[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":794},["ShallowReactive",2],{"public-article:the-art-of-building-yesterday":3},{"article":4},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"excerpt":8,"description":8,"category":9,"categorySlug":10,"categoryNeedsReview":11,"tags":12,"status":14,"publishedAt":15,"updatedAt":16,"readTime":17,"art":18,"coverImage":19,"isMock":11,"author":20,"seo":25,"content":26},"1","the-art-of-building-yesterday","The Art of Building Yesterday","Modern hardware, old-school charm, and a few questionable engineering decisions.","Projects & Builds","projects-builds",false,[13],"Gaming Hardware","published","2026-10-15T22:15:18Z","2026-10-16T09:08:46Z",5,"terminal","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F8d768adbb148a01b876701411ba7f92c\u002Flarge.jpg",{"id":5,"slug":21,"name":22,"initials":23,"bio":24},"author-1","David","D","Techmerc contributor.",{"title":7,"description":8,"image":19},{"type":27,"content":28},"doc",[29,37,42,46,50,54,58,62,66,70,91,102,107,111,115,119,123,134,141,145,149,153,157,175,185,189,193,201,207,211,215,219,223,227,235,240,244,248,252,264,272,280,284,288,292,296,301,305,309,313,317,333,343,349,353,357,361,365,369,374,378,382,386,398,406,412,416,420,424,428,438,442,446,450,454,466,472,477,481,485,489,507,515,519,523,527,531,537,541,545,549,553,559,564,568,572,576,580,584,588,592,597,601,605,609,625,629,637,641,645,649,653,658,662,666,670,674,686,690,697,701,705,709,713,718,746,752,756,760,764,768,772,776,780,784,788],{"type":30,"attrs":31,"content":33},"heading",{"level":32},2,[34],{"type":35,"text":36},"text","It Started With a Scroll",{"type":38,"content":39},"paragraph",[40],{"type":35,"text":41},"I wasn't planning to build a retro computer.",{"type":38,"content":43},[44],{"type":35,"text":45},"I've built retro stuff before, including an arcade machine and a Raspberry Pi-powered SNES, and I've spent my fair share of time emulating Windows 98. But this particular project came out of nowhere.",{"type":38,"content":47},[48],{"type":35,"text":49},"Earlier that day, I'd been watching one of TechDweeb's YouTube videos, where he was showing off classic games running on his DOSBox setup. Naturally, that got the nostalgia flowing.",{"type":38,"content":51},[52],{"type":35,"text":53},"Later, I was casually scrolling through MakerWorld in Bambu Studio when I spotted a tiny CRT-looking monitor that reminded me of those old Commodore displays.",{"type":38,"content":55},[56],{"type":35,"text":57},"I clicked on it.",{"type":38,"content":59},[60],{"type":35,"text":61},"The display module was surprisingly cheap, the 3D model was already available, and I had a printer sitting there waiting for an excuse to do something.",{"type":38,"content":63},[64],{"type":35,"text":65},"So why not?",{"type":38,"content":67},[68],{"type":35,"text":69},"One thing led to another. I found more models, modified a few things, came up with new ideas, and just went with the flow. Somehow, a little 4:3 monitor became an entire retro-inspired setup.",{"type":71,"attrs":72},"image",{"src":73,"alt":74,"title":75,"width":76,"height":77,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":5,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":81},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Faca614924773414b55995525f78ac58b\u002Flarge.png","Makersworld CRT",null,834,751,"center","large","",{"original":82,"thumbnail":84,"medium":88,"large":90},{"url":83,"width":76,"height":77},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Faca614924773414b55995525f78ac58b\u002Foriginal.png",{"url":85,"width":86,"height":87},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Faca614924773414b55995525f78ac58b\u002Fthumbnail.png",320,288,{"url":89,"width":76,"height":77},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Faca614924773414b55995525f78ac58b\u002Fmedium.png",{"url":73,"width":76,"height":77},{"type":38,"content":92},[93],{"type":35,"marks":94,"text":101},[95],{"type":96,"attrs":97},"link",{"href":98,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fmakerworld.com\u002Fen\u002Fmodels\u002F377245-crt-style-portable-raspberry-pi-enclosure","_blank","noopener noreferrer nofollow","Link to the model",{"type":30,"attrs":103,"content":104},{"level":32},[105],{"type":35,"text":106},"The CRT That Isn't a CRT",{"type":38,"content":108},[109],{"type":35,"text":110},"My original plan was to make the monitor beige and gray, inspired by an old IBM monitor I used