GPD Win 2

6owners with an opinion

83%of verdicts positive

2/1positive/negative since 2024

0happy after 3+ years

Praised for performance and design; criticized for ergonomics and durability.

What people wrote

Likes it

A powerful-enough pocket computer that can run a "real" OS with good input is the holy grail. Specialized types (gaming platforms mostly) seem to be converging on a few specific designs, but full general-purpose computers with keyboards etc still haven't really produced a "good enough" model. I used my GPD Win 2 daily when I was traveling often and frequently found myself in situations where it wasn't convenient to carry or use a full laptop due to weight/size, and even that thumb keyboard is 10000x better than a touchscreen keyboard in termux etc. There's definitely a niche to be served by either a better design or reimagining of the interface.

Likes it

I did an awful lot with my GPD Win 2, which was running vanilla desktop Ubuntu. The tiny display did require a bit of getting used to, but it was a lot of fun to have a tiny little thing that could fit in my pocket that I could write code while on the train. Screen isn't much bigger than an iPhone Pro Max, if at all, but I was able to adapt to the desktop GUIs without much trouble.

Doesn’t like it

I was looking around recently to see if I could find some kind of attachable physical thumb-typing keyboard / landscape phone holder combo for my Pixel, after convincing myself that my GPD Win 2 handheld computer was really, truly dead [0]. Couldn't find anything, so now I'm rather jealous of the iPhone crowd seeing this today. [0] Can't recommend GPD products - they're just not made to last, and rely on hacked-up Windows installations to drive them. Which is a shame, because the Win 2's form-factor and cursor control scheme are basically perfect, and also seemingly unique.

Likes it

I've got the GPD Win 2 and it really would be the perfect little computer if it had HP 100LX style calculator keys. I know people disagree with me on this, but it's the one style of tiny keyboard that I have been able to achieve a relatively fast typing speed with.

Likes it

I remember playing The Darkness 2 on a GPD Win 2, another handheld PC released ~4 years ago, and remember how surprised I was at the performance at the time even with only integrated graphics. It still serves me well to this day for the kinds of games I play, so I might wait for a hardware refresh before upgrading to a Steam Deck.

Likes it

Neither are ideal, but I'm far faster on my GPD Win 2 than my phone - especially when in a terminal. Tactile keys allow me to build a stronger muscle memory than zero-feedback touchscreens will ever let me.