Gemini PDA: The Palmtop Returns!

[@heckyes]

This channel is so underrated. The quality, lighting, pacing and timing of it is just as good as any other tech channel, plus it doesn't have any garbage animations or gimmicks in it. This thing is neat! I would love it so much more and buy it in a heart beat if the screen could fold 180 to the back of the keyboard and I could use it just like a phone. It would be even better if it could run Linux natively (non android rooted emulation). I'll be keeping my eye on this. Amazing that it has a removable battery too! It's almost everything I want in a phone/pda/netbook.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@cldream]

I looked it up out of curiosity and it's supposed to be able to dual-boot Linux with it, though I'm sure it'd be only running ARM-based builds.

[@loouislow]

I fall sleeping when watching this channel, even I love the content... Pacing and timing I am talking about.

[@Headroom23]

enticed2zeitgeist This channel is underrated? I totally agree. Mr. Barnett does an amazing job talking computers. He doesn't use technical jargon and makes it easy to understand.

[@SMGJohn]

+enticed2zeitgeist Content is vastly more important than how the video looks by itself but whatever, Americans just watch for eye candy as usual.

[@abdulrahimalmethiab4628]

one of the most useful computer channels on youtube.

[@ericartman0]

My favorite KZbin site by far. The PDA sounded fantastic at the first price but not so much at the list price.

[@interqward1]

Gee, beautiful design. People don't really 'get it' yet... But they will. Content creators probably will understand it quicker. How they work, where they work, when they work - this thing fits the lifestyle. The tool-liftable panel for SD card and standard sim is an absolutely brilliant concept as well, carried out in reality.

[@HeyBirt]

I too really like this form factor. I had a Philips Velo back in the day and loved it. It was actually a useful device that could fit in a pocket but you could still take notes at a meeting, keep track of things in a spreadsheet etc. Sold it when I got my first smart phone which had a real slide out keyboard (wish I still had the Velo.) Modern smart phones are powerful but it is useless trying to type much of anything into them, it is clumsy and takes up half your screen. I would love to have a phone with a real keyboard again. With the Wi-Fi you always have the option of using your smartphone as a hotspot so you don't need another bill from the phone company for another 4G line. At $599 I will pass on running out and grabbing one though. At $300 I would seriously consider it.

[@edwin3928ohd]

Fun Fact: the Psion 3 was featured in the movie "Executive Decision".. it was the device used to detonate the bomb by the terrorist. Why do I know this? I researched it because I have been wanting this form factor for years... and now this is here! Can't wait to see this video and check it out :o

[@AnimalFacts]

Younger me would have been super excited about that much computing power in my pocket. Shamefully, modern me is thinking "Meh".

[@khashmeshab]

Animal Facts it sucks to grow up. It sucks sucks sucks. When I was a kid, a literally dreamed about something like that. Being able to solve real world mysteries, just by taking our my portable computer. But now, meh! :-(

[@SianaGearz]

When I was young, I waited till people were getting rid of their Psion 5 and bought two. You can program on those things. And do a million things. The only problem is that I can't type on the keyboard with my little hands, it's too wide :(

[@apexmike849]

Same. The thing is that I'm older - I don't sit down anywhere like cafes, buses, trains, shopping malls etc and type away - I'm too busy trying to fit all those little jobs that would have taken me ten minutes in my thirties, that now take all day! :-( It's a great PDA, but with the eye-watering price, there is no way that I buy that. If they needed people to take it up, they should have stayed low. I don't think that I'm alone in being put off by the price.

[@SianaGearz]

I struggle to think of the price as "eye-watering" considering many people pay more for a smartphone, and Psion 5 cost like $800-900, didn't it? And yet it's too expensive for me personally. EvilDragon's Pyra is how much, $300? Well it's not out yet, delay after delay. Will probably be $600 for new customers who don't have a preorder ticket.

[@BobbiCodes]

I wish people didn't pay that much for a smartphone. That's downright unethical.

[@MyImmaculateQueen]

Great video. One of those voices which I could listen to all day. Clear., concise and straight to the point, no waffle. Had to subscribe.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for the sub -- welcome aboard. :)

[@resrussia]

Very interesting device. I agree the price is a high. Once again I am thankful for you bringing this device to the attention of computer enthusiasts. Keep the excellent work.

[@lonewolf31337]

I love this channel. The previous poster is so right. This is the best tech channel out there cause he’s not trying to push items down our throats for profit and he is factual. So awesome. And the product I sooooo want. I bet that keyboard has the old school clank sound we all miss.

[@johncnorris]

I spotted an eMMC socket at 8:45. With a PDA-dock I could see this as a specialty laptop replacement.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I believe that is a connector for a rear-facing camera, which you can/will be able to fit along with a new cover. Info is sketchy.

[@RetroBerner]

I could see it selling for around 250, but 500 is too much. Maybe if it came with a game controller that could be swapped with the keyboard and a stylus.

