GPD MicroPC

[Askarus]

ED should ask them too, if they can do something for the Pyra.

Yes, he definitly should.
It would be nice to have Linux support on the Pyra

 

[SAS]

GPD MicroPC keyboard test from Liliputing

Personally I find there are a few things holding me back when typing on this little computer. One is that you have to press each key fairly hard. It takes more pressure to type on the GPD MicroPC than it does on most laptop keyboards, and far more pressure than you’d apply to a touchscreen device such as a phone or a tablet.

Another issue is that the keys are so small, close together, and unusually arranged that touch-typing is difficult. I normally don’t have to look at a laptop keyboard as I type, but I do find myself staring at the MicroPC’s keyboard while typing… and that has a tendency to lead to typos.

 

[vcoleiro1]

GPD MicroPC keyboard test from Liliputing

The thing is, it was not designed for touch typing, it's designed for thumb typing only

 

[SAS]

Agree

Even with the "best" 'small form factor - SFF' / non-standard gadgets keyboard I have experience with- it takes months to get used to the layout & specifics of the keyboard. After more than a decade with Treo 680 I can type /almost/ without looking - and probably with any other SFF gadget it will take quite some time. If it really matters - hardly anyone is thinking for GPD MicroPC as a laptop replacement. More like an add-on...

 

[vcoleiro1]

Here is a countdown timer to the start of the GPD MicroPC Indiegogo campaign which will go live here: https://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/a7c99650#/

Countdown timer:

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20190215T10&p0=33&font=cursive&csz=1

 

[vcoleiro1]

The GPD MicroPC Indiegogo campaign is now live

 

[SAS]

And some PR - GPD MicroPC handheld computer preview - from Brad from Liliputing.

But when it comes to real-world performance, you probably won’t notice much difference unless you’re running really resource-intensive tasks or doing a lot of multitasking. Some games might not run as well, but this isn’t really a device meant for gaming.

and

You also have to push the keys rather hard, so my fingers get tired if I spend more than a minute at a time typing.

and

The MicroPC is GPD’s most affordable handheld Windows computer to date. It’s a versatile little device that can run most Windows applications you’re likely to want to run on a system this small. With a backlit keyboard, a fan toggle, a more ports than you’ll find on most 13 inch laptops these days, it’s kind of a geek’s dream.

 

[Eight Bit]

Must.... Resist......

 

[Silent-Hunter]

My dad's getting one, but I hope there's any left by the time he gets back from getting his van out of the ditch.

 

[fusion_power]

"The anti-shock aviation-level ABS synthetic resin LG-DOW 121H is imported from South Korea, with a thick thickness of 1mm, which is flame retardant, high-heat resistant, and V-0 fireproof, with a Rockwell hardness up to 109 R, and bending strength up to 26000kg/cm2. Its integrity rate reaches 97.63% under the 5m drop test."

Can we get such material for the Pyra case too?

 

[Askarus]

Looks nice.

 

[bluedeer]

The thing is, it was not designed for touch typing, it's designed for thumb typing only

The big problem I have with typing on the GPD Win 1 are those side bar buttons that make me have to stretch my thumb over a bit more on one side than the other, which results in cramps in that hand when typing. If they'd centered the keyboard and had some of the extra buttons in better places, it would have been excellent but as it is, it's merely useable for short periods of time. I still wish someone would design a new PCB and top shell for the Win 1 to fix its keyboard woes. The keyboard on the MicroPC looks to be far better placed considering it's working around the touchpad in the top right, but I'd have to hold one for a bit to get a good feel for typing on it compared to a Win 1. I hear the typing on a Win 2 is a lot more comfortable as a result.

Like you said, it's made for thumb typing, which is something that is easily overlooked. It's not meant to be a tiny laptop, it's meant to be a palmtop. I might consider getting one, but if the performance is about the same or a little worse than the Win 1, I wouldn't want to waste money on it when I could just put that towards a Pyra. Or a Win 2. But it might be a good buy for people who are looking for a relatively recent handheld device capable of running real Windows with hardware input instead of touchscreen.

