No, there's no mistake in the title: someone on Instructables decided to build their own smartwatch inspired by a computer that turns 38 years old next month. The hardware inside far surpasses the original Apple II, and constructing the case requires a bit of 3D-printing magic, but the end result is extraordinary—it even earned the approval of Steve Wozniak himself.
The Apple II Watch
The pre-orders for the Apple Watch began last Friday. As expected, the numbers are very favorable, with initial estimates pointing to a million orders in the United States on that single day. We'll have to wait for other markets to see how the new Cupertino device truly did. But if you're bored with this whole line of smartwatches, I have something better for you: the Apple II Watch. A user on Instructables known as Aleator777 published all the instructions on that portal so anyone can build their own smartwatch, inspired by the Apple II, the historical computer Apple launched in 1977. Its retro essence isn't only intact—it reminds me a bit of the Pip-Boy, probably because of the green phosphor screen.
While most of the interface is there "for fun," the Apple II Watch can show the date and time like any regular watch. Its hardware is built around a Teensy 3.1, which can basically run circles around an Apple II, and a 1.8-inch LCD screen limited to green. The SOMO-II controller handles all sound effects, which are emitted through a small speaker. The watch has two batteries: a LiPo 800 mAh and a classic CR2032 coin cell. The software is stored on two microSD cards, and the plan was to incorporate wireless charging, but Aleator777 ran into problems with the coils.
If this smartwatch needed something extra to become an amazing project, it was the seal of approval from Steve Wozniak. The legendary Woz said he would buy this before the Apple Watch and would use it too, once again showing his support for those who enjoy hacking and modifying hardware. As he said at one of his recent conferences: "Don't be afraid to build things for fun."
