The Bobo-1 Is an Apple-1-Inspired Wooden "Retro" Computer Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4
Packing an impressive 14 18650 cells in its hand-built housing, this machine lasts for more than a day of "regular tasks" per charge.
Pseudonymous maker "jarrodthebobo," hereafter simply "Jarrod," has put together a retro-themed home computer powered by a Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC) and housed in a wooden chassis: the Bobo-1.
"I've been wanting to throw something like this together for years," Jarrod explains of the project, "but with some inspiration from the Apple-1 DIY wooden wonders floating on the net, I just threw myself into it with little to no real plans. Now I just have to build a monitor to match the look! I now have a 7.9in Waveshare 400×1280 screen that I'll likely be building a case for."
Inspired by the original Apple-1 microcomputer and its hand-made wooden casing, while mimicking the shape of a range of home computers from the 1980s like the Acorn-designed BBC Micro Model B, the wooden housing of the Bobo-1 packs in a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8GB single-board computer, a GeekWorm X728 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) HAT connected to no fewer than 14 18650 cells, speakers, and an amplifier.
"With over 40,000mAh of battery, this guy can go well over 40 hours on idle, and well over a day doing regular tasks," Jarrod claims. "This project was originally a much smaller Compaq style luggable (shrunk down) but being that I don't own a 3D printer nor laser cutter, my acrylic cutting was rather rough. Was never really satisfied with its appearance nor its structural stability."
At the front of the build is the input device: a BFOP 96 per cent ortholinear mechanical keyboard kit, fitted with Kailh Box Pink switches and featuring Drop MT3 3277 keycaps — specifically chosen to fit in with the retro aesthetic. Hinges on the cover provide easy access to the internals, with the generous wooden case offering plenty of room for expansion.
"In the future," Jarrod says, "I'll be adding a 2nd Pi 4 into this case that hosts my cloud backup storage, along with a KVM [Keyboard/Video/Mouse switch] to replace the dumb HDMI switch currently in it. Nothing is stuck down permanently, as I'm using Velcro to secure all but the Pi itself (which is screwed in with stand-offs)."
More information on the project is available on Jarrod's Reddit thread.
