Pebble founder Eric Migikowski recently showcased his “little side project,” the Beepberry pocket computer. Designed for use with the universal messenger Beeper, which combines 15 applications from Twitter to WhatsApp, the device is aimed at people who want to stay connected without using a regular smartphone. Based on the Raspberry Pi Zero W, Beepberry features a backlit BlackBerry Classic QWERTY keyboard, mini touchpad, and a 2.7-inch Sharp Memoy 400×240 LCD. The system is built on a Broadcom BCM2835 chip (1GHz ARM11 core) and has 512 MB of RAM, and Raspberry Pi OS Lite is used as the OS.
Migikowski created Beepberry because he wanted a “weekend device” that would allow him to stay in touch with family and friends without the distractions of a regular smartphone. It features a tiny e-paper screen, physical keyboard, and is powered by a Raspberry Pi.
Beepberry is not a retail product or an early access project. It is a device for hackers, consisting of a keyboard, Pi Zero W, screen, and battery. It is not perfect and requires familiarity with Linux to get anything out of it. Pre-orders are available for $99 for the version with Raspberry Pi Zero W, or $79 for everything else (plus an SD card). Shipping is expected to take two to three months, but 50 hackers-developers already have access to ready-made devices.
