In the late 80s the Little Talking Scholar was a kids toy—a chunky plastic box that guided young minds through simple matching games using punch cards. Its bright buttons and basic microprocessor defined an era of physical media educational toys. Fast forward to 2025 and modder Attoparsec has turned this nostalgic relic into something amazing: a fully functional mobile computer, or cyberdeck.
Attoparsec’s project was sparked by finding a 1989 Little Talking Scholar, a toy that used 6 bit punch cards to trigger its games. Once limited to basic activities, these cards now have a much bigger role. Each one is programmed to launch a custom Python app on a Raspberry Pi Zero inside the toy’s shell. Insert a card and the device comes to life, running a web browser to Wikipedia. Watching a 36 year old toy load a modern webpage is like stepping through a time portal, merging old tech with new.
To do this Attoparsec overhauled the toy’s internals while keeping the retro exterior. The original epoxy coated microprocessor, designed for simple tasks, was replaced with a Raspberry Pi Zero, a tiny single board computer that can run a full OS. A HyperPixel square display, designed for Raspberry Pi projects, now sits where the punch card window used to be. Fitting the display was precise—Attoparsec milled the plastic case to fit a custom bracket for a seamless fit. The buttons and punch card contacts, once wired for basic inputs, now connect to the Pi through MCP23017 I2C port expanders, turning card insertions and button presses into modern commands.
Powering this toy was tricky. Built for AA batteries, the Little Talking Scholar wasn’t designed for a thicker lithium cell. Attoparsec milled extra space in the battery compartment and added holes for a charging button and power port, so it can run untethered with enough juice for the Pi and display. The tighter interior made the punch cards stick, so Attoparsec added washers to the card slot for smooth insertion, so you can still feel the joy of launching an app with a card.
What’s so cool about this cyberdeck is the combination of old and new. The Little Talking Scholar’s design—big buttons and boxy shape—is straight out of an 80s playroom, while the ability to run Python scripts and display web content is very modern. Attoparsec even added a Morse code input system so you can type by tapping buttons, a nice touch.
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