Arduwatch Design - Orange vs Green — Arduwatch - Naturals Line - Orange and Green

Bergen - Arduwatch Design

March 5, 2022

I am a fan of tiny portable handhelds, and one if the coolest and smallest, is the Arduboy, a 1-bit miniature game system. It’s the size of a credit card and features this impossibly crisp display. I bought a Arduboy a long time ago and still enjoy playing around with it today. I have also been making mock Arduboy game graphics for a years and I guess I saw this project as a chance to combine a number of new skills and interests with some legacy designs and assets to see what would come of it.

The Arduwatch is an imagined “fantasy” product design that combines the screen and internals of an Arduboy with the form factor of a wristwatch. The Arduboy’s form factor and further reduced by eliminating all but the systems directional buttons. I imagined different games and applications that could work with this reduced control set.

As an aspiring watch designer, my hope is this design would resonate both with vintage tech and a watch enthusiasts alike.

Arduwatch Design - Slime vs. Pink — Arduwatch - Brights Line - Slime and Pink

Arduwatch Design - Black vs. White — Arduwatch - Black (Brights), White (Naturals)

When the design was complete, I started to play around with different colourways. The Naturals Line features muted Autumn and Winter tones inspired by nature. The Brights Line is about 90’s toys and youthful energy. Each palette combo pairs beautifully with the super sharp high contrast Arduboy display.

Arduwatch - Green Detail - BC’s Quest for Tires.

This design was modelled using a combination of Fusion 360 and Cinema4D. These images were rendered using Adobe Substance Stager. I prefer Fusion’s geometry for building solid surfaces but I am more familiar with Cinema’s interface and toolkit for any finessing that may need to be done. Cinema also seemed to be the logical choice when it came to creating a flexible strap (one can only avoid the beginner’s modelling traps for so long). My computer is not really powerful enough to handle Substance’s requirements and “too much” model geometry causes some very glitchy behaviour. This is not the end of the world, I can still concentrate on building better, more viable models, though the output quality may need to be adjusted.

Arduwatch - Orange Detail — Orange Detail - Casio Homage LCD

Arduwatch - Pink Detail — Pink Detail - Tamawatchi

I hope you enjoyed having a look at this Arduwatch design. I had a great time with this concept and I might even revisit it again another time. Do you have an Arduboy? Would you wear an Arduwatch? Do you recognize any of the games on the watches? What games would you add? Any colour combos? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Box Community Library - On site — Book Box is a system of tiny outdoor library kiosks distributed throughout a city area.

Book Box - Mini Outdoor Community Libraries

February 26, 2022

I was first inspired to create an outdoor library kiosk one afternoon back last summer while going for a walk around my neighbourhood. I stumbled upon a house that had a “tiny library” box in their front yard. I always like to take a peek into these libraries whenever I run across one. It then dawned on me that I had never seen a standardized/manufactured example of one of these boxes so after some confirmation on Google that these were not commonly available, I set out to create my own design.

Book Box - Open for business — Book Box features an LED light box to welcome users and to provide any desired information.

Book Box are enclosed steel shelving structures design to hold books safely in a variety of weather conditions. These kiosks are most ideal for public spaces such as parks, community centres, plazas, schools, walking neighbourhoods. Rolling shutters can be used to securely close the unit in after hours or extreme weather conditions.

Book Box - Shutter Closed — Book Box has shutters that can be used in after hours and bad weather scenarios.

This design was created using Autodesk’s Fusion 360 software under their Hobbyist license. This license gives a user near unfettered access to the software and is highly recommended to anyone who might want to dip their toes into the manufacturing space with a minimum amount of spend or effort.

Personally, I really dig the surreal aspects of bringing something novel and foreign into the world. With my current toolkit, moving from inspiration to representation is easier and faster than ever.

Would you like a Book Box in your area? Where would you put them? What opportunities for design improvement can you see? Any concerns? Please leave a comment below and let’s have a discussion about this.

Cat in a Cat Pod in a loft — Cat in a pod in a loft

Cat Pod - Cat Shelter Design

February 12, 2022

I love cats, so every few months I try to think of a project for them. I have designed a couple of different play structures and a cat bed so far. Today, I introduce Cat Pods, made from 4mm thick paperboard in a variety of different colourways.

Learning 3D is helping me to design objects that would have been practically impossible to illustrate or fully conceive using only 2D tools. Building out the cross-sections that make up the shape of this pod enclosure involved several back and forths between my 2D and 3D tools.

Cat Pod with ears — Optional cat ears can be added for charm.

Mouth of the Cat Pod — The shelter keeps your kitty safe from attackers.

Plenty of room at the front of the pod for an easy escape.

One of the benefits to building the pod out of heavy paperboard is how much stronger the pod is compared to a regular cardboard box. The pod maintains much of the smell and feel of a cardboard box while being more secure. If your cat is a loafer than this pod might be exactly what they need. While keeping you cat secure, the entrance to the pod is still large enough so an escape path is available if another kitty decides it is their turn to get in.

Another benefit to paperboard is the number of colours that can used to give the pods some exceptional flair. Below please consider the Allsorts and Goochee variants.

Cat Pod - Allsorts — Get psychedelic with the Allsorts colourway.

