I often carry a Pi with me when I go out to deployments. They have the tools that I need for certain diagnostic purposes and are easy to travel with. Usually, I need to just bring a keyboard and network cable along and it is ready to be used. The latest Pi based system that I got my hands on is the uConsole from Clockwork Pi. I’ve used another device from Clockwork Pi known is the PicoCalc. It is a Raspberry Pi Pico based graphics calculator. I saw the uConsole as being a Pi based version of the same thing and ordered one. Clockwork Pi takes orders and manufactures and ships the item in batches. This isn’t a product that ships as soon as you order it. Prepare to wait for a devent amount of time. The two PicoCalcs that I ordered both took 4 months from order date to delivery. I ordered a uConsole in July of 2025 and as of February 2026, it hasn’t shipped yet. That’s why i say you won’t be getting one any time soon.

There are people and companies that already have their hands on one and they will sell theirs for a modest to insane markup. The expediency comes at a cost. I managed to purchase one and get it shipped to the USA from a third-party. Delivery of my original order is still pending.

The kit requires assembly. It only takes a few minutes to put it together. The kit is also very adaptable with products from third parties, allowing you to add USB ports, a cellular modem, software defined radio, LoRa, or an M.2 drive. With the base-level product you have a Pi running in an all-metal case. You will need to bring your own pair of 18650 batteries for it. It also comes with a 4 gig SD card with the operating system on it. I encourage tossing that and using a card that has at least 64 gigs on it. The keyboard for the device reminds me of the HP48G or Blackberry keyboard (both of these are old devices, but there are not many generally well-known devices with keyboards to compare it to). The keyboard is backlit.

On the side are a USB-A port, a USB-C port (for charging), a micro-HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Opposite to these ports is an insert to cover an expansion port area. If you purchase one of the expansion circuit boards, your additional ports (more USB, ethernet, so on) will be exposed on this side of the of the device. The back of the device has a kickstand that will let it lay at an angle when you set it down on a flat surface.

As mentioned, you will not want to use the 4gig microSD card that comes with it. When you write the operating system image to a larger card, instead of writing the standard Pi image, you will want to write a build that already has the necessary drivers installed. OS images and drivers can be found on the Clockwork Pi GitHub page at https://github.com/clockworkpi/uConsole or in a Google Drive Folder provided from them.

Praises

The things I like most about the uConsole include that it is a small, portable device. It is too big to fit in your pocket, but small enough to fit in a carry on.

The Keyboard

I appreciate that it has a keyboard and a screen, making it able to be a stand-alone unit without need for other accessories for basic operations. The backlit keyboard was a bit of an extra surprise, though it is backlit with flaws.

Expandable

Through third-party support, the device is customizable. making it more flexible.

Criticisms

The Trackball (Update)

Update: I am leaving my initial complaints in place since they are descriptive of the out-of-box experience. When I was preparing a new SD card, I saw there was a new build of the OS available. With this new build, the mouse movement is a lot better and mostly notifies my complaint.

Original:The top criticism I have for this device is the track ball. Despite all my praises for the device, my initial experience with the trackball was garbage. From looking at messages in the forum, it is hit-or-miss on whether you get a unit with a good trackball. There are a few messages in the Clockwork Pi forum about trackball issues. Sometimes you have to roll it for what feels like forever to move the mouse cursor from one edge of the screen to the other. People that have had the issue have been able to correct it by installing a third-party trackball (I’ve got one on order).

Ordering Wait

After you order, the wait feels like it takes forever for the device to come! I understand this is the nature of devices that are manufactured after they are ordered. I have to call this out since this is something that might be unacceptable to others. Especially if you live in an apartment. Someone on a 1 year least could find themself living in a new address before their order is fulfilled.

Keyboard Backlight

I like that it has a keyboard backlight, but the back lighting is not at all even.

The WiFi antenna that comes with the device isn’t that great. But I have plenty of antennas for Pis and the uConsole has an insert that can be used so that there is a place to attach the antenna.

Do I Suggest Others Get One?

Generally no, bit that is because of the wait time for delivery. If that gets resolved then my stance will change. While I like the keyboard, I’ve seen that some others criticise it. It is likely that since I grew up using devices that had similar keyboard that I may be more adapted to use it. I would like to say that someone should try the keyboard themselves to see how they like the feel before making the purchase. But that may be hard to do unless someone knows a person that already has one.

Next Up: Expansion

I’m waiting for some upgrades for my uConsole to arrive. When they do, I’ll be writing about the process here.

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