GPD Plans to Revive the Handheld PC Form Factor with the WIN (Cherry Trail CPU, Windows 10)
Around the turn of the millennium, HP and a few other PC makers were developing pocketable laptops like the Sharp Zauru SL-C760, HP 360LX, or NEC MobilePro 900C. The devices ran either a mobile version of Windows or Linux, and usually sported small keyboards with screens smaller than can be found on your average phablet.
That form factor fell out of favor about 2005 (although a handful of new models have been released over the years, including a gaming PC and  an Android convertible).
Now Chinese device maker GPD is making their bid to revive the handheld PC form factor with the WIN, a $300 HPC running Windows 10 on an Intel Z8500 CPU.
The WIN sports a 5.5″ 1280 x 720 resolution display, and it’s backed up by a 1.4GHz Intel Cherry Trail CPU with 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, Wifi, and Bluetooth.
It also has a microSD card slot, USB and HDMI ports, a 6Ah battery, mic, speaker, and headphone jack as well as a tiny keyboard, double joysticks, and a d-pad:
As you can see from the joysticks, the WIN is being targeted both as a gaming handheld and a PC (almost as if last year’s GPD XD had an affair with a Bluetooth keyboard), but there’a also already serious questions being raised about its gaming abilities.
One reviewer has documented problems with the WIN’s Cherry Trail CPU. It’s already been used in a number of small devices like the WIN, and they all share a problem with heat dissipation which causes the CPU to throttle itself down as it begins to overheat.
That’s going to be a problem when playing games, but less so when using the WIN for other PC uses, which means that this could be the new HPC some of us have been wanting ever since devices like the HP Jornada 720 started getting rare and expensive.
If the keyboard is usable, this could be a ideal take anywhere writing tool, it would kinda be a better version of the Freewrite, that $500, five-pound retro word processor which many have heard about but few have seen.
GDP is about 7 days away from finishing an Indiegogo campaign to fund the WIN, and they’ve already exceeded their goal by a factor of three, so this device is going to be made
Would you buy one?
found via Liliputing, Teleread
Comments
Vsoco April 19, 2016 um 1:11 pm
It’s a strange device, but I think it would be useful for me!
Nate Hoffelder April 19, 2016 um 2:42 pm
If I knew of a skin for Windows 10 which fits a screen that small, I might be interested. Win 10 desktop just can’t cut it on a 5.5″ screen.
fjtorres April 19, 2016 um 6:16 pm
What about the Win 8 GUI?
That and tweaking screen metrics to 150% ought to do the trick.
Or you could get a jeweler’s loupe. 😉
I used to work off a Toshiba Libretto in that size range in the Win98 era. Quite workable once you tweaked the metrics.
Nate Hoffelder April 19, 2016 um 6:25 pm
Earlier versions of Windows were less busy, so they were more usable on small screens.
P.S. I think I still have a Libretto. Weird design, but fairly usable.
fjtorres April 19, 2016 um 6:33 pm
The thumbstick next to the screen was inspired.
Left plenty of space for a good enough keyboard.
Nate Hoffelder April 19, 2016 um 8:10 pm
It was weird, but it did work wonderfully, yes.
Thomas April 19, 2016 um 8:00 pm
It looks like someone saw a Pandora/Pyra and thought, "How can we crap this up?" The answer, of course, was to use Windows instead of Linux.
Nate Hoffelder April 19, 2016 um 8:08 pm
Ah, Pandora. I knew about it but couldn’t remember the name.
Wow, you’re right! This is a Pandora knockoff, only with a crappier keyboard!
Edit: And it costs over twice as much!
fjtorres April 20, 2016 um 11:43 am
Intel processor vs ARM.
That alone makes a difference.
Given the low volume that probably accounts for most of the price differential.
beachwanderer April 20, 2016 um 3:04 am
Note: Did a quick search for the – Pyra / Pandora – homepage (https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pyra/). Found that they have a notice there that they will be showing a Pyra prototype unit at Leipzig, Germany on Sat., April 30 2016 at the Long Night of ComputerGames (http://www.schreibfabrik.de/spielenacht/) at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences.
Nate Hoffelder April 20, 2016 um 8:42 am
Thanks for the heads uP!
KS Augustin April 20, 2016 um 7:38 pm
Ah, Zaurus, I knew thee well. Unfortunately, I have long fingernails and am a touch typist, so this one isn’t for me…but I’m still waiting on my Freewrite. Will let you know when it arrives, Nate!
Nate Hoffelder April 20, 2016 um 9:30 pm
I never had a Zaurus (Linux wasn’t my thing, and they were expensive in the US) but I did appreciate the design.
Dk April 22, 2016 um 3:54 am
Small screen but I think there is a market for small laptops. Maybe with 9 inch screens. Some of the people who buy tablets would have more use from a small laptop. Especially windows users. Touch screens don’t do well for all uses. But this is too small…
Nate Hoffelder April 22, 2016 um 8:31 am
Not a 9″ screen, I don’t think.
When it comes to small laptops, the dividing line is whether it fits in a pocket. A 9″ screen won’t fit, and in fact a laptop with a 7″ won’t fit either. That puts the 9″ and 7″ laptops in the same group as 11″ and larger laptops. In this group weight and thickness matters more than screen size, which is why we have 11″ Chromebooks rather than 9″ Chromebooks.
Those Chromebooks are basically the same idea that you propose, only with a better screen size. They have a smaller footprint than your average textbook, but still have screens and keyboards large enough to be useful.
Kiga April 22, 2016 um 7:06 am
This is a Pyra/Pandora knockoff, Pyra is the successor of Pandora and is already at prototype stage. Plus it have a lot more features including an upgradable cpu.
https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Nate Hoffelder April 22, 2016 um 7:35 am
Yes, although the Pandora wasn’t even the first device to have that form factor in the past five years. It drew from earlier designs.