DragonBox Pyra is a pocket-sized (literally) 5-inch computer with a TI OMAP 5 processor and a QWERTY keyboard. It also has two built-in sticks and a D-pad.
The device was designed as an easily modified open platform. The gadget comes with Debian Linux, but many other operating systems are supported, so the PC can be used as a desktop or gaming one. DragonBox Pyra has been known for a long time, but only now it has begun to be shipped to customers. By the way, pre-orders for the device began to be accepted four years ago.
The low development speed is due to the fact that a very small group of enthusiasts was involved in the system. They had to solve not only technological problems, but also deal with logistics, negotiate with suppliers of components, plus ensure that the price of the device did not rise to the skies.
A number of system components are far from the most productive and new in their class. For example, the OMAP 5432 processor. It is a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 chip with PowerVR SGX544-MP2 graphics. The chip went on sale back in 2013, i.e. 8 years ago.
But there is simply no other such PC on sale.
Outwardly, it looks like some portable gaming PCs, like the GPD Win 2. But it was still designed as a professional tool for information security professionals, data center employees and other IT representatives. Drawings and diagrams are made publicly available by the developers, so the hardware platform can be changed as desired. You can work with the gadget both from the network and autonomously - for this, a removable battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh is provided.
As for the connectors, here is a complete list:
- 1 x micro HDMI
- 1 x headset jack
- 1 x micro USB 3.0 OTG
- 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x micro USB for charging & debugging
- 2 x SDXC card slots (external)
- 1 x microSDXC card reader (internal)
The system software can be loaded from a memory card or eMMC, so if desired, it is possible to work simultaneously with several operating systems.
As for other specs, Dragonbox Pyra has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage. There is an adapter that allows you to connect SATA to a USB port. The keyboard is backlit. In addition to the sticks and D-pad, there are 10 more buttons, some of which are programmable. The keyboard backlight can be customized too. There is a microphone, but no webcam. Plus, a vibration motor and stereo speakers are added.
Wireless communication modules - 802.11a / b / g / n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1. There is optional support for 3G and 4G.
As for the display, its resolution is 1280 * 720 pixels. The screen is touch-sensitive, it supports work with both a stylus and a finger. But the sensor is resistive, not capacitive, so the response is not the same as that of phone screens.
Device developer - Michael Mrozek (EvilDragon). His device can be called the heir to the Pandora portable Linux computer. But the new model has a lot of things that its predecessor did not have. So, Pandora had only 256 MB of RAM, 512 MB of internal memory, a TI OMAP3530 processor.
While Pyra can be used as a desktop PC, it is still a niche device for the IT enthusiast. There are several different versions on sale , the cost of the younger model is 595 euros, the older one - 745.