[@CommodoreFan64]

That's what I was thinking, but I'd rather just have a bluetooth keyboard for my Android phone if they keep it at the high price.

[@watiserdannogover]

Also thought that 500 is too much.. For that money you can almost get a GPD2.

[@Patchuchan]

If it had a X86 CPU and maybe a Nvidia or AMD GPU or at the very least a high end Arm SOC like a Tegra X1 it would be worth it.

[@knmonlinemedia]

that was my thought as well! the company tripping wanting 600pounds for this :/

[@GilbertSavoret]

And what to say about Iphone ? Near from $1,000 !!!!

[@DihelsonMendonca]

In case I want to contact with spaceships, these rgb leds are amazing, :) I like your sense of humour.

[@CaveyMoth]

So that's what RGB is for!

[@rikirokhman8738]

I love watching your videos, i feel like having professor explaining technology in exciting and passionate ways

[@tripwire76]

Having been both a Palm and a Psion user for a long time (until smartphones came along) this device gives me some warm fuzzy nostalgia - until the pricetag comes along. There might be times when getting out the laptop is too much but taking notes on my smartphone or tablet is just not convenient. Carrying a fourth device to bridge the gap just doesn't seem a great idea. I think what I'd rather opt for would be a nice bluetooth keyboard I could dock my smartphone or tablet into. Those devices already exist and come with a much nicer price attached.

[@JacobsP]

Just a commentary for algorithm. This channel deserves more attention!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@adisaakintola]

Excellent review. In the first instance you correctly identify it NOT as a phone, as far too many people are doing, but as a palmop PDA.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks! I so agree. I've seen/read some very strange reviews that clearly do not understand what this device is, and who it is intended for. If you can work OK on a smartphone, this is not for you! :)

[@jlaroche0]

Beautiful device with fantastic design. I nearly fell out of my chair when you told us the price... Great review.

[@elviraeloramilosic9813]

Watching going 'whoa' as well. Great piece of PDA! And another great video from planet EC. 🏆 Staying tuned.

[@SteveBenway]

I imagine it's already been said, but the GPD Pocket falls very nicely into the palmtop category, and runs Windows 10 quite effectively. I use mine on a regular basis when I'm away from home, and find it far more convenient than carting a full sized laptop around.

[@salguodrolyat2594]

Yes if only they could somehow get a 4g sim in the GPD Pocket.

[@AgentFSB]

It's a beautiful piece of kit, and seems to do a really good job but ouch that price. Thank you for another great video by the way. Waking up Sunday morning and looking for the new ExplainingComputers video is the best part of my weekend. :D

[@DihelsonMendonca]

I love this channel. I´m from Brazil, and here is my little British place, far away from my daily problems, speaking about things I really enjoy, commanded by this excellent, British, and dedicated, polite man from my age. I began with computers in 1980, and it had only 1Kbyte of RAM, an believe me, we played chess with that "thing"... :) From that on, I collect all kinds of machines, making my home kind of a computer museum.

[@Zany4God]

Thank you for the great humor. You've got the touch. I love it! Amazing that there is a tentacle reaching back to earlier form factors. It seems they died out as newer devices became very competitive and eventually won the hearts of the the curious. I believe the mfg's are just looking for new ways to separate us from our money, hahaha. I think I'll stick to my desktop(Dell) and laptop(Acer). I like to write and the full keyboard, screen and other software and hardware features will keep me happy. I bought the Raspberry 3B+ and played with it, but I might be at that stage of life where tiny fingers and crossed eyes are no longer "fun." Thank you, Christopher for another great episode.

[@46B3x2you]

I remember the PSION Series 5. It was a perfect device. I had a printer that hooked up to it. A mini inkjet printer. I could type as fast as people could talk by velcro-ing it to clipboard or something like that. It was Way ahead of it's time. What ever happened to that? It had everything you needed. The main problem was with the ribbon cable on the hinge. I miss that thing soo bad. I never forgot anything when I had it. It would dial a phone before we had cell phones, It would have multiple lists so you could make a list for every store you go to, or anything you need, and never forget stuff. It's the little things that make life easier. It fit in your pocket and just worked.. I miss that thing.

[@46B3x2you]

Sipa Zang That’s my biggest concern. I noticed that this new version has a support hinge on the bottom, but I don’t think it will change the fact that the ribbon cable will be tugged on over and over again until it fails. Did they really solve the problem or not? I paid about $500.00 back in the 90’s and now it’s $600.00. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The other thing is that the PSION 5 had a mat touch screen. This one has a reflective screen that shows every fingerprint and reflects lights in the background. I used my PSION 5 during college. I put some Velcro on the bottom and some on a notebook. That way I had a laptop platform to rest it on. I could dictate every word of a lecture without skipping a beat. I’d love to have a new updated version of it but if the original problem isn’t resolved, I just don’t think I can take the chance on wasting all that money. Sipa Zang, I thank you. It’s good to hear from someone who was ahead of their time with the purchase of the PSION Series 5. Only time will tell if the new incarnation will meet or exceed our expectations.

