I'm having trouble imagining typing on that keyboard at speed. The Pyra seems slightly better in that regard, though still a little too wide for two-thumb typing.

Past a certain width, your thumbs can't reach from the edges to the center. In the case of both of these systems, reaching much past the thumbsticks seems awkward; for instance, typing either 'h' or 'j' on the GPD, or 'g' on the Pyra.

Exactly. The keyboard has been a hot topic of discussion for the Pyra because it's that one thing that Pandora users care about. GPD has put a keyboard on their device "because you need it for Windows" but it really looks like an afterthought when you look at how bad their design is. They still have time to improve on it, but the render's version is just awful.

If you had to type on either device in a serious capacity you'd be handicapped until you plugged in a keyboard and mouse.

Do not expect to be typing fast on the pyra, you will be able to type alright just not as fast.

I could type surprisingly fast on my n900's hardware keyboard, without looking at the keyboard. I don't think moderate-speed two-thumb touch-typing is too much to ask from a mobile device.

> The Pyra has some advantages over it but it's more expensive, older hardware, and probably over a year away still.

If you think GPD is going to release first... they are only showing renders so far on their indiegogo campaign. Pyra is already at the stage of a working prototype and had a first manufacturing pilot run in December. They are way more ahead.

That one does is not mass produced either right? I guess I am the only one who finds Ratpoison on Linux far better than Windows any day which is what I use on my Openpandora and it does allow me to be productive.

It's a new device expected to launch in October, from a company that makes handheld consoles - http://www.gpd.hk.

They launched this well-received (albeit in the sense that all of this is very niche) clamshell Android device last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV80_oiacgs

Thanks for that. My Google chops must be bad or maybe theirs are as I search for clamshell devices regurlarly (I cannot be the only fan right?) and never find anything new...

That blog I linked earlier - Obscure Handhelds - is the best site I've found to keep up with new devices and crowdfunding projects.

Windows only though.

You can install whatever OS you want on it unless they locked the device down.

Well you know driver support can be spotty for Linux if the manufacturer does not suport it officially.

Dual booting Atom tablets with Android + Windows have been available since Windows 8.0 and people have already installed Ubuntu on those devices - it might already be supported, along with Android as a nice bonus!

I'm obviously not talking about Atom itself, but everything around it. Wifi, BT, whatever they are using for the nubs...

There are still recent computers such as the HP Stream 11 for which Linux support is still lacking, even though its hardware is fairly standard.

That's why official Linux support is critical.

It is a windows 10 computer, it comes with secure boot and UEFI.

I'd be interested to see how well Linux runs on this.

I think the Realtek ALC5645 is still work in progress, for example.