(2025-12-01) My take on cyberdecks
----------------------------------
The winter has come, and I'm returning as promised. Throughout the no-post
November, I have remembered another long-forgotten obsession of mine: DIY. 
And I also remembered a trend among some DIY+cyberpunk folks: building 
cyberdecks.

So, what's a cyberdeck in the first place? In the original cyberpunk novels,
these were the devices with some kind of brain-to-net interface to jack into 
the cyberspace. IRL though, the broadest definition of a cyberdeck is: "a 
DIY portable PC in a non-standard form factor for specialized or general 
usage". While this technically is true, I'd add some more constraints to 
this definition. You see, a lot of cyberdecks I've seen online have been 
built with full access to manufacturing facilities like 3D printers or even 
CNC machines. Which, in my opinion, contradicts the entire cyberpunk vibe. 
So, I personally define a true real-world cyberdeck as a DIY portable PC 
that:

1) has a non-standard form factor,
2) is hand-assembled from existing scrap/spare parts with minimum outside
sourcing,
3) once assembled, is fully autonomous but modular enough to replace **any**
part with ease.

So... I tried assembling something according to this definition. Of course, I
still had to order most peripherals but the "brain" of the system was 
something I already had: a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8Gb RAM. As the case, I chose 
a cheap Mano Standard toolbox; as the screen, a 7" Waveshare clone with HDMI 
and touch; as the power bank, I settled upon something from Sandberg with 
the continuous power function, so that I could plug an external source in 
and out without turning of the Pi itself. The keyboard was a bit of a 
problem but I found some 60% mechanical wireless "gaming" one, which barely 
fits but the case still closes. Other than the keyboard, every other 
component gets "sandwiched" in place: powerbank to the bottom, then the Pi 
itself, then the display. I also wired out a C-C cable to charge the bank, a 
USB3 extender from the Pi to connect other hubs and peripherals, and a USB3 
extender from the bank to connect the Pi power itself. Why? Because, as you 
know, Raspberries don't have a power switch, so that connection doubles as 
one to conserve the powerbank energy when not in use. To prevent jiggling, I 
tried hot-gluing velcros inside the case, but that turned out to be rather 
unsuccessful. I think that enough wiring inside would prevent it much better.

Overall, I think I'm rather close to implementing what I envisioned here.
Obviously, I'll also need some external storage to transfer large files like 
ZIM archives of Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg there. Luckily, I have a 
Gembird M2 SSD enclosure that I can use with my old 512GB SSD from this very 
Thinkpad. This is one of the few other things that still can fit there. 
Again, should I ever need to replace the SSD itself, it's a matter of 
disconnecting the enclosure and replacing the innards of it. Modularity 
looks like the greatest strength of this build.

Then, some stickers for overall aesthetics and I'm done with it. Will I
actually use it? Of course I will. This is gonna be my main backup computer 
for all non-work activities, built out of both necessity and curiosity. And 
I hope the concept will prove itself over time.

--- Luxferre ---