[@shortymtb]

For £240 maybe, for £499 no way I'd just get a 13.3" i5 ultrabook with 4GB of RAM & 128SSD... then again for £10 I can buy a bluetooth keyboard and just use my phone...

[@iamarawn]

Used Dell Latitude and run linux so you don't have to deal with the lenovo "quality".

[@1960ARC]

I was going to say the exact same thing. As I already have an old Motorola keyboard that came with my Atrix all those years ago. Great review though!!!

[@Your_username_]

iamarawn Never heard someone saying something bad about thinkpads quality. What do you mean?

[@darrenc2721]

Exactly my point.

[@hansoak3664]

It's a blessing to live long enough to see concepts recycle multiple times in improved form; fashion as well for that matter. Thanks for another excellent video!

[@LiLBitsDK]

they were REALLY good and handy back then and with the LCD screens or whatever you call it, they had back then, they ran FOREVER on battery. Not like these days where you have to charge daily

[@djbare9]

It is way too expensive now, a bluetooth keyboard and a smartphone is considerably cheaper, I see the price of this rabidly falling once the novelty factor wears off.

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

Lots of people don't take to the idea of lugging around a keyboard just for your phone. This thing fits in a purse, and what's more, your don't need a surface, you can also just type with your thumbs like a normal phone, only tactile.

[@Codemantic]

I love elegant design like this, each aspect of this device was meticulously thought out.

[@retropcscotland4645]

The LED'S sold me on it but the price put me off. In today's market with Bluetooth and tablets you can get a cheaper small solution for less than half of that. I think the price will need to be cut drastically for this to take off. Other than that great review and quality content mate.

[@dna598]

I love the classic vibe of this channel.

[@henrymach]

My issues with it: - Android instead of Linux. You are not in full control of the device (for instance, how's the update process?) and some apps refuse to run on landscape mode (try Whatsapp for instance), which is already a problem on tablets - It should have an external screen and a back camera. With the front camera you can't see what you picture if you turn it away from you - It should have a normal USB port. There's plenty of room for it Other than that, it's all peachy

[@SimonTelescopium]

Android instead of LINUX - It does that - You can boot into up to 4 OS one of which is Debian. Updates - not had a problem yet with over the air updates Apps refusing to run in Landscape - true but you can force them into landscape by clicking the planet key External screen - agree - but my old phone I had to open the case for anyway Back camera - you can get one as an add on - I didn't bother USB support on both sides not sure why you would go back to USB A

[@henrymach]

Let me clarify what I mean about updates. With Linux I decide when I want to update and there are always updates available. With Android, it's the manufacturer. I have an Android Samsung tablet that's stuck on Lollipop (unless I want to go through the chore of rooting it, unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom ROM that will certainly not recognize the S-Pen and so on) and my Moto-X is stuck on 7.0, with no update in sight. That's what I mean. Manufacturers don't actually want you to update your device, they want you to buy the next one. With Android you also have to buy into the Googlesphere and it's a bit hard to degooglify. And one thing I forgot to mention, 5MP camera is something from like 10 years ago. Now the Debian thing is interesting, OTOH.

[@TheNZJester]

Adding on normal USB ports to a device with a USB-C port is not too hard as there are a lot of hubs out there that offer a lot more than just USB. I have seen some for sale that offer 3*USB3 and 1*USB-C, 4*USB3, 3*USB3 and 2*USB2, 1*USB3 a HDMI and 1*USB-C. 2*USB3 1*USB3 and card slots for SD full and mini cards. Even some that also offer LAN and VGA ports. All selling from between NZ$20 to NZ$60 inc P&P.

[@henrymach]

Indeed. But it's one more thing to carry around

[@TheNZJester]

There are also USB-C plug to USB2 socket adaptors that are very small to slide onto USB sticks or USB cables that are very compact and convenient to have. Wish was offering them for free you just have to pay the P&P and it was just NZ$4 P&P each for me in a choice of 5 different colors.

[@strayastray7319]

Love your excitement with the un-boxing. Great stuff.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks!

[@computernerdinside]

I've always loved the idea of palmtop form factors, reminds me of those feature phones that had that form, and I wish I could've owned one when they were relevant. I also wish I could afford this.

[@Balrog-tf3bg]

With modern processors “palmtops” can compete or exceed a basic laptop lately

[@computernerdinside]

Oh I know. I wish they were more accepted, and therefore more common.@@Balrog-tf3bg

[@McRocket]

I agree completely with the summation of this neat, little device. It's a solid value at $250...but not at $600. But, like was said here, hopefully it will 'trail blaze a path' for other computers like this one because I LOVE the design. Thanks very much for this video.

