Should I have received my final order eMail already?

[asimov-solensan]

I still think Pyra is the kind of device I want. Size, set of features and linux out of the box fits my use case better than anything else.

A Pyra with an up-to-date SOC and fixes here and there and it would be my perfect device.

In the meantime I'm using my phone with a customized gamepad for games (emulators mainly). But I would prefer having the same device for everything as I did with Pandora.

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

It is not that I do not own cables.
It is that I do not want to carry around an adapter just for the Pyra.

Every device I commonly carry witrh me has USB B Micro, like the Pyra does. I would like USB C but not instead of USB B Micro and I would rather have an Ethernet port than USB C.

the Pyra will never have nearly the same appeal than any current gaming Handheld

What makes the Pyra better than other handhelds is that it is more free and it is not dependent on Windows. Would you be comfortable playing games while Bill Gates is watching you? What if you were gaming while taking a dump on the toilet? I would not. But if you use Windows, then Bill Gates will personally follow you while you game and his buddies at the FBI too.

In fact, years ago I was playing Netbattle on my Windows computer and 30 minutes after I beat a certain guy there was knocking on my door. Guess what? Turns out that guy worked at the FBI and he was not happy with his loss. I got taken in and was sentenced to jail for 1 month and 29 days. But they had a computer there so I installed Netbattle on it and then made sure to lose to everyone I met. Eventually I battled the same guy and lost to him, causing my sentence to be shorted to only 4 days in total.

After this I installed the GNU/Linux (or as I like to call it, GNU+Linux) operating system and went on Netbattle using a emulator running Windows. I met the same guy and beat him 6-0. He then messaged me asking for my IP and telling me to use Windows on hardware next time. I told him my IP was "127.0.0.1". He said he called the FBI to hack that IP and take it's owner to jail. So I used the power of the free and open GNU/Linux (or as I like to call it, GNU+Linux) operating system to find out where he lived and then I drove to his house. 18 minutes after I arrived I saw the FBI knocking on his door and taking him to jail.

 

[Serenity]

That is what I feel towards all those Anbernic or whatever gaming handhelds. For many years those release in huge quantities but still they do not offer more value than a 15 year old Pandora.
Dreamcast maybe but for everything else, the Pandora is still equal or better.

The NVIDIA Shield handheld has a better quality and performance than the Pandora - with a full android system, released 10 years ago.
Currently, for gaming and emulation, the ANBERNIC RG556 would be a better choice than the pyra: The device is faster, has an GPU and is a way much cheaper. And Wii Games are running well:

When it comes to the Pyra, I do not see it as a gaming device at all.
I personally would sacrifice 3D acceleration to advance the Kernel.
It is a portable notebook for reading, note taking, browsing and light programming and maybe music.

Like every smartphone?

Yes, the interst is decreasing.
However there are still a lot of people waiting for their Pyra.
It still is a great device.
I have hopes that once there are more Pyras delivered some dedicated fans will take up the software work and fix the major issues.
If everything would prk as intended, the Pyra would be great value

Let's see.
On software side, i wasn't really happy with the Pandora what was the main reason, why I sold it.
The situation isn't quite better now after years. But maybe, with the pyra, it will be better... maybe.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Like every smartphone?

with a full android system

The Pyra simply isn't a device that was designed to compete with such devices. It's a niche (tinkerer's) device, and based on those reactions, I don't think it's for you.

 

[elw3]

Android is a no go on my book.

 

[Askarus]

Like every smartphone?

A smartphone has no keyboard. Good luck programming or typing more than just a few sentences on it.
I wrote about a third of my Bachelor's Thesis on the Pyra because typing is so good on it.

 

[Serenity]

A smartphone has no keyboard. Good luck programming or typing more than just a few sentences on it.
I wrote about a third of my Bachelor's Thesis on the Pyra because typing is so good on it.

Bluetooth Keyboard?
I wrote a lot of on a smartphone btw. not only "few senteces"

BTW: The Nvidia Shield has a better performance than the pyra, not only the pandora.

The Pyra simply isn't a device that was designed to compete with such devices.

Every device can be compared or compete with devices with similar functionality.
If I want to develop software or write a bachelor theses, I prefer a laptop instead of a pyra, that has only a tiny display
If you want to play games on it during traffic or just to pass some time, a smartphone is the better option
Emulation? Anbernic devices.

So, a refurbised Lenovo T460s, a HMD Pulse Pro and an Anbernic RG335M costs together less than one Pyra.
But as you said: It's a niche device.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Every device can be compared or compete with devices with similar functionality.
If I want to develop software or write a bachelor theses, I prefer a laptop instead of a pyra, that has only a tiny display
If you want to play games on it during traffic or just to pass some time, a smartphone is the better option
Emulation?

