This Upcycled TRS-80 "Tomoterminal" Is a Modern Windows PC Sleeper Build with Vintage Aesthetics

Built in the chassis of a long-deceased TRS-80 Model II, this sleeper build is an impressive case of upcycling.

Gareth Halfacree
2 years ago • Upcycling / Retro Tech

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."

Built in the housing of a long-dead TRS-80, the "Tomoterminal" is a modern machine with vintage aesthetics. (šŸ“¹: Tomomakes)

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 The dead cathode-ray tube has been replaced by a Eyoyo-brand 12" full-color LCD, while the original keyboard has been replaced by a Ziyou Lang RK-T8 mechanical alternative.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.

Gareth Halfacree
Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.
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