New Clockwork device: The DevTerm

I am extremely happy to see that the Snes style ABXY configuration is acknowledged.
The last thing besides my Gameboy printer I remember with a thermal printer was my grandad’s calculator. I approve.
While on the nostalgia kick, I’d very much be down to custom paint a kit aka the famicom keyboard. I’m an absolute sucker for that colour scheme.

2 Likes

I prefer red and black

3 Likes

i prefer mint green & beige, it’s an underrated color scheme

1 Like

If the keyboard is again based on a programmable arduino, you could possibly map it to anything.
Then use the trusty old magic eraser to scrub the decals off the key, and apply your own.

Pre April release, I wonder if they will release STL files to 3D print our own mock-ups of the devterm. Could be useful for the purists who like their keyboards configure the way they want. (Not that you can print a decal with an STL, but hey! Spares!)

Great to see the community is still active, with plenty of shadow lurkers!

4 Likes

yeah, that would be cool to see

2 Likes

You’re giving me PTSD flashbacks of my old cassiopaeia “palmtop” computer. Hopefully this will deliver where Windows CE failed.

image

On that note, as a pure proof of concept, using a CM3 should allow more freedom of OS choice (windows IOT ;)), and open up the market to more people; no longer needing a custom boot loader/kernel etc.

The DevTerm remind me of the Amstrad NC-100

3 Likes

ok ok, it was just for fun.

This new device looks super interesting but I have a feeling that it is not as mainstream as GameShell was/is. It’s more directed to a niche audience. I really hope it gets the sales and success the team is looking for and deserves.

Me personally I’d rather been expecting to see some new modules for our modular GameShell e.g a new screen or case or clockworkpi sbc, that would upgrade our GSs. Is there any plan for such modules?

One comment on the device looks is that the flat keyboard screen might render it cumbersome in usage. It’s doesn’t bend anyhow right?

3 Likes

That would be cool. But I guess you just gotta make new things so people don’t get bored of the same things? Yeah I agree. The screen like that would be kind of hard to look at when you’re typing or something. I think it should be like a laptop/computer.

True but the GameShell form factor has a much broader audience so more guaranteed sales. Plus it was advertised and it is “modular” and no modules except the initial setup have ever been produced.

2 Likes

I think you are wrong, if you look closely, the gameshell even if slightly marketed as a gaming device was mainly marketed as a DYI/hacking device like the devterm.

What CPI was really trying to sell was they compute module, the « main board » of the gameshell, the GS only being a ready made kit to put around that tinker board named ClockworkPi (which is the name of the company, they didn’t call themselves as GameShell)

This device is for me the exact continuity of the CPI/GameShell. The Gs got somewhat popular with emulation, but that was not their first target.

4 Likes

I never actually thought about that. But you’re right. @elefas. You make a pretty good point too @Godzil. Actually it was marketed as a modular game console so @elefas is right.

1 Like

Playing devil’s advocate here, but having the cm3 could make it appealing for existing RPI users, and make the utilisation of the device seem more mainstream with an already established community that have a backlog of forums and information.

What I love about the clockwork pi community was the way that solutions were found together, and optimisations and discoveries were made collaboratively. There were probably only a dozen or so active people who were contributing towards this so naturally momentum was slow.

I actually think that this will take off and not be too much of a niche device. It certainly is unique!

@omission229 - just saying, you can like a post to have a similar effect to responding with “I agree”

1 Like

It really is unique. But I don’t think we can put a cm3 because clockworkpi makes these to sell their boards like @Godzil said. While that is still a good idea. Really, ok then.

I’m not sure what you’re referring to. The Gameshell won’t be able to use the CM3, so I wasn’t referring to that.
It looks like the devterm will be using a CM3, unless I’m missing something here? Let me know what you mean.

Oh, I just assumed that the RPi’s were competition with clockworkpi. So then I thought it would use one of their boards my bad. I ment clockworkpi board.

That’s right. It is using one of their boards.

On a related note, I’m wondering if the ddr3 style slot would accomodate any other SoC’s, eg a banana pi. Octacore plz?
Having a “universal” compute module compatibility would be a fantastic solution.

Speaking of compatibility, that expansion module looks eerily similar to a laptop style PCI-E slot. My mind is going to all sorts of places. And it’s getting excited at the potential.

Edit: ah dang! It just uses the pci-e form factor by the sound of it.

1 Like

There are three version of the DevTerm, but all are identical apart one thing: the module.

There is a “naked” version were you can put a rPi CM3, and two with CPi own CM3 compatible module.

As for the other SBC board, ONLY, and only if they are pin to pin fully compatible with the Raspberry Pi ComputeModule 3.

1 Like

It’s not if I am right or wrong. You probably also know that I tried to support actively this community as much as I could and I really love my GS. I also like the DevTerm it’s like a 80s hacker dream machine.

However I would expect that Clockwork team to invest a bit more on GS and this community that GameShell (and not the sbc ClockworkPi) has created. Without GS, ClockworkPi sbc would be just another sbc from the dozens that exist and probably by now nobody would bother with it. Any gains are because of the GS. And it would be nice to see the company that developed it still cares about and provides software updates (eg the OS/launcher) or hardware ones (like the new CPi board with hdmi and 1gb ram). For example a better screen is much talked here.

Of course since the new device is about to debut I totally understand that the team focuses entirely on it and the old veteran GS is now abandoned.

But the above also shows the fate of the new device. Though it seems expandable with printers, expansion ports and stuff, if there are no modules to use what’s the point? Ok community and 3rd party can provide some solutions but the owning company should drive the developments first. It’s like GS, it modular but no modules exist for it.

Anyway I don’t like to be complaining, the new device is good news, the team shows to have put a lot of effort on it and they deserve to succeed. I really look forward to it.

6 Likes