to own.",{"type":38,"content":112},[113],{"type":35,"text":114},"I loved that thing.",{"type":38,"content":116},[117],{"type":35,"text":118},"It had a 1024×768 resolution, ran at 50 Hz, and was practically designed to tear your eyes out after a few hours. It also had a rather interesting technical feature: sometimes the picture would disappear because something was wrong with its horizontal deflection.",{"type":38,"content":120},[121],{"type":35,"text":122},"The solution? A good, solid slap on the side.",{"type":38,"content":124},[125,127,132],{"type":35,"text":126},"We called it ",{"type":35,"marks":128,"text":131},[129],{"type":130},"italic","the Russian solution",{"type":35,"text":133},". Anyone who grew up around old Eastern Bloc electronics probably remembers the technique. If the television stopped working, give it a smack. If that didn't help, perhaps you weren't trying hard enough.",{"type":38,"content":135},[136],{"type":35,"marks":137,"text":140},[138],{"type":139},"bold","I'm not recommending this as a modern electronics repair method, by the way!",{"type":38,"content":142},[143],{"type":35,"text":144},"So naturally, I wanted to recreate the appearance of that old monitor. Not the electrical problems. Those can stay in the past.",{"type":38,"content":146},[147],{"type":35,"text":148},"The model I found on MakerWorld was a great starting point, but I wanted to make a few modifications. The original design included space for an internal computer board, something like a Raspberry Pi, with an HDMI switch to select between the internal system and an external source.",{"type":38,"content":150},[151],{"type":35,"text":152},"I wanted to use external computers, so I ditched the internal board arrangement and adapted the design to support two external HDMI inputs, keeping the input-selection button.",{"type":38,"content":154},[155],{"type":35,"text":156},"I also redesigned the front panel to accommodate two small 3 W speakers, and modified the rear panel for the connectors: HDMI, AC power and switch, audio input, and volume control.",{"type":71,"attrs":158},{"src":159,"alt":160,"title":75,"width":161,"height":162,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":163,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":164},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F9322718692049a5ef47af8f23dcd2b14\u002Flarge.jpg","Retro crt 3D print",1448,1086,"4",{"original":165,"thumbnail":167,"medium":170,"large":174},{"url":166,"width":161,"height":162},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F9322718692049a5ef47af8f23dcd2b14\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":168,"width":86,"height":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F9322718692049a5ef47af8f23dcd2b14\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",240,{"url":171,"width":172,"height":173},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F9322718692049a5ef47af8f23dcd2b14\u002Fmedium.jpg",960,720,{"url":159,"width":161,"height":162},{"type":38,"content":176},[177,179,183],{"type":35,"text":178},"Inside sits an IPS display - And here's the important part: ",{"type":35,"marks":180,"text":182},[181],{"type":139},"It's 4:3. ",{"type":35,"text":184},"Not a widescreen display pretending to be retro. An actual 4:3 panel.",{"type":38,"content":186},[187],{"type":35,"text":188},"That aspect ratio does an incredible amount of work. Old games and operating systems look right, and the whole thing feels much closer to the displays I remember. The IPS panel is sharp and clear, although I wouldn't mind a little more brightness. It's somewhat dim, but still a great little screen for this project.",{"type":38,"content":190},[191],{"type":35,"text":192},"And unlike my old IBM, it doesn't require physical persuasion to keep the picture working. Progress!",{"type":38,"content":194},[195],{"type":35,"marks":196,"text":200},[197],{"type":96,"attrs":198},{"href":199,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aliexpress.com\u002Fitem\u002F1005008045766868.htm","IPS display panel",{"type":30,"attrs":202,"content":204},{"level":203},3,[205],{"type":35,"text":206},"The Accidental Color Scheme",{"type":38,"content":208},[209],{"type":35,"text":210},"Originally, this was supposed to be a prototype.",{"type":38,"content":212},[213],{"type":35,"text":214},"I wanted that classic beige-and-gray appearance, but I only had gray and black filament available. So I printed it anyway. And then I looked at the