Planet Computers : Gemini - Psion Returns

[pmprog]

The pyra makes a few compromises to make it easy to repair, upgradable and has a long battery life, particularly in terms of physical bulk, which is bound to be looked down upon by anyone who hasn't been prearmed with those facts

To be fair, I'm not even sure those facts will help you either.

The mobile Pyra is 714 Eur for the cheaper version, which is about £620. For that price, I can replace my phone every year for about 4 years with a new model for the same money. The phones have less bulk, but also respectable battery life; and who cares about repairing when you can just replace it with an upgraded model? You might just be replacing for 3.5 years instead of 4 if I have to replace a broken model early.

Also, on the Pyra upgrade side... well, unless ED runs down a path of a new CPU board each year, you're certainly not going to get the same upgrade "rate" (regardless of how useful those phone "upgrades" actually are); and AFAIK, there's never been talks of upgrading things like screen resolution (4K videos?) etc. . You certainly can't get a larger screen for the Pyra but your next phone could be larger (well, unless you've already got a Gemini which again isn't strictly a phone)

 

[Grench]

To be fair, I'm not even sure those facts will help you either.

The mobile Pyra is 714 Eur for the cheaper version, which is about £620. For that price, I can replace my phone every year for about 4 years with a new model for the same money. The phones have less bulk, but also respectable battery life; and who cares about repairing when you can just replace it with an upgraded model? You might just be replacing for 3.5 years instead of 4 if I have to replace a broken model early.

Also, on the Pyra upgrade side... well, unless ED runs down a path of a new CPU board each year, you're certainly not going to get the same upgrade "rate" (regardless of how useful those phone "upgrades" actually are); and AFAIK, there's never been talks of upgrading things like screen resolution (4K videos?) etc. . You certainly can't get a larger screen for the Pyra but your next phone could be larger (well, unless you've already got a Gemini which again isn't strictly a phone)

To which, something that hurts the Gemini in reviews - and likely will hurt the Pyra... Not a phone. They'll get reviewed by the 'phone guy' who either despises all things not Apple or all things not Android. Neither device is 'phone first'. The Gemini is 'keyboard first phone second' and the Pyra is 'game controls first on-device storage second and general computing second and yeah it kind of has phone hardware in it'. Neither one is likely to hit high marks in a phone review by a 'phone reviewer'.

 

[Caine]

Meaning that it will be what it always was, a niche device for enthusiasts. Was anyone expecting anything different?

 

[jutleys]

Anyone here in the next batch thats just been of 2000 produced? i am.

 

[Askarus]

the Pyra is 'game controls first on-device storage second and general computing second

No.
Pyra is General Computing first, Game controls a little less first, Storage Second

 

[NetBLOKS]

Anyone here in the next batch thats just been of 2000 produced? i am.

Jup, I'm number 2540
This will help me over the time until my Pyra arrives or even until voice services run well enough on the Pyra.

 

[jutleys]

2306 here

 

[Grench]

2338. According to their system, my Gemini has been built and is now pending shipping. A year ago I would never have guessed that this would be shipping before the Pyra.

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

Could you guys please make a new thread when your Geminis arrives and share impressions? I would like to buy one but I have read some serious issues with the keyboard but also I read that they were trying to fix these issues before the production, so I'm still waiting to hear about final unit impressions.

 

[ible]

why not use this thread?

 

[NetBLOKS]

Could you guys please make a new thread when your Geminis arrives and share impressions? I would like to buy one but I have read some serious issues with the keyboard but also I read that they were trying to fix these issues before the production, so I'm still waiting to hear about final unit impressions.

They already changed the keymat.
There is a review in the comments of the Gemini and it is quite promising.
But I will post some impressions nonetheless.

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

why not use this thread?

Because this thread is already 22 pages long and it's difficult to follow. This thread could be used as it has been used until now, I don't see a problem opening a new one for impressions and questions only.

@NetBLOKS didn't hear of that, I'm going to try to find that comment (and this is a live-example of why I just said about a new thread @ible XD)

 

[jutleys]

I will have a Gemini T-shirt anyday now to show off lol.

 

[NetBLOKS]

Because this thread is already 22 pages long and it's difficult to follow. This thread could be used as it has been used until now, I don't see a problem opening a new one for impressions and questions only.

@NetBLOKS didn't hear of that, I'm going to try to find that comment (and this is a live-example of why I just said about a new thread @ible XD)

http://blog.afandian.com/2018/04/gemini-pda/
Here is the Review about the new keyboard.

 

[levi]

Another slightly sniffy ElReg review of the camera and other updates:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/27/gemini_camera_esim_software_updates/

The wobbly hinge was news to me. Lack of any sort of flash, even LED for the camera is a little disappointing though, I'll admit.

 

[pmprog]

Adding the £39 camera accessory certainly addresses one of my biggest gripes. I am surprised it is not a standard component, although Planet argues that half of backers did not want it, preferring a smooth, featureless back.

Shocking news people, not everyone wants a frigging camera

 

[Grench]

I'm excited - I should be receiving this in the next few weeks.

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the level of community support for the Gemini though.

The official developers forum:
https://developer.planetcom.co.uk/index.php
Nothing much there in the last month plus. For a device that just shipped a month ago to early adopters, I would have expected a few dozen active threads.

The unofficial, but officially named community support forum:
https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showforum=192
A bit more activity than the 'official' forum, but still not exactly difficult to keep up with.

And the XDA forum for the Gemini:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/gemini-pda
Dozens of posts. 37 in total?

In the Pyra forums here we can't discuss the placement of the Insert & Delete keys without several pages of discussions. There is almost more Gemini discussion and activity here on this thread in the kitchen sink forum on the Pyra site than there is in the three main Gemini forums combined.

Maybe things will pick up after the next 2K or so units ship next week. In the meantime, does anyone have a secret Gemini development forum someplace where actual dev discussions for Linux & Sailfish & Android developments for the Gemini are taking place?

 

[rygD]

Teetering back toward possibly getting one of these again, but I would rather hold on to my money. I have a thread where my complaints about my current device situation has me looking for suggestions from others.

 

[AVahne]

I'd personally wait to see if they make a version 2. To me this first release was a little too hyped for what it ended up being. Once they've learned how to do better, I'd liek to see what they do with a Gemini 2.

 

[pmprog]

I kept thinking about one of these, but if the Pyra doesn't work out as a "phone", then I'll probably hold off for a cheap android (unless a linux-based phone actually makes an appearance)