Cat Pod with cat inside — Extra comfy kitty in the Goochee colourway.

The top of the pods can be removed if the pod needs cleaning or you kitty doesn’t like to be so snug. Other top shapes and complimentary colours could be developed to further increase the look and flexibility of these units.

Cat Pod open for cleaning — Top of the pod can be removed for easy cleaning and variety.

If you have a cat, do you think they would use and enjoy a Cat Pod? What colours would you like to see next? Any other ideas as to how I might enhance this design? I am always exploring designs and will eventually return to older ones when I have new skills or information to consider.

Thanks for joining me and feel free to leave a comment below!

Commodore 65 - Laptop Design - 65-LT

February 5, 2022

I was approached by a company back in 2010 to help develop a portable computer in the spirit of the Commodore 65. While I wish the experience had been more positive, I ultimately left the team and took my design with me. Now, over 10 years later, I finally have the 3D modelling skills to more fully flush out some of my old designs. The 65-LT is a love letter to the Commodore 64C design era.

As this is a design from over 10 years ago some of the modern port standards are a little out of date.

I always loved my Commodore 64C. I grew up with the breadbin like most kids, but I liked the refresh even if it wasn’t much of a value proposition. Ultimately for me, it was a last hurrah for the mighty machine. The design sensibilities also lent themselves to a cool laptop aesthetic.

Commodore 65 Laptop Keyboard — Keyboard is the hybrid of all the Commodore keyboards of the era and beyond.

I looked at all the keyboards Commodore developed from the C64-C era onward, including the PC laptops Commodore released. I feel the layout represents the best balance between legacy and function.

Commodore 65 - Right side ports — Right side ports.

Commodore 65 - Laptop - Left Ports — Left side ports.

Commodore 65 Laptop - Case Closed — 65-LT - Case closed.

I would love to continue to develop this one. Nowadays it would be pretty easy to create an authentic yet modern C64/65 experience with a Raspberry Pi or a MiSTer board. Plastic injection molds are not exactly cheap but it sure would be cool to have a modern and fully portable machine dedicated to the experience.

Commodore 65 - Laptop in the office — Gaming in the home office.

Would you be interested in one of these machines? If there is anyone out there in a position to discuss further development on this machine I am interested in hearing from you. In any case, I am very excited that I was finally able to show of the design in full. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

Commodore PET Keyboard top — Get your fingers ready…

Commodore PET Keyboard Design

February 5, 2022

I mentioned in a previous post, that my high school Computer Science teacher lugged his old PET machine to out school back in 1992 and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s easy to forget that without the ubiquity of the internet, the world was full of secret wonders. Even though I have grown up with a Commodore 64, I had never laid eyes on the psychedelic wonder that was the PET.

Commodore PET keyboard side view — Emulating the worst of all worlds.

I always loved the colours of the PETs original chicklet keyboard and thought it would be interesting to recreate the typing experience for a modern audience. I made a 2D design back in 2012 but have only recently gained the 3D chops to be able to render out the idea more fully. I posted these to a PET Facebook group a while back and two factions quickly rose up. One faction telling me this must be made, the other telling me this must NOT be made. In any case, I get the impression that a nice 3D render is good at eliciting an emotional response.

Commodore PET keyboard - Power button — Probably best as a render.

Now that I have a basic grasp of 3D, I am looking forward to transforming some of my old 2D designs into the 3D space. While I mostly view this keyboard as a joke, part of me wishes it could be real. Imagine firing up VICE and reliving that finger strain or putting a Pi Zero in the case and using it as a stand-alone computer. Let me know what you think. Would you rock one of these?

The New Vintage Chronograph blends modern styling with plenty of vintage cues.

Bergen Watches - New Vintage Chronograph Design WIP

June 20, 2021

I am pleased to present my latest New Vintage Chronograph watch design. I am very happy how this design turned out. This is also the first example of a design that I have brought into the third dimension with Cinema4D. I am new to C4D and basically 3D in general, but the individual elements of watches are made up of basic enough shapes which allowed me to learn the software and produce these renders in 5 days of spare time. These 3D renders allow the viewer a better representation of the overall shape and feel of the design.

The Bergen NV Chrono features the following:
- 316L Stainless Steel case construction
- 40mm diameter case (42mm with crown)
- Seagull ST19 movement
- Double-domed Sapphire
- 20mm strap size
- 46mm lug-to-lug
- 11.5mm thickness (hopefully)

Great proportions and overall legibility.

Display case showing off the ST19 movement.

Everything on this watch including all fonts and styling is completely scratch built. I find it a bit annoying when I see very expensive watches using off-the -shelf type-styles. The hope is that with each successive design I will begin to further hone in on my brand’s DNA.

Below you can see the design roadmap. Before I started learning C4D, this would have had to be considered a complete design. Now that I am beginning to gain my own 3D skills, I will be in a better position to show concepts more fully, both to the general audience and to myself. I look forward to have more time to play around with different materials and finishes and ultimate really “sell the design”. This first attempt has been an amazing growth experience for me personally.

If you like what you see, please consider leaving a like and a comment below. I am open to hearing any thoughts you may have.