result.",{"type":38,"content":216},[217],{"type":35,"text":218},"Damn. I actually liked it.",{"type":38,"content":220},[221],{"type":35,"text":222},"The gray-and-black combination gave the monitor a slightly futuristic look while keeping the retro shape. It wasn't a perfect replica of anything, and somehow that made it better. I decided to keep it.",{"type":38,"content":224},[225],{"type":35,"text":226},"And when I started building the other components, I stuck with the same colors. A temporary decision became the visual identity of the entire setup.",{"type":38,"content":228},[229,231,233],{"type":35,"text":230},"Sometimes design is about carefully selecting materials and colors.",{"type":232},"hardBreak",{"type":35,"text":234},"Sometimes it's about whatever filament you have left on the shelf.",{"type":30,"attrs":236,"content":237},{"level":32},[238],{"type":35,"text":239},"A Modern Computer Pretending It's 1998",{"type":38,"content":241},[242],{"type":35,"text":243},"Behind the retro appearance is a Lenovo ThinkCentre with an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and NVMe storage.",{"type":38,"content":245},[246],{"type":35,"text":247},"Not exactly period-correct hardware - But that was never the point.",{"type":38,"content":249},[250],{"type":35,"text":251},"I'm running Windows 10 with TechDweeb's DOSBox setup, along with PCem for emulating older hardware and Windows 98.",{"type":71,"attrs":253},{"src":254,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":161,"height":162,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":255,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":256},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F4a3db1e1358176226f004f1b839d532f\u002Flarge.png","5",{"original":257,"thumbnail":259,"medium":261,"large":263},{"url":258,"width":161,"height":162},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F4a3db1e1358176226f004f1b839d532f\u002Foriginal.png",{"url":260,"width":86,"height":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F4a3db1e1358176226f004f1b839d532f\u002Fthumbnail.png",{"url":262,"width":172,"height":173},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F4a3db1e1358176226f004f1b839d532f\u002Fmedium.png",{"url":254,"width":161,"height":162},{"type":38,"content":265},[266],{"type":35,"marks":267,"text":271},[268],{"type":96,"attrs":269},{"href":270,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002FTechDweeb\u002Fposts\u002Fdweeb-dos-103463736","TechDweeb's DOSBox setup",{"type":38,"content":273},[274],{"type":35,"marks":275,"text":279},[276],{"type":96,"attrs":277},{"href":278,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=FIUQXBgLi6s","TechDweeb's original YouTube video",{"type":38,"content":281},[282],{"type":35,"text":283},"I could have hunted down an original Pentium machine, dealt with aging capacitors, ancient hard drives, and all the other joys of old hardware. But I wanted something I could actually use without turning every gaming session into a troubleshooting session.",{"type":38,"content":285},[286],{"type":35,"text":287},"The ThinkCentre is small, fast, reliable, and more than capable of running what I need.",{"type":38,"content":289},[290],{"type":35,"text":291},"And the games?",{"type":38,"content":293},[294],{"type":35,"text":295},"Oh, the games.",{"type":30,"attrs":297,"content":298},{"level":203},[299],{"type":35,"text":300},"Not Doom... No : Duke Nukem II.",{"type":38,"content":302},[303],{"type":35,"text":304},"That Apogee logo. That intro music.",{"type":38,"content":306},[307],{"type":35,"text":308},"Goosebumps.",{"type":38,"content":310},[311],{"type":35,"text":312},"Even through my slightly older, midlife-crisis ears.",{"type":38,"content":314},[315],{"type":35,"text":316},"There's something about hearing those sounds again that immediately takes me back. It's not just remembering a game. It's remembering what it felt like to play it for the first time. Finding a decent copy of Duke Nukem II nowadays is surprisingly annoying, but that's another