8-BIT computer FOR ON-THE-GO PROGRAMMING

If there was one downside to 8-bit computers like the Commodore 64, it’s that they weren’t exactly portable. even ignoring their physical size, the power requirements would likely have required a prohibitively large power bank of some sort to lug around as well. The problem of portability has been resolved because the late ’70s, but if you still want that 8-bit goodness in a much more modern package you’ll have to look at something like retrocomputing madman [Jack Eisenmann]’s DUO travel computer.

The computer is based around the ubiquitous ATmega328 which ought to make the ease at which it is programmable apparent. even so, its 14-button keypad makes it programmable even without another computer. While it has slightly less memory than a conventional C-64, it’s still enough for many tasks. And, because its powered by a 9-volt battery it doesn’t require any external power sources either.

The many outstanding part of the build, however, is the customized programming language specifically tailored for this platform. After all, a 14-button keypad wouldn’t be a terrific choice if you had to program in Perl or C all the time. There is some example code on the project page for anybody interested in this particular implementation. While it’s not the most minimal computer [Jack] has ever built, it’s certain to be much much more practical.