PicoCalc - Possible Candidate For My Handheld Computer

[JKnightandKARR]

Very nice, thank you. I have several games/programs that I have collected, but most of these are new to me.

I'm saving this for when I get my PicoCalc.

Your welcome.  Is that PicoCalc basically Pico with built in computer?

[granz]

...Is that PicoCalc basically Pico with built in computer?

The PicoCalc is a small, handheld computer shaped like the old programmable calculators. The brains of the thing are contained in a Pi Pico, running a customized fork of PicoMite BASIC specifically for the matrix keyboard and the 320x320 LCD screen. There is also an ESP handling the power and keyboard.


There is a big community of people working on the firmware, and lots of software for the thing. https://forum.clockworkpi.com/c/picocalc/31. Some of these people work to keep updating the custom version of PicoMite, as those authors update that original. Other people have gotten Forth, a NES emulator, a Z-Machine implementation (for Zork) and other things going - there is even work on getting MicroPython running on this. There are also 3D printer people who are adding cases, covers and other things for the PicoCalc; pretty much all of it Open Sourced (providing build files, and source code for firmware and software.)

One group of people have found a board, which is the same size and pinout as the Pico, but will run a full-blown Linux (Debian, if I remember.) This makes for a complete Linux system in a (nearly) pocket-sized system.

[JKnightandKARR]

...Is that PicoCalc basically Pico with built in computer?

The PicoCalc is a small, handheld computer shaped like the old programmable calculators. The brains of the thing are contained in a Pi Pico, running a customized fork of PicoMite BASIC specifically for the matrix keyboard and the 320x320 LCD screen. There is also an ESP handling the power and keyboard.


There is a big community of people working on the firmware, and lots of software for the thing. https://forum.clockworkpi.com/c/picocalc/31. Some of these people work to keep updating the custom version of PicoMite, as those authors update that original. Other people have gotten Forth, a NES emulator, a Z-Machine implementation (for Zork) and other things going - there is even work on getting MicroPython running on this. There are also 3D printer people who are adding cases, covers and other things for the PicoCalc; pretty much all of it Open Sourced (providing build files, and source code for firmware and software.)

One group of people have found a board, which is the same size and pinout as the Pico, but will run a full-blown Linux (Debian, if I remember.) This makes for a complete Linux system in a (nearly) pocket-sized system.

Nice

[granz]

Nice

Yeah, the more I see about it, the more I like it.

This is what I had hoped that the TRS-80 Model 100 would be (only about 1000 times more powerful than the old Model 100.  ) I never really liked the OS on the Model Ts (Radio Shack's line of pre-PC laptops,) it was really just a fancy-ish PDA, not really a computer (other than the BASIC, and Telcom on board.) 8K of RAM is low to begin with (even considering the time it was released,) but when that small RAM has to do double-duty as the mass storage, well "cramped" is not a strong enough word.

The keyboard is the only real huge advantage of the Model T. The display is nice and big, but it is only 240 by 64 pixels (as opposed to the PicoCalc's 320x320,) and it is black and white (not even gray) while the PicoCalc has full color (24-bit, it seems.)

After playing with my PicoCalcs, I am thinking of taking one of my Model 100s, and replacing the B&W LCD with a 3.5" color LCD screen, replacing the Intel 8085 motherboard with a Pi Pico and loading up PicoMite BASIC on it. The display will take up a bit less than half the width of the old LCD, leaving room for a breadboard for prototyping. My project bucket list is getting longer and longer; at this rate I won't be able to die for centuries. 

[JKnightandKARR]

Nice

Yeah, the more I see about it, the more I like it.

This is what I had hoped that the TRS-80 Model 100 would be (only about 1000 times more powerful than the old Model 100.  ) I never really liked the OS on the Model Ts (Radio Shack's line of pre-PC laptops,) it was really just a fancy-ish PDA, not really a computer (other than the BASIC, and Telcom on board.) 8K of RAM is low to begin with (even considering the time it was released,) but when that small RAM has to do double-duty as the mass storage, well "cramped" is not a strong enough word.

The keyboard is the only real huge advantage of the Model T. The display is nice and big, but it is only 240 by 64 pixels (as opposed to the PicoCalc's 320x320,) and it is black and white (not even gray) while the PicoCalc has full color (24-bit, it seems.)

After playing with my PicoCalcs, I am thinking of taking one of my Model 100s, and replacing the B&W LCD with a 3.5" color LCD screen, replacing the Intel 8085 motherboard with a Pi Pico and loading up PicoMite BASIC on it. The display will take up a bit less than half the width of the old LCD, leaving room for a breadboard for prototyping. My project bucket list is getting longer and longer; at this rate I won't be able to die for centuries. 

Sounds good. Lol i KNOW that feeling all TOO WELL. I am in the same boat.