In the early years of the computer revolution, a maker like the Sol-20 truly stood out. Where a lot of hobbyist machines had front panels that bristled with toggle switches as well as LEDs, the Sol-20 was a sleek, all-in-one that appeared like an electric typewriter in a walnut-trimmed box. Unfortunately, it was likewise rather expensive, so not that lots of were sold. This makes them difficult sufficient to discover 40 years later that building his own reproduction Sol-20 is about the only method for [Michael Gardi] to have one of his own.
In a great deal of ways, the Sol-20 anticipated lots of of the style aspects that would come into play later. like the Apple as well as Commodore machines that were coming down the pike, the Sol-20 was meant to be plug as well as play. [Mike] celebrates that style with a full-size reproduction of the original, concentrating on its special aesthetic aspects. The reproduction mimics the striking blue case, with its acrylic front panel as well as walnut sides. The keyboard is likewise an precise match for the original, in looks if not in function — the capacitive system verified as well tough to replicate, so he selected a set utilizing Cherry switches as well as custom-made keycaps. [Mike] likewise utilized his proven method for 3D-printing the unforgettable Sol-20 logo for the front panel, in the right font style as well as color.
Under the hood, a Raspberry Pi runs an 8080 emulator, which supports a variety of online devices, including a cassette tape drive as well as the video output. For fun, [Mike] likewise pictured what a CRT screen for the Sol-20 would have looked like, as well as added that to his build. It’s a great-looking maker that never was, as well as we appreciate the interest to detail. We’ve seen that before — his 2/3-scale VT-100 terminal pertains to mind, as does his reproduction of a 1960s computer trainer.