I was first introduced to the blue Commodore PET with the colourful chicklet keys by my Computer Science teacher back in 1990 and the form factor has been an influence ever since.

Commodore PET/CBM 2001 - Papercraft Design

February 14, 2021

The link to the PET papercraft can be found at the end of this post.

The Commodore PET has consistently been one of the most requested models but I have held off on making one as there already was a pretty great one on the internet. About a half year or so ago, I noticed the link to that model had broken and I took that as a sign to make my own.

I grew up with a Commodore 64 and I had seen a few VIC-20s but when my Computer Science teacher brought in his Commodore PET, released in 1977, I went bananas for the thing. The styling of this machine was so striking, even in its day, there weren’t many computers that could rival the presence of this machine. The first thing that struck me was the size of this beast, a footprint rivaling the PC XTs we were using at the time, and topped with the funkiest blue trapezoid you’ve every laid eyes upon. Following that, my eyes were drawn to that amazing/awful calculator keyboard. I am typing on a Apple chicklet-style keyboard today, but it doesn’t begin to reflect the sponge and springs experience that was the PET. The fact that all the keys were in a perfect grid pretty much made touch typing impossible. The keys on my teacher’s computer had received a generous coating of clear nail polish. He told us that this helped to keep the printing on the keys from rubbing off. I only used it for about a minute but if this isn’t the worst keyboard in the history of computers, I’d be curious what could be worse.

Commodore’s Floppy Drives were almost as large as the actual PET.

Our teacher had also brought in a disk drive and also brought in a few 8” floppy disks for us gaze at in disbelief. All in, my time with the PET measures in mere minutes, but the impression can still be seen today. I don’t know if I would ever have developed an appreciation for vintage computers had it not been for my time with that computer. I wonder if I would have ever made a single paper model if I had not been in that class thirty some years ago.

The PET ecosystem is quite large, so there are plenty of accessories included in this design.

Once again, I need to give an extra special warm shout out to my good buddy George, who selflessly took time out of his life to help me test fit, assemble and photograph all the completed models in today’s post. He’s a testament to how clean my models can look. :)

Also, as I continued to research the design of the PET, I came to realize that when including the CBM line there are at least a dozen slight variations on this machine, with different badging, cassette players, colours, etc. While only two PET designs are shown in these photos, there are a total of four variations included in this pattern, including a CBM machine with a full-sized keyboard.

Even though this was the early days at Commodore, I can see how this setup will have inspired many pioneers in the industry with it’s 2001 good looks and Pet Rock charms. The number of games that were produced for a machine with such a limited display is also impressive. I have also included a series of swappable screen plates so that you can have your model play all of your favorite games.

Please tell me about your experiences with the PET by commenting below. What other systems should I turn into a papercraft? Please leave a like if you like.

See all of my retro computer models here.

Thank you to my Computer Science teacher and George for inspiring and helping brings these surreal tiny experiences to life. The link to the Commodore PET/CBM 2001 can be found here.

Bergen - New Vintage Chronograph Design

February 14, 2021

I am starting to see some positive momentum on the watch design front. Each time I re-approach this octagonal case shape, I happier with the refinements. The latest design in this series is a unique take on a vintage bicompax-style chronograph. This design is meant to house a Seagull ST19 chronograph movement, a clone of the Venus 175.

Seagull ST19, Venus 175, Vintage Breitling faceplates

Through the development process, I compared a good cross-section of the current-day chronographs that use Seagull ST19 and vintage watches that made use of the Venus 175. Whether it was new Hong Kong Ed or a vintage Breitling Toptime, none of these chronographs was using a case shape this unique.

Bergen “New Vintage” Chronograph is designed to use Seagull’s ST19 movement.

The movement fits nicely inside the case design. I will concede that the irregular case shape may impact the functionality of the minute track as it stands but I will take some time away from this design, hoping I will revisit with fresher eyes.

Below are some of the latest iterations of the New Vintage Sports (formerly the Octo) watch design, more specifically the 100th iteration.

Watch Design Progress

July 30, 2020

I have been trying to build my watch design skills for for several years now. My goal is to design easy to read, design-forward pieces that will stand out in a crowd for both their looks and build quality. I part of my design process I have begun to exploit my papercrafting skills to create true-to-scale paper representations. I am also beginning to swap out textures as you can see in the images below. These are not meant to be final colourways as much as to test the design against different colours and contrasts.

This is the 84th version of my pseudo-octagonal watch design. I would not be surprised if it continues to evolve for a while. It is currently sized at 38mm with 20mm bracelet or strap. What do you think of this watch? Would you wear something like this? Let me know in the comments below!

The BBC Microcomputer was a staple of computer literacy for kids growing up in the 80’s in the UK.

BBC Microcomputer - Papercraft Design

June 17, 2020

The download to the BBC Microcomputer model is available at the bottom of this article.

I grew in Canada in the 80s and spent my elementary school years surrounded by Apple II computers. While not an official government scheme, I suspect many North American school kids my age will have seen the Apple’s as the school computer, often having cheaper 8-bits at home.

In the UK, the push towards computer literacy was a deliberate government effort. Computers were seen as the future and that every child should know how to use one. As a way to help realize this, a call to action was issued to all the major electronics manufacturers to help create a BBC branded microcomputer that would be distributed to school’s across the country.

