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TL; DR: If you just want a yes/no, scroll down. Disclaimer: I thought of myself as a "Power User". Most things computer-related, I do. I program, a bit. On my free time. I CAD, a few things. I type essays, quite rarely, but this is getting incredibly long. I watch Youtube, unsurpsingly -- sometimes with over 40 tabs open across different browsers. I edit pictures, although not of any particular quality. I re-encode videos (with VLC). And I play videogames. Demanding ones, not-so-demanding ones, casuals. I do stuff with microcontrollers, sometimes. I have a good amount of "spare" drives I ripped out of discarded laptops. Every computer I get, I take a quick look of the system pre-installed (or whatever that come with it), have a laugh, and wipe the drive. I have my own license of Windows 10 Pro (Retail), and I put it on everything. Now, boring stuff aside, let's get to the story. Initial Thoughts, The Good When I first heard of the GPD company they just released the Win 2, and I am not exactly stoked. The overall device looked pretty interesting, but the trackpad and the keyboard just screams "ewww" in the most unpleasant ways. Fast forward to 2019. Win Max (1) came out, and at first glance, I really liked it -- it's performant, it has good RAM, it has decent repairability (sticks and keyboard yes, shoulder buttons yes, storage yes, not the gamepad buttons, although the metal domes are replaceable). It has a 60Wh battery, a touch screen, an actual working trackpad (up to 3 fingers, not 4), and the backlit keyboard that look workable. The built-in game controller is just a bonus, although it is quite decent. All in a chassis smaller than an iPad. Thiccccness aside. It comes with a i5-1035G7, which by laptop terms isn't much, but consider that it's less than half the size of a regular laptop, that's massive. It has Thunderbolt! Along a USB-C PD port for charging, and two USB 3.0s and a HDMI. It also has a full-size Ethernet jack, and a (rather lackluster) USB MicroSD reader. It does NOT have any webcam, and the (I misplaced it) missing hinge cover did not help much. The keyboard I can do about 70 wpm on it after like 2 minute of re-getting-used-to-it, which is not bad. They feel is not great, especially on a spacebar, but considering that it's "below subcompact", this keyboard rules. The SSD it came is a no-name (a BiWin) 512GB SSD that do have cache. I don't trust it however, so I replaced it with the Toshiba that came with my Dell 9360. We don't talk about that. The biggest party trick, however, is that it has dual 2.25W Sunon centrifugal fans. This means that under a heavy load, they will absolutely scream, which is bad, but they will also give you 25W of cooling -- you can get more performance in this than every 14 inch out there (at that time, basically), and then some. This redneck-ness of the cooling solution cannot be overstated. Although, the thermal mass is quite small, so temps do get quite spicky. But it will do it. I had done everything on it. I have typed essays on it; I can't remember watching Youtube (because it wasn't available in Mainland), but I certainly remember beating Horizon Chase (and playing the share of Minecraft and Terraria, for that matter.) However, recently I revisited this computer as an attempt to make the 4-drive DAS my father has available to the internet -- basically a tiny server. The Trouble Begins (Part 1) The first problem is that the display frequently wouldn't turn on when you flip the screen open. "Now hold on Xavier", you might say. "This can be because your windows install is borked." Well guess what? I can literally replicate this problem in BIOS. So uh yeah. Re-flashing it goes. Now fortunately the last time I flashed the BIOS it's revision 1.11 and as of writing it's on 1.16. However, I had trouble flashing the BIOS (it says the file size checksum is bad, and also it can't find the chip to write to, apparently). So I have to send it in. The Support Having made a great product is one thing, being able to support it is another. If you cannot communicate in Mandarin, you are basically screwed. And I don't say this lightly. If you don't have that order number from three years ago, you are also screwed. No support from them, even though they are the only ones making it. If you have both requirements met, you can then just send the machine in a package to a "high technology park" in Shenzhen. It's actually not terrible. And as of writing this, they did fix everything I asked -- they re-flashed the new BIOS for me, and I can confirm the BIOS flashing tool works now, the display will be able to turn on (almost; I haven't done it too much, but I believe it's fixed), and as a bonus the TPM 2.0 ability of the chipset is unlocked, so you can put Windows 11 on it if you want. Buuuuuutt ... The Trouble Continued (Part 2) I don't think they ever released an updated driver package. But that's not really important, so long as everything works (mostly). While they didn't provide you with 50 different downloads for every single different driver for you to click through, they didn't provide a GUI at all. All they provided is all the driver files, ".ini" for Windows. If you want to install driver for something, you have to go to device manager, go to properties of the driver-less device, and tell the computer "Look for drivers here". For the essentials (e.g., trackpad, touchscreen, some weird USB stuff, a Thunderbolt), you have everything. However, this only works for Windows 10. Now I must say I haven't tried Windows 11 yet -- it probably still will work. But I will have to deduct points here, for the utter lack of driver updates, and literally the inability to get them anywhere else. The screen, like Linus mentioned, is also technically a portrait -- a 800x1280. This is great when you are starting up with no drivers, or WinRE, or Bluescreening. This is quite troublesome, but only when the OS isn't fully driver-updated, but it's an issue that must not be ignored. This, combined with the driver problems, meant that my "evaluation" of Windows Server 2022 on this platform is troubled, to say the least. For anyone that want robust "it just works", this machine is not for you. The Now However, it's no longer the year 2019. and it's not even the only SoftWin I find interesting -- the GPD Win Max 2 is here, with everything Win Max 1 have to offer, but more! It has webcam, it has native landscape screen (supposedly), the touchscreen now supports a pen, bigger, better keyboard, even a WWAN (4G module) if you want, better trackpad, and a bigger SD card slot. Although, continuing the company's tradition of designing keyboards that nobody would use, the Pocket 3 is starting to look like a more all-around solution, especially with that KVM module -- if the keyboard can actually be used. The Thoughts I bought this thing (at 2019) for basically $1000. Looking back, it's a very extremely hot-headed move -- I already have a laptop, and this isn't really a daily-drivable machine. Nor is it particularly cheap. But it's, at that time, one-of-a-kind -- it have the IO and performance to match (and sometimes beat) laptops significantly larger than its size. If I am a networking guy standing next to servers, an 8 inch like this would be absolutely perfect. If I am in a cramped spot, at school or on the move (highly unrealistic imo), you can whip this out and it would not look out of place. However, given the sketchy driver, BIOS, support, and other elements, will I recommend it? If you are comfortable shipping it back to Mainland China, and communicating in Mandarin (you might be able to get along with Google Translate, but you have to have .. the order number? And Wechat? If you want a tiny laptop, yes. If you want to game on-the-go, you aren't going to use it fully. Steam deck (or something else) is likely better. Basically, if you live in China (including Taiwan/Hongkong), yes. If you do not live in China, no. The nonexistent support really isn't going to make it work, and definitely not when the reliability is on the low side of the chart. But (and this also goes for Win Max 2) these shouldn't discourage you from trying it out.