[@RobertDeloyd]

Yeah Chris, around the mid $200 range for the wifi one sounds decent to me. I was looking at it when it first was on Indiegogo... I had an Atari, HP 95 and 200, a Psion 7, a Newton, oh and an OmniGo 100... and a few other HP keyboard PDAs...several other non-keyboard PDAs. Once the price drops I'm going to get one... Though I would like a back camera on it, have never used the front camera for anything. Thank you for your wonderful review as always :) Bob DeLoyd

[@Trusteft]

Watch the whole video. The price is not around 200. It's 500.

[@RobertDeloyd]

Hi Trusteft, What I meant is "If It was" around the mid $200 range for the wifi one sounds decent to me. Hopefully we see them reduce the price or some other company does to make it more affordable. Love watching all his shows! Thanks :)

[@Trusteft]

Ah, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying it.

[@aatmodheegoswami7989]

I remember the first times I watched your channel, there were so many comments like, ugly old guy and stuff, but now, after following this channel for years, I love how you have overcome them and said f u in the best way, thanks for making the content you do, please continue!!!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Many thanks for this. Appreciated! :)

[@DanafoxyVixen]

Remember the Pandora pocket Linux computer? I wish they did a modern version of that.. thing was awesome

[@korkyv]

There is one, its called the Pyra....pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pyra/

[@robertparker1662]

Another great review video Christopher. I'd love to have one of these but can't justify spending $499 US for a small computer when a Laptop with 8GB of ram and a 17" screen for the same price. I can see this as a useful device for those who travel a lot. 8 Hour run time is impressive.

[@JADWrity]

Great device for the original price agreed, unfortunately now a bit expensive. I think the standardised USB-C can do wonders for the form factor's renaissance, especially if able to connect a large keyboard and screen when needed then just pop in a pocket later. Great video and hope to see more of these very soon :)

[@threestar4045]

JADWright Especially in £!

[@knightshousegames]

Sounds like what they envisioned with the Ubuntu phone a few years back.

[@synchro505]

You always find the coolest products! Thanks for another amazing video.

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

You’re giving me flashbacks to my Handspring Visor Prism. I wish I never junked it!

[@louismazzei5862]

Oh, I must have one... I have been seeking a suitable replacement for my HP 100LX for decades! Thank you, Christopher!

[@PatrikSzenti]

Thank You for this episode. I am fan of digital organisers like Casio Diary, and this is device what interested me. Again big Thanks.

[@jobearesto9746]

Nice. I really appreciate all your efforts in the lots of tech you show.

[@VulpesHilarianus]

Ooof. I'm scared about this. Leading the charge at this price point may push potential buyers away, and the market will misinterpret that as "there was no demand" like they always do. But there's been such a vocal group, myself included, that want an actual alternative to touchscreens. I hope this goes back to being $310/£240 or lower because we definitely want more devices like it and will gladly purchase them.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Spot on.

[@FLECOM]

but people will pay $1200 for an iphone? things are expensive, if they designed it to be cheap then everyone would complain it was underpower and the screen sucks etc

[@prisonpapers765]

I was so focused on your video as usual,in particular sice i still remember the old "palm" SONY CLIE..(which i still have)and when you said that ET could actually phone home.with the utmost serious tone....I fell out It took me off guard and was extremely Funny lol. Another winner Chris !

[@arunrchaturvedi]

I’m happy there are folks who’re trying to bring something new to the world of personal computing; but I still need to be convinced how this is better than, or even different from, flipping your smartphone or phablet to landscape mode and connecting an external keyboard.

[@Billy-rr7re]

so you will be carrying around an external keyboard. this one has one built in. a real keyboard that won't take half your screen or more.

[@sunyavadin]

Not to mention you'd need to carry some kind of stand as well to prop it up. Where are they all going to go? The Gemini fits easily in the pocket of a regular pair of jeans.

[@Tangobaldy]

Absolutely fantastic to see a video about something other than single board computer. At £250 I was tempted, shame it's so expensive. Its ideal size to carry about. But at the higher price might as well carry a yoga tablet like I do and a Bluetooth keyboard.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Over 50 per cent of my videos are about something other than single board computers -- this is the third in a row not about SBCs. :)

[@freesaxon6835]

The old PDAs were qwerky things 20 years ago. I don't know what others think, I use a tablet for a good 70% of what I do, but for focused ' serious' work a desktop or laptop is the only thing I can take serious. This offers a very compact version when you are on the go.

[@ExplainingComputers]

The Gemini certainly sits in the middle. It is more serious to use than a tablet, and more accurate. I feel more comfortable answering a business e-mail on it than a tablet, though it is clearly not as serious to use as a desktop or laptop. But I suspect it will travel with me a lot when not carrying a laptop.

