A Hacker-Friendly Computer in a 3D-Printable Open Frame
Open in terms of aesthetics and sharing philosophy.
"Build a PC" has meant different things over time. In the early days, a few nerds at the Homebrew Computer Club literally created machines like the Apple I. Later it became as simple as plugging cards together. With the "Open Frame" from Jay Doscher, you can relive the glory of building a computer by making an entirely custom modular case.
Doscher describes the Open Frame computer as "a design that is modular, one that makes it easy to modify, upgrade, and rewire — but without having to constantly disassemble it."
The overall frame mimics the original all-in-one Mac. A bit of historical irony that Doscher chose a computer that symbolized a closed-architecture for this completely open design both physically and for sharing.
The Open Frame has the essential components: a Pimoroni 10" HDMI display, an AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 SoC-based UDOO BOLT, and a 3D-printable frame. Each of these parts should be readily available. For the 3D-printed parts, there is a link to the original Tinkercad project. With a little bit of modification to the available CAD files, the case should be able to support another computer type, like the Raspberry Pi.
Anyone who has built a project has been asked this question: "Yeah, but what does it do?"
Doscher already has a response: "This project should do just about any general task, not need a third-party repair shop, easily hackable, modifiable, and whatever I need it to be. The Mac profile may not last long, but it’s easy to swap those parts out."
The Open Frame's dimensions work out to be 255 x 240 x 181 mm. The use of carbon fiber PETG for such a design may be expensive, but as Doscher admits, it does leave a beautiful matte finish. (We have to agree.)
More info can be found in Doscher's full write-up about the Open Frame. A considerable amount of detail describes each piece, which makes a step-by-step guide unnecessary. In other words, the computer is simple enough that anyone could build it.
The original members of the Homebrew Computer Club would be proud.