Ben Makes Everything Turns His Hand to a Slick Framework Mainboard-Powered TRS-80-Style Cyberdeck

YouTuber Ben, of the channel Ben Makes Everything, has designed an attractive TRS-80 Model 100-style cyberdeck which plays host to a Framework Mainboard single-board computer (SBC) — and which improves on the original design by including the ability to tilt the screen for more comfortable viewing.

"I created this cyberdeck from an older Framework [Mainboard] motherboard/CPU unit, battery, and speakers," Ben writes of the project. "I used a wide 8:3 aspect ratio display I found on Amazon for the screen. It has an integrated mini-trackball and uses a[n Apple] Magic 2 keyboard."

As Ben says, the driving force behind the device is a Framework Mainboard — originally designed to be installed in a Framework modular laptop but later released as a standalone single-board computer in its own right. With the launch of more powerful Intel- and AMD-based Mainboards, those upgrading their Framework laptops have been hunting for ways to use the old Mainboards — and this is a particularly slick approach.

The chassis is made from CNC-milled aluminum plates, to provide structural rigidity without excessive weight, with a 3D-printed frame holding all the components in place. The display is mounted above the keyboard, as with the classic TRS-80 Model 100 — but unlike its spiritual ancestor, Ben's display can tilt upwards on hinges to provide a more comfortable viewing experience.

"In addition to the standard features of any Windows laptop, it has an integrated Arduino [compatible microcontroller] with 10 accessible pins that I can use to control stuff," Ben notes. "It also has video input, meaning I can use the screen as a temporary monitor if I am working on another computer/Raspberry Pi, etc."

More information on the build is available in the above video and in Ben's Reddit post; Fusion 360 and STEP design files, and an Arduino sketch for the trackball, have been published to GitHub under an unspecified open source license.