Imagesource: https://smartykit.io/

It's been a while (well, in the retrocomputing universe, it was actually just yesterday) since we reported on SmartyKit in Issue #45. The DIY Apple-I Replica is a brilliant project not just for every fan of the fruity company. The kit introduces low-level computer concepts as exemplarily as Ben Eater's 8-bit video series and is suitable not only for old pros but especially for curious kids.

Creator Sergey Panarin, tweeting as @spanarin, has been anything but idle since the release. In addition to the 2 kits, which allow one the pleasure of piecing together all the necessary parts of the small computer on breadboards, Sergey also has a single board version as a PCB in stock... well... he had. It's currently not available. 😔

However, that's not a problem at all, because his team and he have recently made all the necessary Gerber files available on GitHub.

For those who find the kit versions in white and black dress a bit too pricey, the SBC version offers the same fun, without having to sell your own grandmother to the devil. Perhaps it's also a great idea for a Christmas gift... not for the grandmother, but maybe for friends, family, or the beloved retrocomputing newsletter operator of your choice... ahem. 😇

PS: If you want to see the thing in action, here's the relevant video.