a wearable HUD seems more practical to me. All anyone seems to be using their Apple Vision Pro for so far is running normal apps. User input is arguably better with a pocket multimedia keyboard. You can certainly text faster and probably even code in vim. The AR tracking is wasted on floating windows and video calls from your normal cell phone in your other pocket won't make your face look like a video game character from 15+ years ago.
jaimex2 3y ago
Hey look, its a Nokia N900
- okwhateverdude 3y ago
  Man, I miss my N900. That slide out hardware keyboard made the difference. In situations where I was on-call, the ability to quickly triage production problems from my phone meant not needing to carry a laptop around.
- xtiansimon 3y ago
  Haha! Maemo! I was thinking this while I was looking at that keyboard. I have two of these in a parts drawer. I can’t bring myself to part with them, despite their non-functioning. As you can imagine, I’d like to see some projects that revive the N900 or at least use the hardware.
rpmisms 3y ago
I have a Planck keyboard, which is amazing. I'm toying with the idea of a custom enclosure that adds a full-width low-height screen at a comfortable angle and runs a TUI, no mouse needed. I would use this over a laptop for taking notes and possibly some coding on the go. Could be made for $200, and would also be a great intro to real computing for kids.
ComplexSystems 3y ago
Do any small, handheld R Pi cyberdecks exist that one can just purchase pre-made? Every time I see this stuff I can't believe this kind of thing isn't just some ubiquitously common thing, and that people are 3D printing their own cases and keyboards and etc.
- alpaca128 3y ago
  Building it yourself is kind of the point I'd say. They're highly customized computers without consideration for sleek design or practicality exactly because it cannot be profitably mass produced. It wouldn't be the same if anyone could just buy the exact device that you have.

95 points by rcarmo 3y ago

I used to be interested in Cyberdecks that packed essential compute and comms in a small rugged form factor. Now I realize the term means small cool-looking fully-functional possibly impractical prop. I like these too but more as an observer than user. I like the exoframe of this one--it's like a laptop with eye level screen.

zokier 3y ago
Also there are so many cool cyberdeck (and adjacent) builds around that the bar is very high; plain raspi in some lasercut plywood is pretty barebones. Just few days HaD had this random build featured: https://hackaday.com/2024/02/02/retro-styled-rasti-laptop-packs-framework-mobo/ https://hackaday.com/2024/02/02/retro-styled-rasti-laptop-pa...
- criddell 3y ago
  I keep hoping to find a cyberdeck that’s better than the Radio Shack Model 100 from 40 years ago. It ran for 20 hours on 4 AA batteries. I think the Raspberry Pi is usually the weak point. By itself, you only get 3-4 hours of runtime on 4 AA batteries.
  - karmakaze 3y ago
    Wow, I didn't realize it only used 4 AA's. Didn't have one but saw a few. The screen wasn't bad and the keyboard was fantastic, which was a point of focus for me since my Atari 400 had membrane keys (though I got really good at slide-press typing on it).
  - zokier 3y ago
    Raspberry Pi Pico should be able to get that sort of battery life. Finding appropriate display might be the most difficult part. There are already some BASIC implementations for rp2040 floating around.
- jmprspret 3y ago
  This is awesome, and such a good use of framework parts! I hope to see more building DIY machines in custom form factors using framework hardware.

RecycledEle 3y ago

One if my students, years ago, bult an amazing laptop (that's what we called it) and was very proud of it. He mentioned it in an application to an Ivy League university, but did not know to call it a cyberdeck. They refused him admission because he did not know that term. The lesson is: There are millions if bright kids who reinvent things, but are denied even admission to college because they are not part of the in-crows that knows the jargon. I wish I could remember his name. Also, the one my student built was quite rugged. That might be what impressed me most about it. Making it rugged is another level of skil that most makers never obtain.