[@freesaxon6835]

ExplainingComputers I wonder, in the future if the relaxed way ( tablet use , sort of flippant ), technology such as this is used will lead to a less disciplined, less serious, reflective mindset, with dire consequences ( The film Time Machine 1960) Eloi glibly say, as they chew on a water Mellon, " you ask many questions " their library is just dust I used a ink nib, and ink well in primary school, effort was required, but possibly with a p.c usage it might be different. I too feel far more comfortable, and focused using a desktop p.c, and from what I see, even younger people seem to feel this way, so perhaps it's universal? One for your 'explaining the future' channel, as you have suggested, transhumanism, will happen, but so slowly we will just drift into it. But what O.S to use :-)

[@ExplainingComputers]

I like this idea -- informal tech driving informal comms. Will muse on this!

[@mrkitty777]

I am still on CP/M from 1976

[@KuraIthys]

Certainly, never underestimate the impact of your tool choices. I've written an unpublished novel, and bits of about half a dozen others. But I did it with a pen. Because if I tried to do the same thing on a computer, even though in principle it's a much better tool, I would've had way too much trouble focusing on what I was doing - partly due to a million different distractions a few seconds effort away, but also because the ability to edit and mess with what I just wrote in such a haphazard manner actually undermines my ability to think through what it is I'm trying to say. Not that the final result doesn't need about 20 editing passes and revisions, and obviously those are way more practical digitally, but I don't think I would've gotten any of that stuff written down in the first place if I'd tried to use a computer to do it. As for tablets... Eh. They are neat devices but you can't really 'do' anything with them. Even playing games on one is a pretty compromised experience - they very much seem to be passive information consumption devices. This is in spite of the fact that I've mainly owned the S-pen equipped samsung devices, which you can indeed write on. But it's still not that useful, and in terms of what it allows it's in some ways inferior both to using a desktop or laptop PC AND pen & paper, where it's trying to mimic both. It does alright with drawing, but it isn't truly precise enough at that and the software not powerful enough to really make that worthwhile either compared to the available alternatives. My best results in that regard were when I used a remote desktop tool to mirror my PC display; but because of the high latency, and that the remote desktop program isn't designed for use with a stylus, and thus offers a bunch of sub-optimal cursor emulation methods (much less the ability to emulate an actual pressure sensitive drawing tablet, which the tablet's digitiser does have the hardware for), the experience was really clunky. Speaks to the weaknesses of both mobile software and the inter-operability of devices I guess?

[@juanarellano5511]

I remember my palmtop HP jornada 720LX run in windows CE 2003 In this time, I using for this keyboard is good. great video. regards from Mexico

[@ruddyrelent2716]

This guy looks like a time traveller from 1982 !

[@d3vastat0r89]

This reminds me of when I had no home internet and ended up using my Note 9 in a similar configuration. I used a mini keyboard, a wireless mouse, and a phone stand to make the whole thing as usable as possible. I also bought the Dex pad to be able to use it in Dex mode (which is not all that good, to be honest as many apps don't work in Dex mode). In Dex mode I mostly used it to watch KZbin videos on my monitor and reply to emails.

[@Headroom23]

@ExplainingComputers How about the return of Blackberry?

[@VeryUsMumblings]

Worldwide Blackberry still has something like ten million users, mostly because of security features and the attached keyboard. Blackberry OS is proprietary. Perhaps if they open-sourced the tech, it would come back.

[@kwacker45]

Great idea

[@amnottabs]

VeryUs Mumblings they've switched to Android and stopped development on BB10 since 2016 if I'm not wrong

[@AraceaeFanatics]

VeryUs Mumblings Key one and Key2 are running Android OS.

[@WolfgangsChannel]

Modern Blackberry smartphones run Android, but unfortunately there's no possibility to unlock the bootloader on any of their devices, so if you're not a fan of Google and want to install a custom ROM with MicroG, you're out of luck. JioPhone 2 on the other hand looks interesting, it has a QWERTY keyboard and the developers say the support for most mainstream social media/messenger apps (Whatsapp, KZbin, Facebook) is coming soon.

[@CZpersi]

I bought one and I love it. It is surprisingly good for gaming as well.

[@bobuk5722]

Far, far too expensive.

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

Robert Hawtin It's actually not that bad when you consider how much a smartphone costs. Since this is basically a smartphone with a keyboard, you can see why it would cost around the same as a phone. It does seem a high price to pay just to get a keyboard though. I wish phone manufacturers would put an extra micro usb port on the sides of phones so that we could simply add a keyboard to an existing phone. There are a few tablets like this. The only other viable option is a Bluetooth keyboard, but those tend to be more trouble than they are worth.

[@aquilesriffo]

EXpensive ? please explain

[@typingcat]

The problem is, that most consumers think only about the price of the hardware. I am not sure if you can really buy a new SD820 phone at $200 or not, buy I am quite sure that if you do, that phone will never get a software update within a half a year. These days, no software patches means end of life for smartphones. The same reason why Windows XP is unusable now. I would not mind $499 *if* this company provides software update for 2 or 3 years... or makes it easy for the community to develop open-source ROM. Never buy cheap Android devices under $200 or something, unless you do not mind to be hacked or hijacked. Hiring software developers cost a lot. Pay the companies so that they can support products longer.

