I actualy think it will be decent to type on .
Nonsense. Not everyone longs for the "I need to feel mah gadget right next to my ballz" UMPC nörd experience. One of the reasons Sony's Vaio P series is so fondly remembered of by many is its form factor, which was perfect for purses, small hand bags, bigger pockets (e.g. on cargo pockets, hoodies, coats), a.s.o.It's too big for a pocket device [...]
Got nothing to do with size per se, but with the proper conceptual approach.[...] and too small for day to day use.
Touch-type can work very well if the keyboard is designed well enough, e.g. IBM's PC110, Sharp's PC-3000/-3100 or Psion's Series 5.On this thing you have to type with 2 hands as opposed to thumbs and your hands will always be in cramped position.
I don't.On a 7" device with a physical keyboard, you have to put your palms together at an awkward angle.
Now you're grasping at straws. Hard.You also have to keep your device on your knee(s) or on a table to be able to type which means your neck will bend under yet another awkward angle to be able to see anything.
That's why input devices (should) have a higher priority in proper UMPC/palmtop design. Obviously. Sadly, GPD hasn't catched up yet.And I'm not even talking about speed typing, just using the device for more than half an hour with a physical keyboard use case.
Assuming that's an EeePC a little like mine that I'm using for my post, and the vast majority of the ones I've made on these forums, that's a 9 inch chassis, not a 7 inch one. Now I'm a touch typer, but a self taught one, not one who finds the home keys and works from there, so it took me a little adaptation time, but not so much really. I've used it that much that all of my keys are now shiny while 'Q' and the number keys remain matte, and I've actually rubber the letter of the A key, left shift and pg down. I've actually erased the 'tr' out of 'Ctrl' on that key, but that may actually be the knuckle of my shift thumb doing that somehow I guess.But what they show in this video is not thumb typing, that's the blunt and shameless 2-hand typing on a 7" inch device. $2,500,000 and counting??? Really????
I used a HP Jornada to take notes in classes (2h). It required a desk but was comfortable enough. It's not about the size only, but about the quality of the keyboard.On a 7" device with a physical keyboard, you have to put your palms together at an awkward angle. You also have to keep your device on your knee(s) or on a table to be able to type which means your neck will bend under yet another awkward angle to be able to see anything. And I'm not even talking about speed typing, just using the device for more than half an hour with a physical keyboard use case.
I can't understand how so many people backed this.
I suppose crowdfunding and advertising are two big reasons.
If Pyra was crowdfunded, it would sell more than now, but it ma be even that would be a problem for ED.
FWIW, ED's said that he plans to crowdfund the Pyra once production is up and running, and he knows how many units he can produce each month I guess. It was in an interview not on these boards, but linked from here somewhere (I forget where exactly).
I don't think many of us here are comparing a likely product to a probable scam, no.
BTW: I'll most likely be the one running the Kickstarter for the GPD Pocket for GPD (as they can't do Kickstarter in China).