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A Psion Palmtop Successor Has Arrived and It Runs Android and Linux (pocket-lint.com)
dryriver writes: A lot of people probably remember the 1990s palmtop computers made by Psion fondly. The clamshell-design palmtops were pocketable, black and white, but had a working stylus and a fantastic tactile foldout QWERTY keyboard that you could type pretty substantial documents on or even write code with. A different company -- Planet Computers -- has now produced a spiritual successor to the old Psion palmtops called the Gemini PDA that is much like an old Psion but with the latest Android smartphone hardware in it and a virtually identical tactile keyboard. It can also dual boot to Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Sailfish) alongside Android. The technical specs are a MediaTek deca-core processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (plus microSD slot), 4G, 802.11c Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, eSIM support, and 4,220mAh battery. The screen measures in at 5.99-inches with a 2,160 x 1,080 (403ppi) resolution. The only thing missing seems to be the stylus -- but perhaps that would have complicated manufacturing of this niche-device in its first production run.
This is exactly what we need, a PDA running Android AND Linux.
Thank you, Baby Jesus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion_(comics)
4GB is plenty for Android, but for Linux? Nope. I realize I'm at risk of becoming "that guy" who is always whining about RAM, but it really is a sticking point for getting things done.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Why this post? It was funded in 2017. Delivery started 2018+
Mass manufacture? some new features? what?
Signature v3.0, now with 42% less memory usage.
The Gemini PDA has been around for about a year - I was one of the backers. The more interesting one is this:
https://www.indiegogo.com/proj...
This will actually fully replace your phone with a Palm-style computer, unlike the Gemini, which I've since sold.
What's not to love?
The GPD Pocket is cheaper, double the memory, double the storage, x86-64 CPU...
GPD Pocket: $509.00 USD, Win10 or Linux, Intel x7-Z8750, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 7" 1920x1200
GPD Win2: $699.16 USD, Win10 or Linux, Intel Core m3-7Y30, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1280×720
I have a GPD Win 1st version dual-booting Linux & Win10. I actually dev using it on the train/ferry/plane: Kdevelop, Gimp, Modo. I play some Steam games too on the Win10 partition. I've been considering upgrading to the Win2, not Pocket because I dev games so the built-in controller is great OTG and doubles as a half-decent mouse. But if it wasn't for my need for a built-in gamepad I'd go with the GPD Pocket.
This Gemini PDA seems like a downgrade. For 4G connectivity, I have a cell phone I can tether to and there's WiFi almost everywhere otherwise.
As it stands the specs are damn good, if it had a GPIO bus it would be absolutely perfect.
But if you have ever played with these niche devices, it's all on how good the software is. I have a bunch of ARM devices with Linux and Android distributions that the dreaded "Not optimized for your device" or can't even install comes up on.
Would of thought the article would be about it's successor the Cosmo Communicator instead
Way back in the 90s when these kinds of PDAs were available, I debated getting a Psion, but ultimately got an HP 200LX because it ran DOS. Smartphones are the logical successor to PDAs, but until the hardware keyboard returns to phones, I'm not interested in having one: sacrificing screen real estate to emulate a primary input method isn't worth it.
I remember these fondly.. mostly from when I was a kid and broke.
Atari Portfolio
Psion
HP100/200LX (still have a 200LX!)
The Zeos Palm PC
Great machines. Would love to see a modern take on them, maybe this is it?
..don't panic
Can anyone that owns one of these tell us how well it works for phone calls?
There's something cool about a physical keyboard in a portable computer. I used a Psion to write a book during a train commute over a period of a year. So I feel nostalgic about this but...
When I think about it. What is the reason we need a pocketable device with a full keyboard. It seems to me that a touch-screen keyboard is a perfectly adequate compromise for typing in a pocketable device, but if you're actually going to want to type a lot... you can't really go past a mini laptop like an XPS 13 or whatever.
When you talk about running apps on something like this. It has a screen that is more mobile-like in size, but an input mechanism from desktop devices. Are you going to run a mobile browser, or a desktop browser? Probably mobile. Which means you're touching the screen, and then you realise that mobile web sites are usually configured for portrait vews...
