The 8-minute shutoff hasn't bothered me too much. Luckily, my daytime routine (which is when I'm using this most) is such that I rarely have time for longer sessions. When I have, though, turning it back on hasn't bothered me (I'm also used to that with the Solo). And I've appreciated the shutoff during the couple times I let the thing idle for too long.
As far as battery life, I admit that I was also concerned. However, I find that the Pinnacle Pro lasts longer than I thought it would (I use it on 2 almost exclusively) and charges much faster than my Pax did (maybe even faster than my Solo), so a dead battery hasn't been an issue for me yet. Once I get home in the evenings, I can always use the unit plugged in (and have). I mostly use it off the charger during the day, between 8 am and 6 pm. I'd say I do between 4-5 sessions in that time. I've had no problem having it last until I get home with that schedule. When I get home I slap it on the charger and take care of after-work stuff (dinner, child care, etc.). By the time I'm ready to vape again a couple hours later, it's all charged up.
Admittedly, it also helps that I'm not relying on one sole vaporizer. If I was, though, this actually isn't a bad option because of the pass-through charging. Unless you are in a situation where you won't have access to an outlet for an extended period of time, I don't see the battery being a huge issue.
Earlier I said that this vape is "as close to perfect as I've tried". That's true. That's not to say that this is a perfect vape...there are a few things I'd like to see as far as upgrades/accessories...a glass mouthpiece and/or bullet, longer battery life (although I do love the small form factor and know that there's a tradeoff involved there), longer auto-shutoff period, etc. But I'm telling you, this is probably the stealthiest, most reliable, efficient, low-maintenance, multi-use battery-powered vape on the market right now. For the price (especially right now with the 20% discount), it seems like a no-brainer (for people who want something small and simple to use, at least).
Two other random thoughts. This thing definitely smells less than the Pax. I slipped it into a zippered pocket in my purse today while still hot from a session, and carried it into a building with me. I'm very sensitive to the smell in those scenarios, and I honestly didn't smell it. This makes me very happy. My car also doesn't smell when I leave it in there, as it did when I owned the Pax. The other thought--I tend to power the unit off when I want about 1 - 2 more hits, since you can easily get that from it while it cools down. No vapor left behind!
quite nicely, about 40" onto a wood floor. The pong flew off and the bullet flew out, not a scratch anywhere still works perfectly!
