Android Mini PC

Peregrine

So I'm looking into buying an Android Mini PC and hook it up to my TV and hopefully put some life back into it.

Has anyone here bought them?
This is the one I was looking into It's the Mk II version

I'm still a bit confused as to how it works. My TV does have a HDMI port but it doesn't have a USB port. How do I keep it powered? It doesn't mention a power plug.

Can I be taxed for this in Dublin?

So if you've used them, what's it like? And what's a good alternative?

Torqay

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

I'm still a bit confused as to how it works. My TV does have a HDMI port but it doesn't have a USB port. How do I keep it powered? It doesn't mention a power plug.

It's powered through a micro USB port. If your TV doesn't have a USB port, you'll have to buy a USB power adapter separately.

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Can I be taxed for this in Dublin?

Yes.

You can buy them here as well. Although you're buying from a UK seller, they'll ship directly from China, see import details.

Or this one, with a faster dual core processor.

Peregrine

Torqay wrote: »

It's powered through a micro USB port. If your TV doesn't have a USB port, you'll have to buy a USB power adapter separately.



Yes.

You can buy them here as well. Although you're buying from a UK seller, they'll ship directly from China, see import details.

Or this one, with a faster dual core processor.

Thanks for replying Torqay

Ah but the older model seems to come with a power adaptor, so does the dual core version. I guess I'll just have to buy the power adaptor too, no big deal

How much would the VAT be? 21%?

I'm not interested in the dual core Cortex A9 one, it runs Jelly Bean and Jelly Bean doesn't support Flash player

Torqay

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

How much would the VAT be? 21%?

23%

And USB power adapter are cheap enough alright, just check the requirements.

Says, "Flash Supports flash 11.1"

M cebee

don't mean to hijack the thread
what wireless input device would you use with these for a wall mounted lcd?

and is it better to get these with wired network?

Peregrine

M cebee wrote: »

don't mean to hijack the thread
what wireless input device would you use with these for a wall mounted lcd?

and is it better to get these with wired network?

You can buy a mini keyboard with touchpad for them online. Normal ones wouldn't work cos they don't support the Android OS. There's a link to one below

Torqay wrote: »

23%

And USB power adapter are cheap enough alright, just check the requirements.

Says, "Flash Supports flash 11.1"

What's the maximum value they won't tax?
I'm thinking of just buying the Mini PC and the Input device separately now, around €40 and €20.
This one seems to have an adaptor but doesn't look like an Irish one. If it isn't, I'll just use my phone's charger until I buy a new one :rolleyes:

Torqay

Not a tax & customs expert. IIRC, if the sender can declare it as a gift, you might get away with it as long as the value is less than 45 yoyos.

Importing electronics such as computers are not liable for import duty but VAT will apply.

To be sure to be sure, check with customs and revenue.

Lenin Skynard

I got one of the ug802 type recently. didn't have to pay any customs/import on it as the sender had marked it as a gift with a value of €10.

As far as power supplies go, it's a micro-usb port so the charger for most smartphones will work fine on it.

the_syco

If your TV has a USB port, it probably won't give enough power to the device to power it, so you'll need one of the USB plugs, as mentioned by others above.

Some people in other threads have said that the Wii USB Ethernet adapter works with it better than other USB Ethernet adapters, so maybe look into that?

Peregrine

Torqay wrote: »

Not a tax & customs expert. IIRC, if the sender can declare it as a gift, you might get away with it as long as the value is less than 45 yoyos.

Importing electronics such as computers are not liable for import duty but VAT will apply.

To be sure to be sure, check with customs and revenue.

It's €40 and €15, I'll see if I can get them to mark it as a gift. I'll just pay the 8 quid if they do tax me

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

I got one of the ug802 type recently. didn't have to pay any customs/import on it as the sender had marked it as a gift with a value of €10.

As far as power supplies go, it's a micro-usb port so the charger for most smartphones will work fine on it.

What's it like to use? Does flash player work on it? Can you watch videos from just random websites while surfing?

the_syco wrote: »

If your TV has a USB port, it probably won't give enough power to the device to power it, so you'll need one of the USB plugs, as mentioned by others above.

Some people in other threads have said that the Wii USB Ethernet adapter works with it better than other USB Ethernet adapters, so maybe look into that?

Yeah. The seller is supplying a power adaptor..if it's a Chinese plug, I'll just use my Android charger and then buy a separate one on ebay

Mini PC
Input device

It's actually a bet that I can't turn my ordinary LCD tv into a smart TV with 60 quid :rolleyes:
It all fits into budget with an extra €5 for a MicroSD card

almighty1

Anybody know if Sky Go works on these devices?

Peregrine

almighty1 wrote: »

Anybody know if Sky Go works on these devices?

Sky Go has an Android app so theoretically it should work fine.

But the app rating is quite low to be honest but hey that's Sky's fault

Julius Seizure

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

I'm not interested in the dual core Cortex A9 one, it runs Jelly Bean and Jelly Bean doesn't support Flash player

Jellybean is buch better, as is a dual core version. I'd definately go for the most modern. Jellybean does run flash! Not supported means that they won't give you support and it won't be in the market but you can still install it and it still works fune. No root needed.

yoyo

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Sky Go has an Android app so theoretically it should work fine.