Sinclair Research were seen as the obvious choice for the job but through a series of mishaps, the award was ultimately given to former partner turned rival Acorn Computers. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this whole fiasco, I suggest checking out the endlessly entertaining movie, Micro Men.

To accompany the release of Acorn’s new BBC Microcomputer a BBC television program aptly called The Computer Programme, helped lead kids through the inner working’s of the BBC Micro or Beeb for short.

The Beeb was produced by new kid, Acorn Computers.

I surveyed a few online communities to find out which computer model I should design next and the BBC Micro was a standout winner. Without access to the online resources, I might have neglected to recognize this computer for the powerhouse it was. Not only was it powerful in its day, it also helped to foster a spirit of digital exploration that can still be felt today. The ARM processor, which is still an essential part for the computer landscape descends directly from the chips Acorn design for the BBC.

Today, the UK born Raspberry Pi exists to help educate students both all over the world and is a permanent fixture in my living room. While I may miss some of the retro goodness of the machines of the 80’s, it is nice to know that similar experiences can still be had by current generations through cheap home computers and ever improving emulation.

While the BBC Micro was known as the education computer, it had plenty of games like Frak seen above.

Watch out for Granny in Granny’s Garden.

My personal experience with the Beeb is largely relegated to YouTube videos, the aforementioned Micro Men movie and the excellent talk, The History of the British Home Computer by Author and Tech Historian Tom Lean.

If similar efforts had been made in Canada to educate the youth back in my school days, perhaps my passion for retro computers would be more widely shared inside my country. As it stands, I am glad that there is a reverence for these machines in other parts of the world and that with easy access to a global community, these passions can be shared anywhere.

Promo materials and companion manuals were a popular source of information.

I hope you enjoy building this model as much as I enjoyed making it. In many ways this might be the closest I ever get to touching a real BBC Microcomputer. Please consider dropping a like and sharing your personal experiences with this machine in comments below. I am always looking to learn something new!

You can download the BBC Microcomputer model here.

Apple Macintosh 128K - The computer that “started it all”, complete with bundled software.

Apple Macintosh 128K - Papercraft Design

May 24, 2020

The free Apple Macintosh papercraft pattern can be found at the end of this post.

The Macintosh came out in January of 1984, just one year after Apple launched the ill-fated Lisa computer. While Lisa introduced early adopters to modern computing, the Macintosh brought these concepts to the masses. Using a graphical interface with a mouse and keyboard is something we take for granted today but in 1984 it was bleeding edge.

The side of the Mac is interesting. I have been informed there is a programmer interrupt switch which can be clipped through the vents. This monitors machine code and is useful in programming. I thought it was a power switch but the community has spoken! :)

I can’t pretend I have a lot of experience with these early Macs. We had Apple II’s in my elementary school and when I was in high school we learnt on XTs and later on 386s. The first time I saw a 128K Mac with my own eyes was in 1996 at my university in one of the computer labs.

Despite have no hands on experience, there is no denying the appeal of this Mac’s form factor. Many of the innovations that appeared in the Lisa a year earlier are back - refined and ready for prime time. It is easy to see how this machine would help usher in a new era in modern computing.

The Mac 128K came with Macwrite and Macpaint. Neither of these are around these days but they served as inspiration for software we commonly use today.

Apple’s packaging also received a more modern look when compared to the Lisa materials. Brand standards were tightened up some to provide a more consistent look and feel throughout. The time-honoured tradition Apple of including Apple stickers with their products seems to have been born with the Mac 128K release. Also, Apple was happy to help you finance your new Mac purchase with their very own Apple credit card (Apple Pay was not the first).

Possibly the most interesting items, were the cassette tapes that Apple provided as a quick start guide for the Mac OS, and the included MacWrite and MacPaint. A multi-media experience was much more literal in 1984 and so creativity (and a cassette player) was required.

The Mac mouse will have been the first mouse many people will have ever used.

Once again, special thanks goes to my buddy George. He assembled and photographed all the items in this post. With the pandemic keeping me at home, I don’t have access to all the things I need to make these posts. George is both a professional photographer and master paper folder which makes him a valuable and highly skilled ally. You’re the best!

I did my best to limit the game selection to ones that ran on a 128K machine.

I hope you enjoy building this Macintosh 128K. The Apple community has always been super-supportive of my efforts so I am always happy when I can give something back.

For my next papercraft projects, I am working on a highly-requested British computer, and then a highly-requested US computer, followed by another non-computer (but retro) papercraft just to mix things up a bit!

You can download the Apple Macintosh 128K papercraft model here.

Papercraft computers on display in their new home.

Covid-19 Fundraiser in Spain - Tiny Paper Computers Auctioned Off for 500L of Milk

May 23, 2020

I teamed up with non-profit in Spain, Fundación Proconsi to help raise funds for people who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. As you may know, Spain was a country that has been hit pretty hard by this illness. The retro papercraft designs were auctioned off and the organization received a food donation of 500L of milk in exchange for the models.

Special thanks go out to Martinez Cancelo who hand assembled the models. None of this would have been possible without his tireless contribution.