story.",{"type":71,"attrs":318},{"src":319,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":320,"height":321,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":322,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":323},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fbc06db82d70db39bc6c986d8e79f8519\u002Flarge.jpg",1104,804,"6",{"original":324,"thumbnail":326,"medium":329,"large":332},{"url":325,"width":320,"height":321},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fbc06db82d70db39bc6c986d8e79f8519\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":327,"width":86,"height":328},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fbc06db82d70db39bc6c986d8e79f8519\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",233,{"url":330,"width":172,"height":331},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fbc06db82d70db39bc6c986d8e79f8519\u002Fmedium.jpg",699,{"url":319,"width":320,"height":321},{"type":38,"content":334},[335,337,341],{"type":35,"text":336},"Then there's ",{"type":35,"marks":338,"text":340},[339],{"type":139},"Stunts",{"type":35,"text":342},", one of my all-time childhood favorites. Not because I was particularly good at racing.",{"type":38,"content":344},[345],{"type":35,"marks":346,"text":348},[347],{"type":139},"Because it had a track editor.",{"type":38,"content":350},[351],{"type":35,"text":352},"I was about seven years old when I discovered that incredible feature, and naturally, I used all that creative freedom to build a perfectly straight track. No corners. No obstacles. No complicated design.",{"type":38,"content":354},[355],{"type":35,"text":356},"Just me, pushing the up arrow key to the metal, as if pressing it harder would somehow make the car go faster. I was having the time of my life.",{"type":38,"content":358},[359],{"type":35,"text":360},"I've also been playing classic StarCraft: Brood War, and Diablo and Dungeon Keeper are waiting for their turn.",{"type":38,"content":362},[363],{"type":35,"text":364},"And yes, I could play all of these on my modern gaming PC.",{"type":38,"content":366},[367],{"type":35,"text":368},"But sitting in front of that little 4:3 screen somehow makes the experience feel right.",{"type":30,"attrs":370,"content":371},{"level":32},[372],{"type":35,"text":373},"10% Quality, 90% Nostalgia",{"type":38,"content":375},[376],{"type":35,"text":377},"Once the monitor was finished, I needed speakers.",{"type":38,"content":379},[380],{"type":35,"text":381},"I found another model on MakerWorld that looked like it would fit the setup, printed the enclosures in matching gray and black, and installed two 10 W speakers with a volume potentiometer on the side.",{"type":38,"content":383},[384],{"type":35,"text":385},"I genuinely hoped to build something that sounded good.",{"type":71,"attrs":387},{"src":388,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":162,"height":161,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":389,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":390},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F2d199110f76d0c83607f6ac6b92f1485\u002Flarge.jpg","7",{"original":391,"thumbnail":393,"medium":395,"large":397},{"url":392,"width":162,"height":161},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F2d199110f76d0c83607f6ac6b92f1485\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":394,"width":169,"height":86},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F2d199110f76d0c83607f6ac6b92f1485\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",{"url":396,"width":173,"height":172},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002F2d199110f76d0c83607f6ac6b92f1485\u002Fmedium.jpg",{"url":388,"width":162,"height":161},{"type":38,"content":399},[400],{"type":35,"marks":401,"text":405},[402],{"type":96,"attrs":403},{"href":404,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fmakerworld.com\u002Fen\u002Fmodels\u002F653658-90s-pc-speaker","Speaker enclosure MakerWorld model",{"type":38,"content":407},[408],{"type":35,"marks":409,"text":411},[410],{"type":139},"Then I turned them on.",{"type":38,"content":413},[414],{"type":35,"text":415},"Oh dear.",{"type":38,"content":417},[418],{"type":35,"text":419},"No bass. All treble. Everything sounded like it was coming out of an empty liver pâté tin.",{"type":38,"content":421},[422],{"type":35,"text":423},"I was shocked. But after a while, something strange happened. The nostalgia started kicking in.",{"type":38,"content":425},[426],{"type":35,"text":427},"Because this was exactly how those little desktop PC speakers sounded back in the day.",{"type":38,"content":429},[430,432,436],{"type":35,"text":431},"Before I had a decent Genius 5.1 system, this was the kind of audio I was used to.  