VTech Toy Transforms Into a Samsung DeX Cyberdeck

The VTech Talking Whiz Kid was what the company described as a “pre-computer” back in the ‘90s and is one of many educational toys designed to look like an actual computer. In reality, it was more like the iconic Texas Instruments Speak & Spell and had very limited functionality. But it has a certain charm today thanks to its blocky design that looks like a miniature version of an ‘80s laptop or luggable. That made the Talking Whiz Kid the perfect platform for Redditor OkTune5910’s Samsung DeX cyberdeck build.

Samsung DeX is a neat feature available for Samsung mobile devices that turns them into something similar to a desktop PC when plugged into a monitor. Hardware and implementation particulars vary, but the idea is that smartphones have more than enough power to handle most everyday computing tasks. DeX lets users rely on their smartphones and tablets for those, rather than buying computers that they don’t really need. In this case, DeX gave OkTune5910 the ability to run a cyberdeck without the usual single-board computer.

Here, OkTune5910 used an old Samsung Galaxy S9 for DeX. That attaches to the bottom of the Talking Whiz Kid, beneath the keyboard. That appears to be a small Bluetooth keyboard, which replaces the original (awful) membrane keyboard that had a very limited number of keys. Similarly, the original Talking Whiz Kid screen received a modern HDMI-fed, high-resolution replacement. Power for that and the S9 comes from a large USB battery bank. The mouse is a separate external wireless model.

The Talking Whiz Kid has a cool vibe, but it doesn’t really fit the cyberpunk style that we tend to associate with cyberdeck projects. To get that, OkTune5910 gave the whole thing a coat of black spray paint and then went to town with a vinyl cutter and carbon fiber wrap. That gave the whole cyberdeck a cohesive look with an appropriate aesthetic.

Opinions about Samsung DeX seem to differ quite dramatically, but it is nice to see it used in a cyberdeck. And, of course, it gives new life to an old smartphone that would otherwise end up as e-waste.