[@ricky_pigeon]

the expensive price will kill it before it takes off.

[@Okurka.]

But it has a mattil case.

[@MarkyShaw]

This thing is pretty sweet. Reminded me of the HP 620LX that I saved up all summer for back in 98 or so. I do miss that form factor.

[@willyarma_uk]

I love how this looks, and with 10 cores should be very powerful but its far too expensive! I could just buy a cheap bluetooth keyboard for my phone, a friend of mine has one with a glide pad and the phone just clips in at the top. I would like to see how useful it is with linux as thats something thats not easily done on a phone and if someone can get Windows 10 running on it then it becomes very interesting indeed! (Progress is being made on getting Windows 10 on ARM on a RPI by a small group)

[@Rivenworld]

That is awesome, love the keyboard on it, reminiscent of the original Thinkpad keyboards which I love. Great video, thank you.

[@TheBadFred]

What is the difference between this and a smartphone with Bluetooth-keyboard? For me it makes more sense to have a Tablet with a keyboard, hence the bigger key size.

[@kwacker45]

Impressed by keyboard screen is adequate but price is crazy imo

[@DoctorX17]

Interesting... I agree the post-IndieGoGo price does sound really high, what you paid is certainly a better price point. The back programmable LEDs are really interesting... that's not something you'd normally see on this type of device. And the dual-boot option is really nice. It's a shame it lacks a rear-facing camera though... I would love to see an Atom based Windows version of a device like this, it would be a lot more useful for me.

[@Codemantic]

DoctorX17 I think they missed a potential market not putting a rear camera on it. The Reps that come into my building take photos all the time when they build displays. This device is perfect for those on the go for work but a lot of places now expect you to take pictures of your work.

[@DoctorX17]

codemancjackson agreed, it could be very useful

[@mvShooting]

Check this: www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket2.asp

[@DoctorX17]

M. V. Shooting oh, I forgot about that thing!

[@sunyavadin]

My Gemini has a rear-facing camera. It's a really smooth back plate replacement to modify it, and it's super low-profile so it still smoothly fits in my pocket.

[@spikekent]

I didn't expect that Chris, you're always full of surprises. Great to see the potential of PDAs making a come back. This is a fantastic device, but, like you said, a bit pricey.

[@playingwithdata]

The £499 price point is a deal-breaker as you say. At that level it's only for people with money to burn AND a pretty niche usage pattern. That's a combo that seems destined to effectively "prove" there's no market if they stick with the pricing beyond an early investment recovery. That's a pity because apart from the horrible logo and company name it looks like a decent refresh of the Psion 5 series form factor.

[@keplerk]

Finally !!! a tech channel where the 10 mn videos doesn't have 3 minutes of crappy intro, outro and/or ads spamming. Btw, i think this "palmtop" cuz its just a clamshell smarphone, its quite expensive and its cooked android version seems pretty clumsy. Edit: Btw, you won a sub gentleman.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for the sub! :)

[@send2gl]

Would you not be better off with decent netpad, which has a better screen format, and use an OTG adapter with keyboard of your own choice?

[@BennyLogginsGaming]

Interesting to see people want this concept in ultra portable computing to come back when we have things like tablets and bluetooth keyboards around.

[@crazed357]

@ExplainingComputers I have a question, I want to do a project that I think would be cool and worth my time if feasible.. What problems would I run into if I took my old phone motherboard and tried to convert it into a always connected android powered laptop? I know getting the display to work would be iffy but what if I used a pitop? I really would like to start this project but I searched everywhere on the internet and I cant find anyone who is converting phones into laptops without just plugging in usb otg into a dummy laptop. I would really appreciate your input.

[@ExplainingComputers]

You problem will be interfaces for the screen, etc, and drivers for the software. Not an easy thing to do -- unless the phone has a USB port and an HDMI port.

[@crazed357]

ExplainingComputers Thanks. I would just love an qualcomm powered device insead of mediatek or broadcomm, because of app usage. Maybe I can find a motherboard with a mini HDMI port, and a USB type c to USB 2.0/3.0 hub but newer moherboards are a pain to root..

[@benirodriguez9516]

I agree with your comment about the price now, cause technically it is after all just a mobile phone, and a cute keyboard. But the casing is nicely done, indeed. I just found your channel (subscribed) looking for palmtops, as I remembered a cousin of mine, which was bragging about his in 1985 when I was just 6 years old! :P

[@SouravTechLabs]

There is no bump on F and J keys on the home row. That will be a problem if you want to type on it without having an external keyboard!

[@ExplainingComputers]

I seem to cope! :)

[@Pygar2]

Super Glue is cheap...