If you would like to assemble these papercraft projects for yourself they can all be found for free at my Papercraft Models page. They are a great way to spend some time during the lock-downs that are still a big part of people’s lives right now.

IBM 5100 Portable Computer and Commodore VIC-20

I am very pleased with the results and am honoured to have worked with the folks at Fundación Proconsi. If your organization would be interested in doing something similar, feel free to contact me and let’s see what we can do together.

My girlfriend requested a VIC-20. I didn’t know but in the early days she grew up programming on one.

Commodore VIC-20 - Papercraft Design

May 2, 2020

This Commodore VIC-20 pattern can be downloaded at the bottom of this post.

I wanted to send out a tremendous thank you to all the new followers and visitors to the site. I know many people might be looking for: 1. unique things to do 2. at home 3. on a limited budget 4. using available supplies. I feel these models are a great way to spend an evening and learn a thing or two about retro computers. Possibly even build your own retro museum. I try to stay as close to the source materials as I can using images that I usually source from the internet.

Due to the current global health crisis, I am working from home and don’t have access to the tools I use to test build and photograph these models. An extra special thanks to the always amazing George Blanc for doing a test assembly and providing me with the excellent photos for this post. If you are ever looking for a great product photographer (or paper folder), he is one of the best.

I created a Commodore 64 papercraft model as one of my first models and based this VIC-20 model off of that design so all the accessories shown should work with the C64 design as well.

The accessories with this model are size compatible with my earlier C64 design.

When my girlfriend told me she used to have a VIC-20 I did an image search for the different breadbins and asked her which one she had. There were at least three possible candidates but she was probably 10 when she last saw the computer so I decided to make all three (George folded and glued them all - you rule). Apologies to my German fans, I have not made the VC-20.. yet.

Three variations of the Commodore VIC-20 breadbin to suit your personal nostalgia.

Designing early 8-bit home computers can be an interesting experience. Many of today’s standard components like monitors were considered nice-to-have’s in the early 80s. A branded monitor wasn’t marketed to consumers at first so I did my best to replicate the television shown on many of the VIC-20 boxes that graced store shelves. Anyone care to guess what the specific brand/model of television in being used?

It’s always a challenge to say when enough is enough as far as the level of detail is concerned. I love doing little accessories like disks, cassettes and in the case of this VIC, some cartridges. The cartridge bay on the back of the pattern is not by default able to accept these cartridges. I try to consider the scale of the models and a general audience when making these designs and I think even George may have balked at the idea of making three keyboards with working cartridge slots. That being said, plenty of people have taken my patterns and pushed them further by making all sorts of working drive bays and ports. It is possible to adapt my designs with some extra imagination. If I had more time, I would release variations of each of these patterns to cater to different skill-levels. As you can see, the papercraft collection keeps growing so given enough time, I feel anything is possible!

Commodore VIC-20 rear with 16K RAM Expander cartridge.

Hopefully I can get my girlfriend a real VIC-20 someday soon but in the meantime I hope she will accept my (erm, and Geroge’s) gift of the papercraft VIC.

Thanks again to the community for your many suggestions of computers to do next. I have assembled a list of the “Top 5 most-requested computers” and was surprised and excited by what I saw. Do you want to know what the next five designs are going to be? Let me know in the comments below. I am willing to share but can keep it a surprise if that’s what you’d prefer. ;)

You can download the Commodore VIC-20 papercraft model here.

Bergen Octo - Stainless Steel Watch - Front View - Latest Version

Bergen Octo - Stainless Steel Sports Watch Design

April 11, 2020

The Bergen Octo is an octagonal watch design I have been playing around with for the past few months now. Pictured above is the most recent version of the design to pass judgement at the “Bergen Watch Factory” which only really exists as an ongoing design exercise. Watches while simple to grasp as an object require a great deal of refinement to feel like an everyday accessory. This design has undergone roughly 60 iterations since I sketched the basic octagonal sketch over my lunch break back in January.

Bergen Octo - Watch face and bezel development

One of the challenges I face is working in Adobe Illustrator. If I had it to do over again, I most certainly would be learning Solidworks and earning a Product Engineering degree. Everytime I need to make an adjustment to a bezel edge, I am doing so manually. Rather than going completely from scratch, I am building the watchcase, face, bezel and other items to work with actual movements using accurate measurements. This limits some of the case shapes possible helps to grow my understanding of case design.

Bergen Octo - Case shape and styling -- Evolution

Paper mock-ups to help provide a sense of scale.

When I decided I was going to spend more time with watch design, I told myself I was going to start conservatively and respect the classics. So how did I land up with this decidedly retro and kitschy piece loud steel? I guess, I am not very good at following instructions, especially when they come from myself. I guess at the end of the day, I am happy to follow my bliss and hope to develop my watch design language along the way.

Bergen Octo - Bracelet and lug development

I got in touch with a few Chinese manufacturers to see about the logistics of building watches from these designs and they seemed to think it would be possible, so that is encouraging. I have considered having a buddy help me 3D print a basic case shape so that I could strap it to my wrist and get a better sense of presence.

Bergen Octo - Early Quartz iteration - Colorway considerations

While the top most image in this post represents the most refined example of these designs, there are things that I like about each of these designs. Ultimately, I am looking for the design that conveys the most harmony and is free from visual tension. Lots of pushing and pulling of assets in terms of scale and contrast.

