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Aug 03, 2023

This Upcycled TRS

Semi-pseudonymous maker "Tomomakes," hereafter simply "Tomo," has turned a scrap Tandy-Radio Shack TRS-80 Model II eight-bit microcomputer, built in the 1980s, into a modern marvel — complete with

Semi-pseudonymous maker "Tomomakes," hereafter simply "Tomo," has turned a scrap Tandy-Radio Shack TRS-80 Model II eight-bit microcomputer, built in the 1980s, into a modern marvel — complete with color display, Windows 10, and a mechanical keyboard.

"I found a broken TRS-80 [that] had a broken monitor, no components inside, no keyboard," Tomo explains of the project's upcycling origins, "so I retro fitted a modern computer inside it that runs Windows 10. To further sell the retro terminal feel, I created a looping video animation, featuring my graphic design logo, that plays as the desktop background."

While Tomo hasn't released full details on the build, the short video they have made public is undeniably impressive. The dead cathode-ray tube has been replaced by a Eyoyo-brand 12" full-color LCD, while the original keyboard has been replaced by a Ziyou Lang RK-T8 mechanical alternative. A gap, the result of the size difference between the old and new keyboards, is filled with a custom-built wood-grain panel to keep the vintage aesthetics intact.

"I couldn't bring myself to destroy any original hardware," Tomo explains of the decision to base the build around an already-gutted TRS-80, "so this was the perfect opportunity for a new build in the old shell."

More information on the "Tomoterminal" is available in Tomo's Reddit thread.