So, it's kind of cool, and I'm sure there's niche use cases and hell, it's not breaking the bank. I don't really see much of a use though. Well, actually, I quite like the idea of a linux device where you're interacting with the shell rather than a desktop... but really useful? Hmm.
I loved my Psions, had two versions of the 3 and later a 5. Used them a lot in my consulting practice -- found their keyboard, long battery life and pocketability way superior to a laptop for planning, note taking and time tracking. Their one Achilles heel was the ribbon cable between the body and the display -- eventually it would start to break and getting it replaced was very difficult. One guy in Toronto serviced these things and he was good, but expensive. Nice that someone is bringing the idea back, but if it shares the same design flaw I would be nervous. One thing if I lived in the UK, but elsewhere?
IMHO, this (a fully self-contained palmtop computer) is exactly what Raspberry Pi (or any other computer for kids) should/must become!!!
This kind of form would be the best to teach programming to all kids everywhere in the world!!!
I grew up in the 90s, dreaming programming using C64, Atari 800XL, Sinclair Spectrum 48K etc, but if any of them (home computers) was in palmtop computer form, then that would be my choice, for sure!!!
i bought 5 of them, they come in may. poorly timed article
Wouldn't it be better to just get a foldable bluetooth keyboard for you phone for most people, the screen is the same size as most modern mobiles, and the keyboard would be bigger if foldable. Seems to me, this is pretty redundant now. https://www.pcworld.com/articl...
this thing has been on the market for 9 months, and slashdot is just now getting around to reporting about it?
I'm sure the keyboard on this Gemini PDA could beat the hell out of the keyboard on a macbook pro, which has the worst keyboard of all laptops I've ever used. Unfortunately, the company is standardizing on mac only, no choice.
Nice looking! It's like...a cellphone for people who have stuff to do.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
I can hardly use 4 cores fully on my desktop without specifically trying. And I assume that 10 cores of chip real estate could have gone to stuff like bigger caches that might actually make stuff feel faster on the one task I'm truly working on.
Try using that foldable keyboard while standing up
Is that the company owned by one of the guys (Janko Mrsic-Flogel) related to the Retro Computers Limited / ZX Vega thing on IndieGoGo that shipped about 100 crappy protoype units and then disappeared from existence?
Certainly if he wasn't solely *responsible* for the Vega thing, he was one of the guy that caused the company to wind up (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3193686), owed money to the company directors and had to have a court order against him (https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/23/retro_computers_ltd_directors_ordered_pay_3k_legal_costs/), and certainly played a part in knowing what state the device was actually in, but gushing about it all over the place to try to get people's money knowing it was a turkey.
Whether or not the Gemini is any good (to be honest, I've seen better devices), I wouldn't do business with any of these people. And I wouldn't TOUCH IndieGoGo with a bargepole now as, despite explicit promises to try to reclaim their backer's money, they have done literally nothing and don't even answer queries now.
Fortunately, I've never backed any of their projects - this guy or any of the other directors or IndieGoGo - because it's much more important to me for them to do business correctly. Same as the OpenPandora thing many years ago. Lots of people losing LOTS of money.
It really comes to something when a Korean company that I'd never heard of until I picked up one of their devices (GamePark Holdings) does better business than people in my own country (the UK) making similar devices. All the UK-based "successors" to that device have been cons or ending in disaster.
Seriously, for that price I'd pick up a Chromebook or something instead.
Thanks for posting about Gemini, but this is really old news. It was shipped to first backers to year ago and I received mine something like 8 months ago.
It's the best phone currently available for my use. Camera is terrible and there are some HW quality issues but nothing beats a proper keyboard. I've backed Cosmo Communicator which should fix the issues.
I consider it more like successor for Nokia Communicators and N900 as it's a phone. All modern phones have PDA functionality.
Tried to reach the site with 3 browsers. None worked.
Has anyone (else) bricked their Gemini PDA and then gotten it fixed?
Either through Planet Computers or otherwise?
In my case I had gotten the second operating system installed. It then got into a horizontal screen roll condition. Looked like bad vertical hold on an old CRT TV, but sideways. Finally bricked it trying to fix that.