Mobile Computing Doesn’t Have to Be Bland

What happened to the good old days when mobile computing was still in its infancy? You know, back when everyone was sure we needed to carry computers around with us everywhere, but no one knew what that meant. The mid-1990s through the early 2000s spawned all sorts of memorable personal digital assistants, music players, and other odd (by today’s standards) computing devices. But those experimental days are now gone, and we have been left with a little rectangle that does it all. Yawn!

Fortunately, we have a big maker scene today that is rejecting the idea that all we ever need is a cookie-cutter phone. YouTuber MVLab, for instance, just finished building a portable computer called the Orion PDA. It gives off strong early-2000s design vibes, but it is packed with enough power to get some real work done. The Orion PDA excels at note-taking, voice recording, and playing music — all without the distractions of a phone.

The device is built around an STM32U575 microcontroller clocked at up to 160 MHz, which gives the tiny handheld enough performance to handle a wide range of applications. Instead of using a conventional LCD, MVLab chose a 3.16-inch Sharp memory display that behaves a lot like E Ink. It is perfectly readable in direct sunlight and consumes very little power, but unlike E Ink, it refreshes quickly enough for smooth user interactions and video playback.

For user input, there is a custom rubber keyboard with tactile dome switches, giving it the kind of satisfying typing experience that modern glass screens abandoned years ago. A WM8904 DAC provides high-quality audio output for music playback, while a hidden digital MEMS microphone tucked beneath the keyboard allows the device to function as a portable voice recorder.

Storage and connectivity are handled through a USB-C port, an SD card slot, and an expansion interface capable of supporting modules such as a Wi-Fi card. On the back, a built-in solar panel can trickle-charge the PDA while outdoors. The operating system displays a small sun icon in the status bar whenever solar charging is active.

Using the custom operating system, users can browse albums stored on an SD card, play music through external speakers, create and manage text notes, and record audio directly to removable storage. There is also a lightweight calendar application and a settings menu for adjusting text scaling or enabling USB mass-storage mode so files can be accessed easily from a desktop computer.

The Orion PDA is not meant to compete with phones. It is a purpose-built machine designed to encourage focused computing instead of endless notifications and scrolling. If you’d like to purchase one, you can add your name to the waiting list to get updates on availability.