Here is the list of components. Note that some of these are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you buy. That would support me, as well as not cost you any extra :)
First, you need a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
These are HARD to find right now in May 2022, so good luck and I hope you can find one or already have one.
Next, here's the case I used
The reason for the case is 1) cooling the Rpi, and 2) it makes attaching it to the battery bank so much easier!
Here's the keyboard I used
It's absolutely awesome, and includes a surprisingly good mouse input. It's not perfect in all scenarios, but it gets the job done and well. Plus it's very satisfying to use, as BlackBerry made great input devices. Frankly, this keyboard is what makes this build possible. Super super grateful to the creator.
https://www.tindie.com/products/arturo182/bb-q20-keyboard-with-trackpad-usbi2cpmod/
Connect the keyboard
with this sweet little angled USB C cable to the (see below) USB hub without too much extra cable or fuss.
The USB hub
will allow you to still have open ports to do things like put MicroPython on Pi Picos, or pretty much whatever else you'd like to do with more USB ports. I am not 100% super confident it doesn't have connection stability issues, but it's worth the occasional unplug/replug to have it in this form factor. Plus it's micro-USB, so plug and play with the Rpi.
A power bank
is what I used as the backbone of this project. While the one I used is currently sold out, there are many options in this category. I used a 20,000mAH battery, which frankly is overkill. Having many hours of battery life is sweet though. Just pick one with good smooth surfaces to mount stuff to, plus a charge indicator display, and you should be good.
If you want to join me on the capacity overkill route, this one looks like a solid bet
A power cable
to run from the battery bank to the Rpi will be needed. I found this one here to be perfect, plus you'll have an extra one to use to connect your Picos.
Stick it all together
with this crazy awesome double sided tape. It's a really strong bond, but if you HAVE to separate what you put together, it comes off nice and clean. That being said though, HAVE A PLAN before you start sticking stuff onto each other. This stuff is super strong, so it takes patience to take things apart without potentially damaging them.
The display
I used is the wonderful HyperPixel from Pimoroni. I used the rectangular non-touch version.
https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/hyperpixel-4?variant=12569539706963
I am really enjoying using this to practice my Python skills, and have the ability to put code on Picos easily and in a mobile manner.
It's easy to use, a bit heavy but not that bad actually.
Do note that it's a bit vulnerable. I would not be optimistic about the screen surviving a drop, for example. So durability is something of an issue, but a 3D printed case would solve that. If only I had such skills! Haha. Let me know if you solve this.
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear from you if you have questions, feedback, or built one yourself :)
Twitter: @chrisremboldt
Email: [email protected]