Summary AYA NEO Releases Indiegogo campaign, raises 1.5 Million USD in under 4 days. Quotes My thoughts This thing is absolutely insane guys. 800p 500 NIT display, gyro, rumble, replaceable joysticks, usb c, NVME SSD support, and a SIX CORE RYZEN PROCESSOR! I could keep going and going. This thing is about to change the PC game, especially in the current market we're in. And with xbox and nintendo reportedly working on their next gen handhelds, they will have stiff competition from a console that can play almost every game ever created... ON THE GO! can't say enough good about this thing, check it out guys Sources https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-AYA-NEO-smashes-crowdfunding-expectations-with-over-US-1-000-000-raised-in-under-24-hours.526822.0.html https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/8/22320306/aya-neo-handheld-gaming-pc-indiegogo-price-release-date-nintendo-switch https://www.tomshardware.com/news/aya-neo-crowdfunding-begins https://wccftech.com/the-aya-neo-handheld-console-can-run-crysis-remasted-and-cyberpunk-2077-with-amds-ryzen-5-4500u-cpu/ https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2021/1/18/22237379/aya-neo-gpd-win-3-nintendo-switch-gaming-pc-handheld-specs-comparison EDIT: I see a lot of you guys have doubts, questions, etc. Please come to the official AYA discord <link removed by staff> Interview with the creator This thing can run cyberpunk 2077 guys. can the switch do that? can you do that on your desktop on the toilet? hmmmm.... And a video for those who say the chip is not powerful or will hit thermal limits DISCLAIMER: I am not at all affiliated with AYA as a company. They don't pay me anything haha. I'm just one of the many backers who's excited to see someone take a swing at GPD

Budget (including currency): theoretical 1500 usd Country: global Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: gaming. Schoolwork. Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): so Idea is this to in practicality make desktops version of Nintendo switch where you can take and play on your pc/console anywhere you want and when you are home to dock your handheld and connect it to an eGPU which in turn is connected to complete setup: full sized monitor, keyboard, mouse and so on. Part that I have problem is that I could not determine which one of new handheld windows machines do the things I want to do; Specifically to have good enough cpu to handle the workload of multi monitor and be able to use eGpu.