And suddenly I could almost hear those old ",{"type":35,"marks":433,"text":435},[434],{"type":130},"1998 Summer Hits",{"type":35,"text":437}," CDs again. (It's a beautiful life, life, oh ooooh)",{"type":38,"content":439},[440],{"type":35,"text":441},"That thin, boxy sound. Full highs, no lows. Bass was apparently an optional feature that you had to purchase separately.",{"type":38,"content":443},[444],{"type":35,"text":445},"For a moment, I loved it... Well, emotionally.",{"type":38,"content":447},[448],{"type":35,"text":449},"Acoustically, they're still terrible.",{"type":38,"content":451},[452],{"type":35,"text":453},"I've already bought some mini-woofers to see if I can improve the sound, because nostalgia is wonderful, but I'd also like to keep my hearing. That's still a work in progress.",{"type":71,"attrs":455},{"src":456,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":162,"height":161,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":457,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":458},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fae6351bda1e319024d077c11cd72f4bb\u002Flarge.jpg","8",{"original":459,"thumbnail":461,"medium":463,"large":465},{"url":460,"width":162,"height":161},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fae6351bda1e319024d077c11cd72f4bb\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":462,"width":169,"height":86},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fae6351bda1e319024d077c11cd72f4bb\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",{"url":464,"width":173,"height":172},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fae6351bda1e319024d077c11cd72f4bb\u002Fmedium.jpg",{"url":456,"width":162,"height":161},{"type":38,"content":467},[468],{"type":35,"marks":469,"text":471},[470],{"type":139},"10% quality. 90% nostalgia! (in echo)",{"type":30,"attrs":473,"content":474},{"level":32},[475],{"type":35,"text":476},"Nostalgia Has Its Limits",{"type":38,"content":478},[479],{"type":35,"text":480},"The mouse was one of the last additions.",{"type":38,"content":482},[483],{"type":35,"text":484},"I used Bambu Lab's Mouse Kit 002 with a retro-inspired 3D-printed shell, keeping the gray-and-black theme.",{"type":38,"content":486},[487],{"type":35,"text":488},"It looks old. But thankfully, it isn't.",{"type":71,"attrs":490},{"src":491,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":492,"height":493,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":494,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":495},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fc3ef56a13c98dbf6f6f104c9149c6403\u002Flarge.jpg",1282,873,"9",{"original":496,"thumbnail":498,"medium":502,"large":506},{"url":497,"width":492,"height":493},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fc3ef56a13c98dbf6f6f104c9149c6403\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":499,"width":500,"height":501},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fc3ef56a13c98dbf6f6f104c9149c6403\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",319,217,{"url":503,"width":504,"height":505},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fc3ef56a13c98dbf6f6f104c9149c6403\u002Fmedium.jpg",959,653,{"url":491,"width":492,"height":493},{"type":38,"content":508},[509],{"type":35,"marks":510,"text":514},[511],{"type":96,"attrs":512},{"href":513,"target":99,"rel":100,"class":75,"title":75},"https:\u002F\u002Fmakerworld.com\u002Fen\u002Fmodels\u002F469880-pointer-9000-retro-wireless-mouse","Bambu Lab mouse model and kit",{"type":38,"content":516},[517],{"type":35,"text":518},"People sometimes remember the '90s and early 2000s through a thick fog, as if everything was somehow better back then.",{"type":38,"content":520},[521],{"type":35,"text":522},"It wasn't.",{"type":38,"content":524},[525],{"type":35,"text":526},"I love the memories attached to old CDs, cassette tapes, VHS, and the technology we grew up with.",{"type":38,"content":528},[529],{"type":35,"text":530},"But I've discovered far more great music through streaming than I could have imagined back then. Modern technology has given us some genuinely wonderful things.",{"type":38,"content":532},[533],{"type":35,"marks":534,"text":536},[535],{"type":139},"And then there's the ball mouse.",{"type":38,"content":538},[539],{"type":35,"text":540},"Oh, that bloody ball mouse. I was a clean kid. I took care of my stuff. And somehow, those little rubber balls and rollers still managed to collect enough mysterious black goo to qualify as a new life form.",{"type":38,"content":542},[543],{"type":35,"text":544},"The cursor would jump, stick, shake, or simply refuse to move properly. You'd