[@Ringer1982]

Best review of this thing on youtube so far.

[@MicrobyteAlan]

1st? Very interesting show. I just finished “DIGITAL GENESIS”, great read. Thanks from Orlando

[@ExplainingComputers]

I think so -- Gold Medal to you today! :)

[@MicrobyteAlan]

People must be at the beach this morning.

[@jashton8710]

Blast from the past. Back in the 90's, I had the Casio (don't remember the model). It was just before the Boss was released. Cool device for the day.

[@DoomRater]

Aw man I'd love to see ETA Prime get his hands on this device and go nuts with emulators. I can only imagine something like this being a real competitor with the GPD XD even if it means sacrificing built in controls for a keyboard. USB-C OTG means you could just plug devices in if there's no bluetooth controller available. PDAs were never this powerful or sexy back in the day and had they been I would have been more inclined to have one.

[@EmergencyChannel]

Except the GPD XD is $170, this is $600. The GDP Pocket is around $800 but far more capable.( but no 4G option.) This devices is filling a very small niche where business people want a phone and laptop together and they don't care about games or actual power outside of typing emails and documents. I wouldn't mind having one myself as my primary phone, sure beats paying $1200 for a Iphone.

[@kennethellis2666]

The problem with this device is as most are saying- list price is going to kill any momentum it had. The ergonomics for when the device isn't being used on a lap or desk is unwieldy, and to find a place for it in a pocket is restricted by the more powerful device most of us already own. If Microsoft would get off its rump and release the long rumored Surface Phone, which is purportedly tied to a similar detachable keyboard as has been the line's signature, we'd see the usability shift required in this long-dormant segment needed to jumpstart it. As it is, this is a nice peculiarity, but I can't see it taking off at a volume required to keep them running for long.

[@PabloGaraguso]

Very interesting device... the price tag seems a little bit off, but I wonder what the experience is to actually "write something" on the go. As you have experience writing, could you give us later an update on your experience? Thank you, and as always, great work.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I've now written on this a bit in those odd moments a portable device comes in handy. The experience is better than writing using an onscreen keyboard, and a lot more accurate (and without the need to shift to get to normal punctuation, and the ability to navigate using cursor arrows). It is not as fast or accurate as full-sided keyboard, although I get less RSI pain than using my laptop as the keys are softer. I have a London trip coming up where I will be using this extensively, which will be a good test. Will report back!

[@sunyavadin]

I use mine on crowded train journeys, where it's fantastic having something I can type on which fits on the fold-out tables on the backs of the chairs, unlike my laptop, and as a result also reduces the weight I'm carrying by a few kilograms. It's definitely true that it's not as fast or accurate as said laptop, but the tradeoff is well worth it over the frustration of trying to type on a screen with half the UI obscured, and without the tactile feedback of feeling the key click into place, or chance of the digitiser misreading every other key press.

[@thelbp]

3:50 That's exactly why i love your channel, you go WOW what an exciting PDA! and i am not the only person to say exciting and pda in the same phrase in 2018! sidenote: i would love a Snapdragon 845 version that could run Windows, that's why i got excited for windows on ARM. (also if the price scaled with this one there is no way i could afford it)

[@navigatorofnone]

This device reminds me of Nokia's Navigator back in the 90's. But this is a souped up version 😁 By the way, good call on the indiegogo bit, you definitely got your money's worth 👍👍👍

[@wojciechpatalas6660]

navigator ofnone They should put phone keyboard with simple lcd (digital ink) display on front. Now it is quite unusable as a phone which makes it just another device to carry and with this price point and capabilities I’m not interested. Still waiting for the modern Nokia Communicator revival.

[@tin2001]

I loved my 9210. Was less impressed with the 9500 when the 9210 died and I had to upgrade. It just wasn't built as well as the 9210.

[@wojciechpatalas6660]

I was using also the latest model E90 , if I am not mistaken. Build was exceptional. Loved using this phone. :-)

[@christiansanden8005]

@@wojciechpatalas6660 I have this phone, it was great back in days but now i cant browse anymore, Nokia should release a modern version of this awesome machine, would be perfect

[@MrRequisition]

Love your review on this. Hopefully getting one of my own soon.

[@Abdulla79]

I bought one as soon as i learned about it, 2 years ago? in the 90s i saw Psion in local shop and i wanted one so bad, could not afford it, my Gemini is Wi-Fi only, i hope you have another video showing the linux os.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad to hear from another owner of the WiFi model! :)

[@onurgokturk]

Looking forward to the next versions!

[@androth1502]

it seems a bit overpowered just for text based content creation. come clean. you're going to play games on this device, aren't you :)

[@KISSbestfan]

When I looked at this palmtop the first thing that came to my mind was about those micro transparent red mouses that were around in 2003, and how I imagined the computerisation progress in the next years (and how wrong those were). Never thought that you will solve the lack of mouse problem by using touchscreen, I was rather a bigger fan of using the mouses, or at least have button-operable menus. Then in around 2005 I used a Sony Ericsson P910i with that stylus thing, and still have it ! While then I re-imagined the future, to give us more and more professional tools for everyday use, but the present phones are rather simplified for use. Its nice to see a comeback of palmtops, and Im hoping them to become popular again, after the prices drop a bit.