Summary Back during the announcement of the Steam Deck in August, the official news for GPD in China made a post claiming the Steam Deck was inferior to their Win 3 and Win Max 2021 on the level of technical specs and how Valve’s Linux distro SteamOS would be a closed platform. By the end of the article the company essentially say do not trust “the capitalists” and says users will need to install Windows anyway to play their pirated games. This article has recently circulated Reddit on r/SteamDeck and /gpdwin to some ridicule from GPD’s western consumers. From the “word-for-word” translated Reddit post such highlights include the following. The Reddit post was later updated to include comments on GPD’s post from their Chinese consumers though the redditor notes they did not do a word-for-word translation due to time and the amount of slang used. They not most commenters feel the post is hilarious yet shameful in some following quotes: My thoughts I backed the GPD Win 3 prior to the announcement of the Steam Deck in January and still currently have mine. As I’ve been watching coverage of the Steam Deck I’ve been running my own benchmarks and tests on my unit and unsurprisingly the Win 3 is objectively worse than the Steam Deck in terms of performance. It is especially funny to me when in GPD’s post they had one line about drivers and speaking from experience the Intel graphics drivers are maddening. Typically the only reliable aspect of my Win 3 is emulation as most emulators work well but games are still after over a year hit or miss. Halo Infinite and God of War are two recent examples that were broken on launch. The above is more a fault of Intel Graphic Drivers rather than GPD, however in a lengthy Reddit post I made discussed the various issues with their products either breaking or not having the correct parts as advertised. My unit was part of a batch of Win 3s that had a much older WiFi chip than what was advertised on their IndieGoGo page which had it’s own drama. I suggest reading my Reddit post for the full story about the WiFi chip which was honestly a long saga that ended in people picking between basically hush money or filing chargebacks for their Win 3. My Win 3 dock’s RJ45 port seems to not function and the thumb stick caps immediately became loose on my unit and I was forced to buy replacement caps to be able to comfortably game on my Win 3. I am frustrated in my choice to back the Win 3 partly due to the announcement of the Steam Deck shortly after receiving my unit but mostly due to seeing the Aya Neo seemingly being a superior product in terms of quality and reliability. I think my disappointment in GPD is far greater because of the fact that there aren’t many companies making handheld (Aya, GPD, OneNetbook, certainly not Dell) so to have one deliver poor quality products hurt more for people like me that are excited for this new form factor. I’m currently in “After Q2 2022” for my Steam Deck. Sources Reddit post with translated GPD article Original GPD post My Reddit post discussing GPD’s missteps with the Win 3 and drama in 2021

Summary News site GamingOnLinux’s Twitter account recently posted they were blocked by the Chinese handheld company’s Twitter page after accusing them of taking YouTube footage of Steam Decks without credit to use in marketing for GPD devices. Liam Dawe describes the situation as such. When Liam tweeted this to GPD’s official Twitter account, instead of any type of response he was immediately blocked by the company. After noticing this, Liam proceeded to post a follow up tweet and a write up on his Linux gaming focused news site. Liam mentions he would’ve been open to exploring Linux on one of GPD’s devices however after these events brings the company’s integrity into question. My thoughts As I’ve mentioned in my last GPD post I was a customer of GPD backing the Win 3 and I’m completely in the camp of GamingOnLinux here. I’ve watched GPD’s moves heavily from the announcement of the Win 3 to now and it’s safe to say describing GPD as desperate is accurate. The company does not handle criticism well and will go as far as resorting to bribery unhappy customers with heavy discounts on upcoming GPD devices to get them to stay quiet at least in the cast with the GPD backers who were organizing chargebacks on the Win 3 due to received the wrong WiFi chip. All of that is detailed in a Reddit post about shifting attitudes in GPD’s subreddit. Sources GPD are getting quite desperate against the Steam Deck - GamingOnLinux by Liam Dawe Video from GamingOnLinux’s official YouTube showing proof.