Bergen Octo - Blueskying other potential derivative designs

For every good idea, there has to be a dozen weird ones. Glad I have enough time in the day to think of a few of those too. Below please behold the Tamawatchi.

I need to see this watch with “fresh eyes” which means I will be putting this project down for a few weeks and work on another retro paper craft project. So please stay tuned for that coming out near the end of this month if everything goes according to plan!

The Dancing Demon has as much character as an ASCII-type creature can have and made for an excellent if unofficial product mascot.

TRS-80 Model III - Papercraft Design

November 13, 2019

Some computers I know really well. I grew up around Apples and Commodores but when it comes to the Tandy / Radio Shack series of computers released throughout out the early half of the 80’s I don’t know much. When it came to Radio Shack computers I have always been more familiar with the Tandy PC Compatible series of computers released much later.

While the Model III was targeted towards the business market, I was pretty impressed with how effortlessly it was able to throw the ASCII-type graphics around the screen. The Dancing Demon, a new personal favorite, has delighted TRS-80 users for dozens of years now.

Rear of the model is surprisingly clutter free, being largely a self contained design.

As with most systems from this era, manuals provided users with invaluable first steps.

Thanks to the wonders of RetroPie I have had an opportunity to try a number of games on the system. For a machine without any custom graphical capabilities, the TRS-80 has a pretty extensive lineup of games. While clearly primitive, the amount of expressiveness many of these games have is impressive.

A little too late for Halloween, but it is amazing how much character could be given to games produced with this machine.

While I did not grow up with this computer, Radio Shack’s TRS-80 series of computers has impressed me with its longevity as a platform and wide variety of games.

If you like “less common” systems like the Model III please consider leaving a like or a comment. Which system should I do next?

My next system will not be a computer but I will be something from my youth that promoted over the holidays and somthing I always wanted but did not get until I was much older.

You can download the TRS-80 Model III design here.

Apple’s Lisa 1 was launched in January of 83. Geared towards the business market, Lisa ultimately was instrumental in the design of the more successful Macintosh line of computers.

Apple Lisa 1 - Papercraft Design

October 19, 2019

I am very happy to present to you the Apple Lisa papercraft pattern which can be found at the bottom of this post. This was the third pattern I created behind the Amstrad CPC 64 and Commodore 64. My confidence must have been at an all-time high when I embarked on this one because it took until this week to finally complete this one. While this is one of the more detailed projects I’ve completed, getting this pattern to fit together reliably was a frustration. I put this this model on hold three times during its development. Every few months, people interested in this model would encourage me to get back to it. Finally, a fellow (amazing) papercrafter, George agreed to help me finalize the last of the model. Had it not been for his encouragement, I suspect this may not have seen the light of day this year.

GUIs were foreign to everyone but XEROX users in 83, so a series of integrated reference cards could be pulled from the bottom of the keyboard.

The Apple Lisa was the first to introduce a Graphical User Interface to the masses (ie: wealthy early-adopters) and was aimed on the business community as they would be the only ones at the time who would be able to justify the US$9,995 ($25K in today’s dollars). Apple’s Mac Pro could be viewed as the Lisa’s contemporary and fully speced systems retail for as much as $35,000 meaning top tier Apple hardware still remains out of the hands of most consumers.

Jobs is somewhat (in)famous for his XEROX visit and the subsequent release of LISA OS and the inclusion of a mouse. Of course how everything plays together ultimately determines a computers success and the Lisa was full of great ideas that simply had not matured enough to be reliable.

Lisa running LisaDraw, an early graphics program.

Lisa’s “Twiggy” Fileware drives and disks were an Apple innovation and were exclusively used in the Lisa 1. Twiggy was a reference to the famous model of the 60’s referred to the thinness of the disks. The Twiggy drives were slow and unreliable, resulting in the release of the Lisa 2 just a year later which housed the more common and practical 3.5” disks.

LisaDraw - Packaging was excessive in 83, before online documentation became the norm.

Fileware disks - While they look a lot like common floppy disks, Fileware disks were a proprietary Lisa format and were prone to failure.

The Lisa was an important computer in that it paved the way for a lot of what we take for granted today. It could be seen as the first modern computer sold to the public and was certainly the instrumental in the development of the Macintosh.

If you are anything like me, the idea of owning a Lisa is out of the question but a papercraft version is free and will take up far less space. I would encourage you to give it a try and please check out my other computers to build your very own miniature computer museum.

You can download the Apple Lisa 1 papercraft here.

Please consider sharing this post as it always helps me share these projects with other retro fans!

I endeavored to make this image as period correct as Canadian could.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Papercraft Design

September 5, 2019

The ZX Spectrum was all but absent from the Canadian market in its heyday but that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in the system. I have watched enough hours of gameplay on YouTube to get that many of the games developed in the UK were merciless usually requiring pixel perfect precision under cruel time constraints. While “Nintendo Hard" may be an honoured title amonthst many North American gamers, “ZX Spectrum Hard” appears to be on another level entirely.

When I design a new papercraft pattern I create the computer itself, any key peripherals and a monitor. The ZX Spectrum release pitch was that a family could save money by using a household television and portable cassette player over expensive proprietary devices.