open the mouse, scrape the dirt off the rollers, put everything back together, and enjoy a few glorious days before the whole process started again.",{"type":38,"content":546},[547],{"type":35,"text":548},"No, thank you.",{"type":38,"content":550},[551],{"type":35,"text":552},"Some things deserve to stay in the past. That's why my retro mouse has a modern optical sensor.",{"type":38,"content":554},[555],{"type":35,"marks":556,"text":558},[557],{"type":139},"Life is short. Get an optical mouse.",{"type":30,"attrs":560,"content":561},{"level":203},[562],{"type":35,"text":563},"The Keyboard Problem",{"type":38,"content":565},[566],{"type":35,"text":567},"The keyboard is currently a cheap mechanical model with red switches.",{"type":38,"content":569},[570],{"type":35,"text":571},"It has the sound. It has the feeling. It just doesn't have the look.",{"type":38,"content":573},[574],{"type":35,"text":575},"And that brings me to another project I've been planning: A modular retro-inspired mechanical keyboard with interchangeable game-specific modules.",{"type":38,"content":577},[578],{"type":35,"text":579},"One of the first ideas was a StarCraft module, which makes perfect sense considering how much classic StarCraft I've been playing on this machine.",{"type":38,"content":581},[582],{"type":35,"text":583},"The idea is to build something that combines the look and feel of older hardware with modern electronics, custom modules, and even haptic feedback.",{"type":38,"content":585},[586],{"type":35,"text":587},"But that deserves its own article.",{"type":38,"content":589},[590],{"type":35,"text":591},"Probably several.",{"type":30,"attrs":593,"content":594},{"level":32},[595],{"type":35,"text":596},"A Little SNES on the Side",{"type":38,"content":598},[599],{"type":35,"text":600},"There's another little machine in this setup that predates the CRT project.",{"type":38,"content":602},[603],{"type":35,"text":604},"A Raspberry Pi 3B housed in a tiny SNES-style case, running RetroPie.",{"type":38,"content":606},[607],{"type":35,"text":608},"I've had this one for a while, along with wireless SNES controllers, and it fits the whole setup beautifully.",{"type":71,"attrs":610},{"src":611,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":612,"height":613,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":614,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":615},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fe63596ceab6fb489a09068d880870638\u002Flarge.jpg",1272,1237,"10",{"original":616,"thumbnail":618,"medium":621,"large":624},{"url":617,"width":612,"height":613},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fe63596ceab6fb489a09068d880870638\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":619,"width":86,"height":620},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fe63596ceab6fb489a09068d880870638\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",311,{"url":622,"width":172,"height":623},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fe63596ceab6fb489a09068d880870638\u002Fmedium.jpg",933,{"url":611,"width":612,"height":613},{"type":38,"content":626},[627],{"type":35,"text":628},"The monitor's second HDMI input makes it easy to switch between the ThinkCentre and the Raspberry Pi without rearranging cables every time.",{"type":38,"content":630},[631,633],{"type":35,"text":632},"And one of my favorite things to play on it? ",{"type":35,"marks":634,"text":636},[635],{"type":139},"Wizard of Wor.",{"type":38,"content":638},[639],{"type":35,"text":640},"On a 4:3 display. With those gloriously boxy speakers. Pure joy.",{"type":38,"content":642},[643],{"type":35,"text":644},"Beautiful.",{"type":38,"content":646},[647],{"type":35,"text":648},"In a slightly terrible sort of way.",{"type":38,"content":650},[651],{"type":35,"text":652},"Sometimes the things that make you smile aren't necessarily the things that score highest in a technical review.",{"type":30,"attrs":654,"content":655},{"level":32},[656],{"type":35,"text":657},"What's Next?",{"type":38,"content":659},[660],{"type":35,"text":661},"This setup is far from finished. First, I want to build a proper case for the ThinkCentre.",{"type":38,"content":663},[664],{"type":35,"text":665},"Not a tower. I'm thinking of those early-'90s horizontal IBM desktop cases, the ones that sat underneath the monitor.",{"type":38,"content":667},[668],{"type":35,"text":669},"Something with the same gray-and-black color scheme, housing the ThinkCentre, an