Ok so on a whim I went looking for one of the 7" mini laptops out there like the One Mix line because I miss the netbooks craze from back in the day (still have my Dell Mini10). They where a nice balance between the small ease to carry convenience of a android tablet and the x86 (later x64) power of a laptop... Well to my shock they cost as much a mid tier full size laptop but with barely low end budget model capabilities... How do these sell for often $700+ USD the lowest I have seen was $450 on eBay with 16 bids and still days to go... I just don't get it. Even (decent) netbooks never hit this poor of price to performance ratio.. I mean I can kind of understand the GPD line because they do have at least some power to back up the price tag, but the others from say One Mix and Chuwi can't say the same. >_> My 15" Lenovo Ideapad 320 with a A12 APU only cost $350 new, almost $150 less and could run rings around a used 1st gen One Mix with the Celeron CPU

Not even sure this category fits lol .. Will Linus media group review this "latop" any time soon ? https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-pocket-7-0-umpc-laptop-ubuntu-or-win-10-os-laptop--2#/ I think its a quite interesting product, and actually considering if i should get one somehow tbh.

GPD site: http://geni.us/E3wa Indiegogo: http://geni.us/AugmPoi GPD is trying to bring back the Netbook with their new Pocket... does it really have a place in the market in 2017?

Hello sorry it's me again I'm playing on getting a gpd pocket or win but idk witch one ok witch one is better at performance , gaming and other stuff and i would like gaming performance not witch one is better suited for gaming like the gpd win

Buy GPD Win on Amazon: http://geni.us/ZLVL Is this tiny Windows PC the true future of gaming? Only time shall tell...

Hey guys! Just wanted to know your suggestions, about gpd p2 max. I recently was thinking of buying an ultra thin laptop, for daily use, and came to the conclusion that only things i do is work, such as powerpoint, word, exel, a little bit of gaming not too hardcore (i have a desktop for that) and mostly watching videos. (Sometimes work with adobe premiere or photoshop) So i wanted to get a decent ultrabook, that will give me all necessary features: good battery life, good speed, all needed essentials, such as webcam, ports. As i was looking around, i didn't want expensive like xps 15 which in uk, base price is 1300£ and it is a bit too thick. Couldn't find anything great, so found this gpd, but concerned if it will be a good choice, very skeptical about such pc with intel m3. Thank you for suggestions)

Sign up for Private Internet Access VPN at https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/linus-tech-tips/linus2 Check out ORIGIN PC’s New EVO15-S, powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, and their latest specials here: http://bit.ly/2KG67ZJ Check out the GPD Pocket2 Indiegogo: http://geni.us/jxYQDj Buy GPD Pocket 1 on Amazon: http://geni.us/Mg0r

Check out the GPD Pocket2 Indiegogo: http://geni.us/jxYQDj Buy GPD Pocket 1 on Amazon: http://geni.us/Mg0r

I mean it was published six days ago, but The Algorithm only decided I was worthy to see it pop up in my YT feed today, so... Over on 'The Phawx ' YT channel, he has has a video up as of June 1 "Introducing the GPD Pocket 2". Lots of changes, plenty I already know I don't like and judging by some of the comments there I'm not alone. Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30 Processor, sticking with 128 GB eMMC over an SSD. 4 or 8 GB RAM. Charge by 5v instead of 12v. Keyboard still isn't backlit but I didn't expect that would be a thing anyway HOWEVER, NO MORE NUB. You're expected to use the 7 inch touch screen more since your hands are so close to the screen typing? Meh. ~ also here is the Reddit thread , summary of information with links to pictures and link to gpd devices Discord.

Hey all. Is it possible to upgrade the GPD Win 2 's Ram, Graphics cards, hdd etc? My old MSI GE60 2PC Apche died recently and I'd like to use the ram (16gb) and the Intel I7 processor and Nvidia 850m Graphics card in the GDP win. I know this is unlikely, but is there anyway way any of these hardware components could be used? Thanks.

Buy GPD Win 2 on Indiegogo: http://geni.us/RMFVJ Buy GPD Win 2 on Amazon: http://geni.us/ZMCiA If gaming on the go is your thing, but Android and iOS games just don't cut it, then the GPD Win 2 may be a VERY interesting product...

Any 1 has experience with GPD win 1 version? Does it better for handheld gaming device?