The World’s Cutest IBM PC?

Back in their heyday, IBM computers were well known for their reliability and power. But one thing they were not known for was style. IBM’s early personal computer designs were a major reason why we had to live through a couple of decades of beige boxes. With that era long since in the rear-view mirror, it may seem strange that many of us are now drawn to the bland look of early PCs.

But drawn we are—nostalgia can do some pretty wild things to a person. Redditor Akira2007’s memories of early IBM PCs led to the creation of a tiny replica of one. The actual original hardware may not be of much use to us in this day and age, but this tiny reproduction will put a smile on your face every time it catches your attention.

To bring the idea to life, Akira2007 first created a miniature 3D model of an IBM PC and printed it with a 3D printer. Next, an Elegoo ESP32 DevKit v1 (which has more power than the real thing!) was installed inside the case. After that, a 1.3-inch SH1106 OLED display was slipped inside the monitor.

Firmware for the ESP32 was developed to drive the monitor. Unfortunately, you can’t actually interact with the machine, but it will display some cute, era-appropriate graphics. There are selectable modes that pit the CPU against itself in a game of Pong or Snake. Users can also select a Matrix-inspired digital rain effect or a “hacker mode” in which random characters scroll across the screen.

Akira2007 has made both the 3D models and the source code freely available for those who would like to build their own little IBM PC replica.