The Pocket Popcorn Computer

There's a new kickstarter for the Pocket Popcorn computer, a small linux handheld that builds on designs from the original PocketCHIP. This time the keyboard looks quite useable and it has a high-quality 5 inch display. With it's full HD resolution we could display PICO-8 with a perfect 8x scale. What's more it seems it could be binary compatible with the PocketCHIP build of PICO-8. By the way, the red color below is from the configurable RGB lighting and could be any color you like.

Currently there is a discussion for the right keyboard layout, if some of you could post their suggestions here. I think we need a better cursor key layout that is suitable for gaming.

The device is slated for an August 2020 release. Well. Let's hope.

Update

Here‘s what the people at Popcorn computer have to say about compatibility:

Pico-8 is compatible with our Original Popcorn Computers which are pin-to-pin compatible with C.H.I.P. It is a drop in replacement for C.H.I.P in Pocket C.H.I.P. It can run the PocketCHIP-Build of Pico-8.

In regards to Pocket P.C., it contains a different CPU then what was present on C.H.I.P., it is possible, but yet to be tested, that the Raspberry Pi build may work on Pocket P.C.

Suggest it have a clamshell design like the GBA SP. Keyboard on one side, view on the other. Not touch-screen.

Perhaps even be something like the SIDEKICK where the screen folds over to protect the unit.

Hmm. That would be a radically different product and I don't think their small team has the expertise for that.
You could buy the Fxtec Pro1, it is a real product, but it’s too pricey for me.

hopefully the people who dropped the ball with pocketchip are not part of that. there are still people who never received what they paid for. watching next thing co fail was an interesting ride

that keyboard is all over the place in so many ways my head hurts.

https://www.cnx-software.com/2019/11/26/pocket-popcorn-computer-handheld-linux-computer-improved-pocketchip/

Doing a little bit more research, looks like it may be the same failed team.

Well if its the same team i expect them to ship around 10% of the paid units then wholesell the rest to a Chinese retailer who will scalp the rest of the paid for units. and just to be clear i was lucky enough to get a pocketchip(cool paperweight) from the kickstarter, i dont want anyone thinking im just salty over a undelivered product

Well now @VgBlade if someone gave me a PocketCHIP I would probably like it. I'm just understanding they were bad business.

I don't think anyone has really stated what was wrong with the actual hardware unit. Can you tell us why it was so physically bad ?

There was a nand issue that caused memory failures, and if you unplug a chip or battery from the pocket unit it needed reflashed or the pocketchip couldn't boot. Ntc also actively banned users from their forums for asking what was causing units to not be shipped while the ones bought on their website were being shipped

All that ? Wow. Okay. I guess the rage is deserved. I know sometimes the battery falls out of my old PSP.

It certainly doesn't require reflashing but it does reboot, takes about a second. Normally I save state my game before turning it off so I never lose my place.

Banning users from complaining. Very bad business model.

Maybe someone should update WIKIPEDIA as it has nothing but glowing reviews for the product.

This is the only thing they state that shows they folded:

"As Next Thing Co. entered insolvency with its assets and intellectual properties being sold, release of "v2" is improbable."

There is nothing about the hardware's inadequacies and poor business model.

Idk if it's still up but some scorned users made a archive of it all as it was happening, il see if I still have a bookmark

Not quite the link I was looking for but they explain things that the wiki skirts

https://hackaday.com/2018/04/03/is-this-the-end-for-the-c-h-i-p/

Edit: most of the links go to the dead forums

This is not the same company. This is one former engineer working on the project. They‘re building on Next Thing because all hardware designs were open source.

ah, well even still i wouldnt trust anyone who previously worked on anything ntc had their hands on; shady businesses are run by shady people