 

[AlphaPepe]

Slightly related, the GPD Win now works perfectly with mainline linux.

I did have to edit a configuration file for the screen rotation, touchscreen calibration, and to enable tear free vsync mode for the Intel graphics. But I didn't have to install anything and it's basically copy and paste.

 

[SNESFAN]

So we are life cycling our laptops and right now we are using Dell D630's in the server room which are... well pretty old (2007). When given the task to find a replacement with an RS232... I have been largely unable to find one that also supports UEFI, TPM 2.0, secureboot and virtualization I/O etc. If they do exist, they're not easy to find. It almost seems as like that was the last laptop to include one.

USB to serial adapters are a thing and are ok, but we sometimes run into a situation where the com port seemingly randomly changes everytime you boot the machine, so it becomes a situation where you have to hunt down the com port before opening the connection and reconfigure putty. It works, but it is definitely preferred to have a real serial port.

I'm attempting to get my company to purchase several of these but telling them "oh yea, indigogo is completely legit" not going to happen. Like for me, 100% fine, I backed many of GPD's products and got them all, no problem. But from the eyes of a company, not so much.

anyone aware of another mobile that has a RS232 port?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

What about after the campaign is over and they're available in stores?

 

[levi]

So we are life cycling our laptops and right now we are using Dell D630's in the server room which are... well pretty old (2007). When given the task to find a replacement with an RS232... I have been largely unable to find one that also supports UEFI, TPM 2.0, secureboot and virtualization I/O etc. If they do exist, they're not easy to find. It almost seems as like that was the last laptop to include one.

USB to serial adapters are a thing and are ok, but we sometimes run into a situation where the com port seemingly randomly changes everytime you boot the machine, so it becomes a situation where you have to hunt down the com port before opening the connection and reconfigure putty. It works, but it is definitely preferred to have a real serial port.

I'm attempting to get my company to purchase several of these but telling them "oh yea, indigogo is completely legit" not going to happen. Like for me, 100% fine, I backed many of GPD's products and got them all, no problem. But from the eyes of a company, not so much.

anyone aware of another mobile that has a RS232 port?

Do laptops no longer have pcmcia ports or similar expansion ports? I ddn't know if thay would help with a floating address, but I'd think it's worth a try. I guess, actually now that laptops are slimmer and the expansion port generally sat over the spare drive bay, ether they've had to find the space to put it on its own by eliminating USB ports and HDMI and so on, or they've just given up on that sort of expansion.

 

[SNESFAN]

What about after the campaign is over and they're available in stores?

maybe, but the storefront will need to be a bit more reputable than say "geekbuying", "gearbest", or "aliexpress" I honestly have a hard time getting things through amazon, and only can if it's not a 3rd party selling through amazon.

Add to all that, the lifecycle is a bit time sensitive for security reasons, so waiting until after august/september to even make an order isn't really an option as well.

Do laptops no longer have pcmcia ports or similar expansion ports? I ddn't know if thay would help with a floating address, but I'd think it's worth a try. I guess, actually now that laptops are slimmer and the expansion port generally sat over the spare drive bay, ether they've had to find the space to put it on its own by eliminating USB ports and HDMI and so on, or they've just given up on that sort of expansion.

I don't think they have pcmcia or express anymore either. I think those went by the waist around the same time. Smart Card is a option we used that slot for and more times than not nowadays they just embed the smart card reader directly to the main board.

 

[vcoleiro1]

@SNESFAN

My understanding is that the MicroPC will go on sale in May. How many devices is your company looking to buy?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Yeah, maybe you can buy directly from GPD?

 

[SNESFAN]

@SNESFAN

My understanding is that the MicroPC will go on sale in May. How many devices is your company looking to buy?

I believe 4-5, the indigogo just had an estimate delivery of August on their campaign, I thought May was just for their '1st batch'. Good news if true.

Yeah, maybe you can buy directly from GPD?

That's not a bad idea at all actually, see if they'll sell to us 1st party with invoices and the like, we do actually get stuff that way fairly often.