You're stating an opinion based on what you like to use. My opinion is different, yet no more nor no less valid - I don't like using anything "smart", and Android, Windows et al, etc are not privacy respecting.

I fail to see your point, other than confirming my suspicion that you don't understand the market for the Pyra.

I agree on one point though - if the Pyra was a little more up to date, with a couple of more modern features, then it could be so much more appealing to a wider audience. And yes, it's not cheap, although I also consider it pretty cheap considering the extent of work that's gone in to it.

 

[Askarus]

Bluetooth Keyboard?
I wrote a lot of on a smartphone btw. not only "few senteces"

BTW: The Nvidia Shield has a better performance than the pyra, not only the pandora.

Every device can be compared or compete with devices with similar functionality.
If I want to develop software or write a bachelor theses, I prefer a laptop instead of a pyra, that has only a tiny display
If you want to play games on it during traffic or just to pass some time, a smartphone is the better option
Emulation? Anbernic devices.

So, a refurbised Lenovo T460s, a HMD Pulse Pro and an Anbernic RG335M costs together less than one Pyra.
But as you said: It's a niche device.

I am strictly talking about thumb typing here.
If I want portability only, I have a GPD-device.
Is there a bluetooth keyboard that lets you thumb type on a smartphone?
I liked taking the Pyra out on a walk, sit down in nature and do read/write a little.
It's all about excellent thumb typing for me.

Oh, well, and Linux of course.
It's not like I would want to set up a LaTex build environment on a phone.

 

[netcat]

It's less about other emulation hardware and more about how the retro game scene has changed. It's not novel anymore and now we have all these readily available official rehashes.

 

[elw3]

Ohwell you can also just buy a 20 bucks usb powered monitor, glue a banana pi zero and a powerbank behind it and ducttape it to some usb controller and there you have a handheld.
And whats my point here? I dont even know myself.
If you need a discussion to jusify what to spend your money on then maybe just dont spend it. I bought a pyra because its cool, not because i need one.

 

[jedi23]

The consensus is: there are so many Handheld devices out there that a Pyra doesn't have the same appeal than the Pandora had back then, but the Keyboard is sooooo good.

What if ED redesigns the Pyra serving merely as a Bluetooth Keyboard where the top cover has no display anymore and you can snap in your smartphone, like the car smartphone holders?

I bet this will sell like hotcakes!

 

[matzesu]

Craigix had this idea allready whit the I Controllpad2 but it dit not work out well.. i dont know why...

Yes if you would need something only for Emulate Stuff, the Omap5 Pyra is not that apealing these days, i mean common: GBA Playstation Dreamcast and the stuff above is something lots of these cheap 60000000 in 1 China Handhelds can run ..

The Pandora was quite allone back then, the only competition was the GP2X Wiz and the Canoo or an Hacked PSP, .. but these days you get lots of other stuff, and a good amount of these are even buyable via Dragonbox Shop

 

[Askarus]

The consensus is: there are so many Handheld devices out there that a Pyra doesn't have the same appeal than the Pandora had back then, but the Keyboard is sooooo good.

What if ED redesigns the Pyra serving merely as a Bluetooth Keyboard where the top cover has no display anymore and you can snap in your smartphone, like the car smartphone holders?

I bet this will sell like hotcakes!

We should sell it as a UMPC first, gaming device second.
As a ultra portable PC it is still one of a kind.

If the software was optimized to have some real standby and we could use the Pyra as an always on mini PC that would be so cool.
If everything worked as intended, we would still have a one of a kind device

 

[morrowmech]

We should sell it as a UMPC first, gaming device second.
As a ultra portable PC it is still one of a kind.

This is what I bought the Pyra for honestly.

 

[Null]

Would you be comfortable playing games while Bill Gates Satya Nadella is watching you?

Given the type of games I play I don't think he'd be watching for very long.

 

[Askarus]

This is what I bought the Pyra for honestly.

Do you have yours already?

 

[TrashyMG]

Craigix had this idea allready whit the I Controllpad2 but it dit not work out well.. i dont know why...

The nubs were the same as the Pandora and they went out of production post development of the iCP2 boards basically killed the project as they would have to re-design it with entirely different Nubs, the funding wasn't there, also it was a Circus already with delays and such.

 

[netcat]

I bought a pyra because its cool, not because i need one

me too. i create fake use cases to justify the purchase eg scripting from the sofa and home security system.

 

[morrowmech]

Do you have yours already?

Yes.
I was a pre-preorderer who opted for a copper color Pyra, and received it literally the last day in 2023.
Gave feedback on the copper case battery lid tightness issues and my fix for it too.