Jeff Merrick's Typeframe PX-88 Is a Raspberry Pi-Powered Homage to the Epson PX-4

Maker Jeff Merrick has released design files and instructions for a "writerdeck" inspired by Epson's classic PX-4 portable computer: the Typeframe PX-88.

"The Typeframe project is a collection of open-source hardware and software for building writerdecks/cyberdecks," Merrick explains of the project and its first public release. "The first model, the PX-88, is a portable-ish computer inspired by the Epson PX-4. The goal was to create a writerdeck that could be used with modern web-based editors."

The overall design of the Typeframe PX-88 is very much like that of the Epson PX-4 that inspired it — a portable computer released in 1985. There are improvements, however: unlike the original's fixed display the PX-88 has a 7.9" ultrawide full-color screen that can be angled for comfort, with capacitive touch to remove the need for a mouse or a touchpad, and the keyboard is a 65% mechanical-switch model — which, interestingly, can be removed from the main body of the PX-88 if desired.

Inside the 3D-printed housing is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4GB single-board computer, chosen to be powerful enough that it can run web-based rich document editors like Google Docs without obvious slowdown. There's a 32GB microSD card with a customized operating system designed to boot directly into a distraction-free environment, and a lithium-polymer battery so the gadget can be used on the move.

"This is my first time building something of this scope," Merrick admits of the amazingly-slick system, "especially with CAD and electronics. I've tried to document everything in detail, so someone like myself with limited experience can tackle the project as well. If I can do it, you can too!"

More details, including an assembly guide, are available on the Typeframe website; hardware design and 3D-printable files, plus the software sources, are available on GitHub under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license for the hardware and GNU General Public License 3 for the software.