jcoder 3y ago
You’re saying the university denied their application because they referred to their homebrew device as a “laptop” and not a “cyberdeck”? I’m far from any of the worlds involved, but that just seems extremely unlikely to be the reason. In fact I’d expect the opposite—the uni not understanding that an applicant’s “cyberdeck” is actually a homemade laptop—a concept anyone can grasp
mysteria 3y ago
How did you know that he was refused admission because he called it a laptop? This all sounds very strange to me.
LeafItAlone 3y ago
> He mentioned it in an application to an Ivy League university, but did not know to call it a cyberdeck. They refused him admission because he did not know that term. > The lesson is: There are millions if bright kids who reinvent things, but are denied even admission to college because they are not part of the in-crows that knows the jargon. If it’s any consolation, the chances are they would have met the same response even if using “cyberdeck”. Millions of otherwise similarly qualified people have been rejected from Ivy League universities because there are only a limited number of sports each year and many more applicants. Despite what one may think, unless you really stand out (do something national news worthy, legacy, or come from a family rich enough to get a building name after you) there is definitely luck involved in getting the right admissions workers to notice your application. One project in an admissions packet usually won’t make the cut.

hinkley 3y ago

That bent cable is making me inexplicably angry. They make usb cables with right angle bends in them. I used them on my RPi-clone cluster so I could keep the cables out of my way.

throwaway4aday 3y ago

Kinda neat but it seems a lot of "cyberdecks" are now just converging on "laptop" or "palm pilot". The essence behind a cyberdeck is its retro-futuristic design which produces an anachronistic feeling like some out of place object from another timeline dropped by a multiverse traveler. The Lisperati1000[0] nailed it with its surprising screen dimensions, form factor, color and keycap choices, and using it for Lisp programming. For a commercial solution it's hard to beat the Cardputer[1] with its chunky off white case, riotous multi-color labelling, quirky features, inscrutable purpose and the fact it comes in a blister pack like it's something you'd pick up in a gas station convenience store in an alternate 1988. [0] https://www.hackster.io/news/the-lisperati1000-is-a-cyberdeck-terminal-dedicated-to-lisp-programming-bb564f2ffcff https://www.hackster.io/news/the-lisperati1000-is-a-cyberdec... [1] https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5stamps3 https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5...

kibwen 3y ago
The OP strikes me as slightly more Solarpunk than Cyberpunk, which honestly interests me more, although "solardeck" doesn't have quite the ring to it.
jakearmitage 3y ago
TIL about the carputter. This is fantastic.

sublinear 3y ago

Making a wearable HUD seems more practical to me. All anyone seems to be using their Apple Vision Pro for so far is running normal apps. User input is arguably better with a pocket multimedia keyboard. You can certainly text faster and probably even code in vim. The AR tracking is wasted on floating windows and video calls from your normal cell phone in your other pocket won't make your face look like a video game character from 15+ years ago.

jaimex2 3y ago

Hey look, its a Nokia N900

okwhateverdude 3y ago
Man, I miss my N900. That slide out hardware keyboard made the difference. In situations where I was on-call, the ability to quickly triage production problems from my phone meant not needing to carry a laptop around.
xtiansimon 3y ago
Haha! Maemo! I was thinking this while I was looking at that keyboard. I have two of these in a parts drawer. I can’t bring myself to part with them, despite their non-functioning. As you can imagine, I’d like to see some projects that revive the N900 or at least use the hardware.

rpmisms 3y ago

I have a Planck keyboard, which is amazing. I'm toying with the idea of a custom enclosure that adds a full-width low-height screen at a comfortable angle and runs a TUI, no mouse needed. I would use this over a laptop for taking notes and possibly some coding on the go. Could be made for $200, and would also be a great intro to real computing for kids.

ComplexSystems 3y ago

Do any small, handheld R Pi cyberdecks exist that one can just purchase pre-made? Every time I see this stuff I can't believe this kind of thing isn't just some ubiquitously common thing, and that people are 3D printing their own cases and keyboards and etc.

alpaca128 3y ago
Building it yourself is kind of the point I'd say. They're highly customized computers without consideration for sleek design or practicality exactly because it cannot be profitably mass produced. It wouldn't be the same if anyone could just buy the exact device that you have.