M.U.S.E. Is a Gorgeous Typewriter-Styled Computer Dedicated to Writing

Computers may be general purpose machines, but that doesn't mean they can't benefit from some tailoring. Gamers, for example, build their PCs to suit their hobby. That goes beyond equipping them with powerful graphics cards and lots of RAM; it extends to the keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers/headphones, and more. Writers, like gamers, can benefit from computers that help to facilitate typing performance and that reduce distractions. That gave Brendan Charles (AKA ThisIsTheNewSleeve on Reddit) the motivation to create a gorgeous typewriter-styled computer called the Most Unusual Sentence Extractor, or M.U.S.E.

M.U.S.E. was designed to mimic the aesthetics of typewriters from the 1960s and 1970s. In that regard, it was an overwhelming success. Everything from the chunky lines, to the sea foam green color, to the flowing script of the badge screams "retro." M.U.S.E. really does look like an old typewriter, but it gives Charles all the benefits of a modern computer.

The keyboard is a writer's most important tool and Charles didn't skimp on that front. He took advantage of an open source 68Keys mechanical keyboard design, sending that design's custom PCB to PCBWay for fabrication and then assembling the keyboard.

The only other major parts, aside from the 3D-printed case, were a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and a touchscreen. That touchscreen is a 10.1" model from SunFounder, which eliminates the need for a dedicated mouse or touchpad. Charles didn't provide any detail about the specific Raspberry Pi model or the software it runs, but those are not very important. This computer's single purpose is to encourage writing and that doesn't take much processing power or any fancy software.

Charles didn't design this for public consumption, but he did publish the 3D models on Tinkercad for anyone brave enough to try to replicate M.U.S.E. without instructions or guarantees on the fit of components.

UPDATE (9/3/23): The M.U.S.E. was featured in the latest issue of HackSpace magazine, where you can read more about Charles' project.