Needing to think outside the box, I consulted the 1982 Dixons Summer Catologue and it recommended bundling “your new ZX Spectrum with the Contec KTN-3732 Portable Color TV and the Dixons TR12 Cassette Recorder”.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Computer and Dixon's Cassette Player

Contec televisions - Light and dark grey

Ant Attack is a cool looking game. Talented artists worked magic with the system.

To help keep you fueled while making this papercraft, I have also included a period-correct tin of Crosse & Blackwell Baked Beans.

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You can download the Sinclair ZX Spectrum papercraft design here.

Akumajou Dracula (Castlevania) for the Sharp X68000 was significant step up from what was possible from the Famicom - This version of the game was later released on the Playstation as Castlevania Chronicles.

Sharp X68000 - Papercraft Design

May 25, 2019

The pattern for the Sharp X68000 can be found at the bottom of this article.

I lived in Osaka, Japan roughly from 2000 - 2005 and I loved to visit Den Den Town, Osaka’s amazing electrics district. Thankfully for my pocketbook, I wasn’t a hardcore collector of video games at the time. I would usually visit the district to hunt for film photography gear (35mm and medium format, lomo), old Japanese pop mini CD-singles (Chara, UA, Spitz to name a few), and “collectable” Pepsiman bottletops. If you were in the market for Maid Cafe’s, Anime Shops, or 8 floors of pornography, it was all to be found in Den Den Town.

Even though vintage tech was not the mission, it did not prevent me from window shopping and drooling over the vintage tech. Den Den Town is the only place I have ever played a Vectrex or the Atari Jaguar. In the shops of Den Den Town, I was easily able to survey all the vintages of PC Engine, Nintendo’s Pong consoles, Wonderswans, and NEO GEOs, oh my!

Near perfect arcade ports were a mainstay of the X68000 - Here’s Bubble Bobble.

It was only once I got back to Canada and through YouTube, learned about the Sharp X68000. This machine is a real arcade powerhouse with it’s many arcade perfect ports. For years, I was relegated to listening to my favorite X68000 soundtracks like Overtake, Akumajo Dracula, Phalanx, Asuka120% Burning Fest, Genocide 2 and Magical Blocks Carat. Most of what I knew about the system was shrouded in mystery until I set up my RetroPie system. Now that I can play many of these games myself, I can agree that this machine would have been an amazing thing to behold back in that late 80’s when it was first released. Both my girlfriend and I love playing Bukame Death, an obscure X68000 exclusive.

Some of the best console ports came to the X68000 as well.

Speakers can be detached and placed beside the system.

A papercraft version of this machine is sufficient to scratch my itch to buy a machine of my own. Honestly, the logistics of running such exotic hardware outside of Japan is well beyond the scope of my time or money reserves.

Sound was another area where the X68000 excelled and Overtake is one of my favorite soundtracks to any racing game.

I don’t know if this model will have the ability to “Make Your Dream Come True” as advertised on the side of the case, but it’s a pretty fun activity and a great way to learn a little more about this standout system. This papercraft features interchangeable screens and detachable speakers so you can further customize your X68000 experience.

Download the Sharp X68000 papercraft HERE.

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The IMSAI 8080 was part of the PCS-80 System and various modules and cards could be added to expand functionality.

IMSAI 8080 (PCS-80 System) - Papercraft Design

March 29, 2019

I must admit I don’t have any personal history with any computers of this vintage. I was born in 1976, a few months after the IMSAI came out. I did not become interested in computers until the early 80s and the home market had changed drastically. The days of flashing lights and paddles were replaced by smaller practical systems that could hook up to your televisions.

A terminal can be added but I love the tiny monitor option against the dual 8” floppy drives.

The IMSAI 8080 used custom boards extensively and were generous with their expansion bays.

The IMSAI 8080, released in 1975 was a clone of the first personal computer, the MITS Altair 8800. This made the IMSAI the first personal computer clone. I know these systems were often used as CP/M machines but who beyond the well-to-do and die-hard enthusiasts would have found a use for one of these systems in these early days is unclear to me.

I really don’t know what I would do with this box but I would adore the vintage led lights.

These machines are undeniably unique and were a please to craft in paper. Please give it a try if you would like to hold a tiny piece of computing history in you own hands. Please leave a like and plenty more vintage computer goodness is on the way!

Download the IMSAI 8080 papercraft pattern here.

The AVS was Nintendo’s first concept for a western 8-bit console based off of the Famicom.

Nintendo AVS (1985 Prototype) - Papercraft Design

March 4, 2019

It's hard to imagine a time when Nintendo was not a household name but in 1985 the company was widely unknown to western audiences. The Nintendo Famicom had released in Japan almost two years earlier and took the country by storm. Looking to expand their successes in other markets Nintendo was looking to partner with a company to develop a Famicom for the west.

Nintendo had initially teamed up with gaming-giant Atari in 1984 to help develop and market the Nintendo’s console. Atari was not convinced that Nintendo could succeed and used this agreement to stall Nintendo's 8-bit development in North America while secretrly developing their own "next-generation" 8-bit console, the 7800.

