In the background: Today’s laptops offer a combination of power, slim design, and low weight that few people could have imagined decades ago, but there was a time before the shells where laptops weren’t something you could slip into a briefcase. Today someone has created a version that pays homage to those “bulky” computers of yesteryear.
Laptops, which first arrived in the early 1980s, could weigh anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds and were only slightly easier to move than a standard desktop computer of the time. PCPartPicker user Ragnar84 gave the luggable a contemporary reimagining that uses modern components while maintaining the ‘portable’ aesthetic.
As reported by Hackaday, the “video editor and semi-casual gamer” used a custom-made mini-ITX box for his construction. Its volume is only 17.2 liters, so it’s relatively small, although you still wouldn’t want it on your lap during a seven-hour plane trip.
The screen, which is placed behind the glass side panel of the case, is of the 15.6-inch 1080p type with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. It includes a GTX 1060, the most popular graphics card among Steam participants. Survey, 16 GB of RAM and a Core i3-10100 with Intel’s stock cooler. There are also 80mm and 120mm case fans and a 450W power supply. The creator notes he doesn’t need the version to “blow my main PC out of the water” .
The transportable also features a removable handle on the top for moving it, as well as a kickstand and USB speakers.
Ragnar84 thoughtfully modeled the entire project in 3D first to make sure everything would fit. They then used T-Slot extrusion and custom cut aluminum and acrylic panels for the construction. “This custom case gives me all the freedom, power and ruggedness of a tower, with unmatched portability for custom build,” they wrote.
The Commodore SX-64 (below), a “portable” version of the world’s best-selling computer of all time, the Commodore 64, is an example of luggable.
