2026 Retrocomputing Problem: NEC 286 Laptop Rides Once more

The unhappy actuality is that each one shopper electronics are going to be e-waste finally. [Cory Whitesell] was decided his outdated NEC ProSpeed 286 Laptop wouldn’t meet that destiny till completely essential, so when his makes an attempt at repairs failed, his efforts pivoted to create a retro battlestation from the stylish old machine.

Externally, it seems to be fairly properly inventory, and [Cory] has retained as a lot of the internals as doable. The unique energy provide stays intact, with energy taken off the unique HDD’s molex connector. Said energy drives a Raspberry Pi, which is sufficiently small to suit inside with none gutting. The unique keyboard connects simply sufficient by way of a PS/2 to USB adapter, whereas the passive-matrix LCD has been changed with a contemporary display screen of the identical dimensions. You’d should be a fairly hard-core purist to mourn that final change.

With emulation on the Pi, he can nonetheless have the DOS expertise you’d count on from this machine, however its additionally highly effective sufficient to be helpful within the modern-day. While we place no bets on whether or not or not this mod will keep related for an additional 38 years, a extra highly effective single-board pc or slightly-squished cell phone might be positioned within the drive bay as an alternative as soon as the Pi’s ARM processor inevitably begins to look as anemic because the 286 does now.

Not everybody loves this sort of restomod, however we’ve featured more than a few and have a particular class for it in our ongoing retrocomputing contest for many who will do every thing to maintain classics out of the e-waste bin, together with remaking them.