[@SergiuszRoszczyk]

Wow. That is so hard to comment in a single post. I like the look of it and form factor. Idea of €250 portable Linux device would be very tempting. €500 is hovering near Surface Pro m3 with keyboard (on decent deals). Keyboard is a dealbreaker in terms of Polish (missing AltGr) and software development (semicolon, backslash). Under Android I use a Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard with a Xperia Z2 Tablet or iPhone and I think that for the target price tag of this device I would go for 8” tablet with external keyboard and get better experience. I wouldn’t call Apple about on 3,5”, it is still on MacBooks and iPads and this style of packaging was there for at least a decade ;)

[@ExplainingComputers]

There is a semi-colon on the keyboard, and they ship lots of different keyboard versions. Don't know if there is Polish though.

[@SergiuszRoszczyk]

ExplainingComputers I mean semicolon is in a wrong place so I would miss a key quite often. As of layout we use so called US intl layout. I looked and their site and indeed there are other layouts but... maybe for original price but for current price tag it is out of my consideration.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Ah . . .

[@aaroncake]

Watching this reminds me of how much I miss my HP 660LX palmtop.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Happy days.

[@amancalledoss38]

Fashion going around in circles again , great little device though at the price it is now I think I'd prefer a cheapish laptop and a backpack . Still great video as usual

[@cant144]

An excellent presentation --- very useful and friendly.

[@mjdxp5688]

Very interesting device, I would really like something like this, it's more or less a better smartphone in my opinion thanks to the keyboard

[@MIGHTYcbu]

Loved the keyboard on the Psion. Tip: take a look at the Ockel Sirius B, phone sized (though thicker) portable computer, full Windows 10, touchscreen, no keyboard

[@desktorp]

An incredible mess in under 4 minutes! New record?

[@kosmic000]

love your reviews!!! and your choice of topics

[@soundguydon]

It's a neat concept -- I used to love my PDA (my favorite being the Sony Clie that had a keyboard, etc.) I have to disagree with you on this one though -- It's basically an android phone with a keyboard attached -- at a very high cost. I love my android phone, but I'll be completely honest, I was disappointed when you flipped it open and I saw the android screen -- I was hoping for something completely unique. Just my two cents :)

[@Crimsonedge1]

The half-circle cut-out when you open phone boxes is there for use as a pull tab. Stops you having to tip the box upside down to get things out. :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

It is indeed! But if you watch closely, you will see that I tried to pull it up, and it was stuck down, so the design did not work on this occasion! :)

[@HonestLettuce]

ahh yes KITT, what a nice nod to classic show.

[@geoffreyjohnstone5465]

GPD Win/GPD Win 2 and the GPD Pocket might suit you better if you prefer Windows

[@maartenschouren2327]

Another thing to take into consideration are the import duties/taxes if you're not US-based. Depending on your VAT percentage, import duties and handling costs this can increase the price of this device by another 30%.

[@ExplainingComputers]

True, though note that this product is sold from the UK! :)

[@RedMageGaming]

If I could get it for what you paid, I'd be all over it. But at its msrp I'm not too eager, since I have an s8+ and bluetooth keyboard, this doesnt offer me much benefit for the price point. But interestingly it looked like it had a port under the back cober there for a small emmc drive or something. So thats an interesting prooosition in terms of upgradability and for dual booting the device.

[@ExplainingComputers]

The port you mention, while using the eMMC connector hardware, allows a font-facing camera to be fitted (with a new top cover).

[@MattKasdorf]

I REALLY miss using my Psion 5, and even though I was on an early notification list for the Gemini, I didn't back it. Loved the idea of the Psion 5 style keyboard, and clamshell design; even having an Android OS didn't scare me off. But what I didn't like was the lack of a rear-facing camera and perhaps even a rear facing / exterior display. I really needed cell phone functionality without having to open the clamshell. Having video out would have made my decision even harder.

[@golf-n-guns]

Looking forward to the Linux boot review. With that said, not sure the difference between this device and a smart phone with a Bluetooth keyboard.

[@justinandrewespie]

4 years on, are you still using this? Did you add Linux? How is it running. I am asking because I just bought a camper and the idea of a palmtop with full keyboard I can charge from a 12v supply/solar is attractive. Even low power laptops (Lenovo x61) needs an invertor and Chromebook doesn't charge properly either.

[@JonnyInfinite]

My personal view is that this is a bit too small, it's essentially a phone with a keyboard attached. I'd prefer something 7", with a form factor a bit like the Surface, but with an edge to edge display..