external USB DVD drive, and a USB floppy drive.",{"type":38,"content":671},[672],{"type":35,"text":673},"Yes, a floppy drive. Because apparently, I haven't suffered enough.",{"type":71,"attrs":675},{"src":676,"alt":80,"title":75,"width":161,"height":162,"alignment":78,"displayWidth":79,"linkToOriginal":11,"mediaId":677,"caption":80,"size":79,"sources":678},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fd1c2c40cbec519c61e336edea85a742e\u002Flarge.jpg","11",{"original":679,"thumbnail":681,"medium":683,"large":685},{"url":680,"width":161,"height":162},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fd1c2c40cbec519c61e336edea85a742e\u002Foriginal.jpg",{"url":682,"width":86,"height":169},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fd1c2c40cbec519c61e336edea85a742e\u002Fthumbnail.jpg",{"url":684,"width":172,"height":173},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.techmerc.eu\u002Fmedia\u002Ffiles\u002Fd1c2c40cbec519c61e336edea85a742e\u002Fmedium.jpg",{"url":676,"width":161,"height":162},{"type":38,"content":687},[688],{"type":35,"text":689},"The speakers need some improvements, the keyboard is practically begging for a redesign, and I'm sure I'll find another completely unnecessary addition somewhere along the way.",{"type":691,"content":692},"blockquote",[693],{"type":38,"content":694},[695],{"type":35,"text":696},"But there's one thing I want to be clear about: I'm not trying to build an authentic vintage computer. This isn't a restoration project or a museum exhibit.",{"type":38,"content":698},[699],{"type":35,"text":700},"I want it to look like something I built myself. A collection of retro-inspired, slightly futuristic DIY projects that happen to work together.",{"type":38,"content":702},[703],{"type":35,"text":704},"There's also a small logistical problem: The setup currently lives in my soldering corner which means I now need to find somewhere else to solder.",{"type":38,"content":706},[707],{"type":35,"text":708},"Apparently, building a retro computer also involves redesigning the workshop.",{"type":38,"content":710},[711],{"type":35,"text":712},"Eventually, I want to give the whole thing a permanent desk of its own. And when I do, there's one final feature I want.",{"type":30,"attrs":714,"content":715},{"level":32},[716],{"type":35,"text":717},"Disconnected",{"type":719,"content":720},"bulletList",[721,728,734,740],{"type":722,"content":723},"listItem",[724],{"type":38,"content":725},[726],{"type":35,"text":727},"No notifications.",{"type":722,"content":729},[730],{"type":38,"content":731},[732],{"type":35,"text":733},"No endless scrolling.",{"type":722,"content":735},[736],{"type":38,"content":737},[738],{"type":35,"text":739},"No algorithm trying to convince me that I need to watch another video.",{"type":722,"content":741},[742],{"type":38,"content":743},[744],{"type":35,"text":745},"No news feed, no social media, no online noise.",{"type":38,"content":747},[748],{"type":35,"marks":749,"text":751},[750],{"type":139},"Just a little 4:3 screen, some old games, questionable speakers, and a few hours to myself - offline",{"type":38,"content":753},[754],{"type":35,"text":755},"I spend plenty of time around modern technology. I like modern technology. I wouldn't trade most of its conveniences for the way things worked thirty years ago.",{"type":38,"content":757},[758],{"type":35,"text":759},"But sometimes it's nice to sit down in front of a computer that isn't constantly asking for your attention.",{"type":38,"content":761},[762],{"type":35,"text":763},"A computer that's there for one simple reason.",{"type":38,"content":765},[766],{"type":35,"text":767},"To enjoy it.",{"type":38,"content":769},[770],{"type":35,"text":771},"Maybe I'll play Duke Nukem II and listen to that Apogee intro again.",{"type":38,"content":773},[774],{"type":35,"text":775},"Maybe I'll build another completely straight racetrack in Stunts.",{"type":38,"content":777},[778],{"type":35,"text":779},"Maybe I'll finally get around to Diablo.",{"type":38,"content":781},[782],{"type":35,"text":783},"Or maybe I'll just sit there, look at this ridiculous little machine I've built, and think about what I could add next. I don't believe everything was better back then.",{"type":38,"content":785},[786],{"type":35,"text":787},"Far from it.",{"type":38,"content":789},[790],{"type":35,"marks":791,"text":793},[792],{"type":139},"But there are a few things from yesterday that are worth building again.",1792494583010]