Based on Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, the Bee Write Back writerdeck is another DIY project that should be relatively easy to reproduce, since it relies on off-the-shelf parts, including an OLED and mechanical key switches and caps, as well as a 3D printed enclosure.
Simon (shmimel) had trouble falling asleep and found out that journaling helped him a lot, but he was not so fond of writing in a physical journal. So instead, he created the Bee Write Back journal/writerdeck as a distraction-free writing machine, and the result looks pretty neat.
Bee Write Back key components:
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W SBC with Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC, 512 MB RAM, WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2
- Display – 5.5-inch AMOLED screen with 1280 x 720 resolution($52 on AliExpress)
- Keyboard accessories
- 47x switches
- 47x keycaps
- YMDK Air40 keyboard PCB (about $30 on AliExpress)
- Power – Seengreat Pi Zero UPS USB HUB with 18650 battery holder ($25 on Amazon)
- Cables and fixtures
- Mini HDMI to Mini HDMI cable
- 2x USB-C to USB-A cables
- USB-C male to female cable
- Standaoffs and screws
- 3D printed parts – Screen cover, keyboard plate, base, screen retainer
- BoM cost – About $200 excluding shipping and printed parts
You’ll find the complete instructions to build the hardware and assemble the kit on GitHub, along with two (vibe-coded) Python scripts:
- writerdeck – A minimal TUI writing program for a dedicated writing device.
- claude-chat.py – A pager-style terminal chat client for the Anthropic API
That type of machine would probably not work for me, as my bad eyes would not tolerate a 5.5-inch display when typing text (I’m currently using a 32-inch 4K monitor), and some people may find the relatively noisy keyboard to be a distraction. However, this type of writerdeck obviously works great for some people. You can watch a short video and check out the assembly guide in the video embedded below.
Via Liliputing
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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