Passed the certification!


I once bought a PNY 256 GB card. I still use it for my music in the Pandora.
It sometimes looses data.
I do not recommend anyone to buy those cards.
Currently the situation is pretty bad when it comes to SD-card (512GB) prices.
If I knew I had bought a Kingston for 160€.
Now I would rather pay 40€ more and get a good card instead of wasting 200€ on a PNY card.
Or even buy one 400GB micro SD, as the price is really good now.
I can use it internally or on my Nintendo Switch later, if i will ever need more space and replace it.

TL,DR
Don't buy PNY even if they are cheaper at the moment.
Buy a more expensive good card.
Or if you want to go cheap. buy a 400GB micro SD. It can be used later internally or for the Nintendo Switch, GPD Win2 or whatever you have.
 
Regarding the micro SD cards:
You can also use them in the normal SD ports using the more often than not included adapters from micro to normal, shipped with the micro cards.
So you can buy a fast, high capacity and cheap card, and swap it between your devices.
You can also use the Pyra to load files from your network or whatever to the cards in your phone or Gemini.
I will use my Pyra the following way:
- emmc for main OS
- internal micro SD as a testing ground for different OSs
- left (fast) SD Slot with a big, good full Size 512 GB SD card as main storage
- right (slower) SD Slot will always have a SD adapter to micro inside for backups and loading stuff on other, micro SD devices.
 
It would be a victory if we can place the order after the Christmas.
 
BTW: I had a lot of different devices with me at the Gamescom (Gemini, GPD Win 2, GPD Pocket, Pyra).
While most visitors were impressed that the GPD Win 2 can run Gamecube games, the keyboard most of them preferred was Pyras'.

So yes, it has certainly turned out very well.
The keymats have been ordered, the lead time is 12 weeks though (but hopefully they will arrive a bit faster).

The burn-in-test will be the final thing... after that, everything has been ordered and then it's just a matter of time until mass production starts.

IMHO the keyboard on the Pandora is still better than the WIN and Win2, so of course the Pyra's is even better. They have got to be the best mobile keyboards on any device I've ever used since the HTC Touch Pro 2's keyboard. Kudos for that! It's nice that the Win and Win 2 have keyboards on them, but I think there was a bit too much focus on an all-in-one 101 keyboard rather than a more easily useable keyboard for mobile purposes.
 
IMHO the keyboard on the Pandora is still better than the WIN and Win2, so of course the Pyra's is even better. They have got to be the best mobile keyboards on any device I've ever used since the HTC Touch Pro 2's keyboard. Kudos for that! It's nice that the Win and Win 2 have keyboards on them, but I think there was a bit too much focus on an all-in-one 101 keyboard rather than a more easily useable keyboard for mobile purposes.

1.
The Pandora's Keyboard is aweful.
At least after one year Pyra prototype testing.
I never imagined to say this but the Pyra's keyboard is is SO much better than the Pyndora's that that's exactly what I think.
Everyone, look forward to type on the Pyra. Hopefully soon :)

2:
The Pyra has an all-in-one Keyboard. The GPD devices lack for example German äöüß symbols as well as other special characters.
That's a big issue for me. Look at the GPD keyboard. There are so many keys with no Fn binding. They are wasting that opportunity.
The Pyra has EVERY character I need easily accessible. No GPD device does.
 
The Pyra has an all-in-one Keyboard. The GPD devices lack for example German äöüß symbols as well as other special characters.
Where's my μ button on the pyra keyboard? That's the only special symbol I've used recently that I can think of that's not on GPD devices, and it's also not on the pyras keyboard by default as far as I know. At least the pyra will just be two shoulders+u then 3bc to get that symbol though, and with the number keys not cramped near the hinge that should also be easier to press.
 
Where's my μ button on the pyra keyboard? That's the only special symbol I've used recently that I can think of that's not on GPD devices, and it's also not on the pyras keyboard by default as far as I know. At least the pyra will just be two shoulders+u then 3bc to get that symbol though, and with the number keys not cramped near the hinge that should also be easier to press.
Within the Pyra, we should eventually be able to map additional or alternate functions to individual keys. Most of the keys have nothing mapped to Fn+Shift+key where the Fn layer is not a letter symbol. I don't want to derail this into a detailed keyboard thread, but don't make the assumption that you personally are limited to only the symbols that are printed to individual keys. It should not be difficult to customize to your needs.
 
Within the Pyra, we should eventually be able to map additional or alternate functions to individual keys. Most of the keys have nothing mapped to Fn+Shift+key where the Fn layer is not a letter symbol. I don't want to derail this into a detailed keyboard thread, but don't make the assumption that you personally are limited to only the symbols that are printed to individual keys. It should not be difficult to customize to your needs.

Also, there's always Alt-Key combinations, and localization files (as long as you know what keymapping you're on even if the silk screening on the keys don't match), but there are fewer buttons on the Pyra than on the GPD which I think GPD would have benefitted from. If they'd done a reduced button set for the keyboard, it might have made typing on it a lot easier than it is (even if it's better on the Win 2 than it was on the Win 1). That being said, comfort is paramount! It's all about what you're comfortable with. I think this comment thread might be useful for any GPD Guys who might be creeping this forum for any future ideas as well. I carry my Win and my Pandora on my day to day!
 
There is also the unexpected return of the Compact Flash card for high end photography because of the boosted transfer rates of the new cards, although the capacities seem generally smaller than SD cards still.
(Edit: The new cards are called CFast cards and there are some with 512 GB, but they are very, very expensive.)
 
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I thought I saw an 8GB CompactFlash once, but it was something called a microdrive, and wasn't actually flash.
 
I thought I saw an 8GB CompactFlash once, but it was something called a microdrive, and wasn't actually flash.

The cards I used to use in my old digital camera were only 1 or 2 GB (and not of the microdrive variety), but current ones for sale generally seem to be 64 and 128 GB even for the non CFast type.
 
This is why I shouldn't post when I'm tired. I somehow thought 8GB was bigger than 512GB. I must have been reading it as 512MB.
 
I wonder, will it be easy to use the Pyra as a controller with a gaming console (thinking of Switch here), a PC or whathaveyou?
 
@Grench Isn't he building it already - assuming there might be USB video input devices? Are there - the latter I mean?
I think my question was rather, would it be tricky to have the Pyra get accepted as a controller by a Nintendo Switch? (Why did they name it like a common network component?)
 
The switch is bluetooth, and people have figured out how to use its controllers on a regular desktop. Shouldn't be impossible for someone to setup an emulation mode on the Pyra. Unless it uses some security that a desktop can ignore but a fake device can't replicate; wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. I guess I could investigate.
 
Well, I know my 8Bitdo controllers do work with the Switch. Also does my 8Bitdo USB dongle allow me to use my Wii U Pro controller. So, at least 8Bitdo knows how.
 
I haven't looked into this at all so if anyone can just tell me what cards to buy for the Pyra?
I want to have 2x512gb cards or something close unless they are slow and will crap out sooner then if I go with a smaller size.
What's the best brand of card to buy?

Also, can someone tell me whats the difference between CE & FCC is it same tests and just 2 different certifications or are the two completely separate things?
 
In my experience, Sandisk, Samsung, and PNY SD cards all tend to be pretty good. The difference between the smaller and bigger ones is more about price per GB than about performance (of course there are the usual caveats about bigger drives and relative performance). The largest drives cost the most per GB.

CE certification is about meeting health, safety, and environmental regulations. FCC certification is about meeting communication standards (no excessive RF signals that will interfere with licensed broadcasts or create static or extraneous sounds on nearby devices and things like that).
 
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