Nintendo, desperate to find distribution partners, took their prototype to the 1985 Consumer’s Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This prototype was called the Nintendo Advanced Video System or AVS.

You can assemble your own free paper Nintendo AVS model which can be found at the end of this post.

*“The evolution of a species is now complete.”*

Nintendo marketed the AVS as an evolution in the gaming industry making reference to the law's of survival in the animal kingdom in their promotional materials. The AVS promised graphics that would appear three-dimensional, challenging gameplay and a system designed to fit in with existing hi-fi equipment. This system was no mere plaything - this was serious business.

“Introducing the Nintendo® Advanced Video System™.” — *“Introducing the Nintendo*® *Advanced Video System*™.”

While internally not much different from the Japanese Famicom or the NES that would eventually be released, the AVS featured many accessories meant to make it feel more like a home computer than a games console. The game crash of 1983 had killed consumer confidence in game consoles and western hardware developers were looking for ways to revive the industry. Home computers were a rapidly growing market in the mid-80's, so it was common for computer companies at the time to boast the additional benefits of educational and productivity titles as an incentives to purchase a computer over a game console.

*“It’s the only system you can buy with no strings attached.”*

The AVS was intended to be a completely wireless device. One of the common complaints of games consoles in the 80's was the mess of wires that invaded living room. The joysticks, light gun, data recorder and keyboards were all connected to the system via an infrared connection. The only wires involved would be one to power the system and one to connect to the television. The idea being, by creating a completely wireless setup, the AVS would be easier for parents to clean around.

While not naming any names, Nintendo slyly compares their competition’s graphics to primitive cave paintings. The marketing of the AVS relies heavily on the idea that games would appear more dimensional through the use of colour, perspective and shadow. While these claims may seem a little grandiose in 2019, it was hard to argue that the graphics this new machine were a cut above what had been previously seen on any home console.

The AVS light gun could be converted into a wand or pointing device similar to a Wii controller. This was the first time consumers were able to interact with their home televisions in this way. By converting from a gun to a wand, the controller’s functionality could be extended to a pointer, sword or wand-like device.

The idea of going beyond a passive gaming experience was key to Nintendo’s marketing strategies for the AVS. For the first time ever on a home console you would be able to build you own courses in Excitebike and save them to your data recorder to play another day. Nintendo had recently released Famicom BASIC (and keyboard) in Japan and planned to bring it to the AVS with the promise of teaching you step-by-step how to code your own BASIC games for the system.

The Famicom’s sound chip allowed for a wider range of audio than the competition at the time. By contrast to the AVS’s multi-channel audio, the new Atari 7800 system was still using the same tired sound chips Atari used in the 2600 back in 1977.

The Nintendo keyboard was playable without a connection the the AVS with its own built-in speaker and integrated sound chips. When connected to the AVS, the system could visualize the notes played and provide music lessons. The data recorder could be used to record and playback these sessions.

*“Which is why 90% of the Japanese market won’t play anything else.”*

Nintendo had a clear lead over Sega’s aging SG series. The Sega Mark III which came out later 1985 did little to interrupt Nintendo’s early 8-bit console dominance in Japan. Nintendo promised to take everything that had made the Famicom a success in Japan and make it even better for the western release. Nintendo had gone a bit crazy with accessories for the Famicom so they already had developed a keyboard, data recorder and Famicom BASIC, all of which would be enhanced for the west.

The AVS, the system we could have known.

When Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System later that same year, most of the next-geneation bells and whistles were simplified or removed from the AVS prototype to focus on Nintendo’s core strength, its games. Instead of becoming an early multi-media catch-all, Nintendo went in the complete opposite direction and adopted a model of quality and simplicity. Nintendo chose to ignore the buzz that consumers wanted home computers and decided to create a console experience people would want.

At the end of the day it is hard to argue the success the NES had in North America and many parts of the world (UK gamers, I know, I know..) but I have to wonder what the market might look like today if the AVS had come to out as first envisioned. The biggest difference between a home computer and a home console in 1985 was its marketing. By limiting the user experience to playing games on the NES, Nintendo was able to build partnerships with many excellent developers and focus on creating high-quality, exclusive titles. It was the NES’s simplicity of use and selection of games that ultimately won back old consumers and helped grow the industry we know today.

Keyboard, Data Recorder, and Console - stacked with cover (front)

Keyboard, Data Recorder, and Console - stacked with cover (rear)

The AVS was stackable in order to save space in an entertainment system when not in use. A keyboard cover would sit on the top of the stack creating a clean appearance. Note the lack of external connections on the rear of the unit as all the connections would be made via RF. Both the keyboard and data recorder were battery powered.

While Nintendo BASIC did not appear in Nintendo’s promotional materials, I mocked-up a few additional support items to help further imagine what AVS carts might have looked like.

Famicom carts mocked to match the NES cart colours and artwork seen on early releases.

The AVS zapper could be converted to a pointing device.

I think my paper models do a good job of connecting people with their personal nostalgia for computers in their past. I also feel that though the filter of paper, all of these fantastic machines becomes equally possible. Even though this machine only exists as a single prototype on display at Nintendo of America’s New York headquarters, you can now print out and exhibit your very own AVS.

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You can download the Nintendo AVS pattern here.

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