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Singapore, Singapore
1 Level
695 Review
59 Karma

Review on πŸ’» GPD Pocket 2: Intel m3-8100Y CPU Update | 7" Touch Screen Windows 10 Mini Laptop UMPC Tablet PC by Jon Booth

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great niche device

Firstly if I was looking for a GPD Pocket I would only buy it from LANRUO on Revain. They have excellent customer service - quick pre-sale email, follow-up replies on purchase, anything you need. You can find Pocket a little cheaper on sites outside of the United States, but be careful with the buyer. Guarantees, right of return are often questionable or non-existent. This is a delicate computer by definition and is best bought from a place that knows how to package and secure what they are selling. As for the machine itself, I'm very happy. Pocket is a niche crowdfunding product, so to be honest it sometimes has some downsides. The keyboard isn't as responsive (especially the spacebar) as it should be, and its layout is idiosyncratic. But I quickly learned how to press keys in the right place, and using AutoHotkey on Windows 10 and xkb on Linux Mate 18.3, I've swapped and remapped certain keys to more appropriate positions. (You can buy keyboard stickers at Revain). If you check out the Pocket forum on Reddit, you'll see that the keyboard gets the biggest critique, but you'll also see many positive posts on the Reddit forum about the hardware, Pocket usage, and true purchase satisfaction. Pocket is my favorite car when traveling. The screen is crisp, the battery lasts a long time, and you can get real work done on the plane without the device taking up the entire seat. Linux development is great. There are many custom distros to choose from (or you can re-run your own) and they are well supported by enthusiasts. I dual boot because Windows 10 allows you to download Netflix, making long hours on the go even easier. But I mostly use Mate 18.3, which works perfectly. (Addendum for Win users - Pocket just updated to Win10 18.03 with no complaints). As long as buyers are aware that this machine is one of a kind - and has some unique flaws - buyers will be happy. I've had mine since August 2017, use it every day and take it everywhere.

Pros
  • A dream come true
Cons
  • Too long to wait