The German team behind the Dragonbox Pyra project recently announced that they finally agreed on the specs for the crowdfunded handheld PC that has been in development for the past 4 years. If all goes well with hardware and reliability tests, the team should apply for CE and FCC certifications very soon, and then shipping to the backers who pre-ordered it in 2016 for ~US$585 should follow shortly after.
First of all, this device will be running GNU/Linux, not Windows. It will come with a 5-inch 720p screen and will be powered by a Texas instruments OMAP 5 dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU coupled with 2/4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. For a device this small, the Dragonbox Pyra packs enough connectivity options, including full-size and micro USB ports, and HDMI out, audio in/out plus dual SDXC card slots. Moreover, it comes with WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 support, a backlit keyboard with custom gaming buttons, and a transparent case.
Sure, the hardware looks quite dated compared to the GPD's models, but the backers who already pre-ordered the handheld PC in 2016 also benefit from a hacker-friendly interface that makes it easy to upgrade all components and code in support for new ones, as well.
I first stepped into the wondrous IT&C world when I was around seven years old. I was instantly fascinated by computerized graphics, whether they were from games or 3D applications like 3D Max. I'm also an avid reader of science fiction, an astrophysics aficionado, and a crypto geek. I started writing PC-related articles for Softpedia and a few blogs back in 2006. I joined the Notebookcheck team in the summer of 2017 and am currently a senior tech writer mostly covering processor, GPU, and laptop news.
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 07 > Crowdfunded Dragonbox Pyra handheld PC almost ready for launch
Bogdan Solca, 2018-07-31 (Update: 2024-08-15)