But the app rating is quite low to be honest but hey that's Sky's fault

I think the SkyGo only works on certain hardware, and won't work on rooted Android devices or Jailbroken ios devices

Nick

Peregrine

yoyo wrote: »

I think the SkyGo only works on certain hardware, and won't work on rooted Android devices or Jailbroken ios devices

Nick

Oh yeah, you're right

What are the handset requirements?
Sky Go is supported on the following Android smartphones running on 2.2, 2.3 & 4.0 operating systems: HTC Desire, HTC Desire S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XE, Google Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note.

Please note that if existing Sky Go users with OS versions 2.2, 2.3 or 4.0 choose to upgrade to v4.1 (Jelly Bean) they will not be able to stream content through the Sky Go app until the operating system can be fully supported.

They seem to support just a few popular handsets and most of them are outdated..odd

Dubhaltach wrote: »

Jellybean is much better, as is a dual core version. I'd definately go for the most modern. Jellybean does run flash! Not supported means that they won't give you support and it won't be in the market but you can still install it and it still works fune. No root needed.

Thanks, I looked into it and I think I'll go for the dual core Cortex A9 one, it's around €55

Lenin Skynard

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

What's it like to use? Does flash player work on it? Can you watch videos from just random websites while surfing?

Can't give you a definitive answer on that I'm afraid. It seems hit and miss, it definitely doesn't load every single video but then I might not have installed everything I should have, I mainly use it for Filmon and Netflix.

Peregrine

Grr back to square one
Decided to a dual core one
There's the Mk808 with Jelly Bean at €55
And the UG802 with ICS at €47

They seem to have reverted to MiniUSB in the Mk808

Will I just go for the Mk808 with Jelly Bean and the unconventional MiniUSB?

Ordering tonight, God it takes ages to deliver from China

Zascar

Are there any more advanced Adroid mini pc's - like a beefier version of the Raspberry Pi? Reason being, I have a projector in my room, currently hooked up to a laptop. Ideally I'd like a mini pc that has Wifi, and then use a wireless keyboard and mouse with it - no real need for any screen I just use the projector. Are there any that fit the bill for my requirements?

Peregrine

Zascar wrote: »

Are there any more advanced Adroid mini pc's - like a beefier version of the Raspberry Pi? Reason being, I have a projector in my room, currently hooked up to a laptop. Ideally I'd like a mini pc that has Wifi, and then use a wireless keyboard and mouse with it - no real need for any screen I just use the projector. Are there any that fit the bill for my requirements?

There are a few. What's your budget and does your projector have a HDMI port? Or VGA?

Zascar

Yeah I have hdmi. Budget will depend on what it does etc. Just looking at the MK802 II that has a little keboard and mouse/trackpad so that might do! Any others worth considering?

Peregrine

Zascar wrote: »

Yeah I have hdmi. Budget will depend on what it does etc. Just looking at the MK802 II that has a little keboard and mouse/trackpad so that might do! Any others worth considering?

Yeah you can buy mini keyboard with trackpad/touchpad/2.4Ghz pointer etc for around €20
Mk802 is an older version and it's not as advanced. I just had a quick 5 minute search and all the ones I saw have similar specs to the Mk808.
1.2Ghz(Max 1.6) Cortex A9 CPU, Mali 400 GPU, 1Gb RAM

Have a look. It's the one I'll be buying today

You can search Google for "Android TV" or something similar and you might find better ones

Torqay

Zascar wrote: »

Are there any more advanced Adroid mini pc's

You'll get a quad-core "USB Stick" PC from this Norwegian outfit, quite pricey, but you can run Android, Ubuntu or even virtualised Windows or Max OSX on it.

the_syco

Torqay wrote: »

You'll get a quad-core "USB Stick" PC from this Norwegian outfit, quite pricey, but you can run Android, Ubuntu or even virtualised Windows or Max OSX on it.

$200 (about $154) seems a bit steep when you can get this for $64

Cotten (your link):
ARM® Cortex™-A9@1.2GHz
1GB Memory

Android (my link):
Rockchip 3066 Android 4.0.4 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 (Rockchip is an ARM licensee)
1GB Memory

Probably go for the cheaper option myself.

M cebee

http://www.futeko.com/products/MP00041.php

i'll prob get one of these instead with ethernet

is it true that wi-fi isn't great on the smaller mini pc's?

Peregrine

M cebee wrote: »

is it true that wi-fi isn't great on the smaller mini pc's?

The Mk802 versions apparently had some issues with WiFi and overheating but reviews say both those issues were fixed in the Mk808(well it does have a hell of a lot more vents than the older ones :pac:)

Peregrine

Does anyone have any experience with geekbuying.com?
This is what I bought

They looked okay and had Paypal
7-15 business days

jArgHA

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Does anyone have any experience with geekbuying.com?
This is what I bought

They looked okay and had Paypal
7-15 business days

I bought an MK802+ from GeekBuying.com and it arrived a couple of days ago. It took 15 days to arrive.

I was getting a bit worried as the tracking website they provided looked really dodgy, I wasn't sure it was the real thing but it got here in the end. I emailed them a number of times as the tracking information provided wasn't working for me and they were pretty responsive (1 day reply) each time, although their english is pretty shabby. Happy in the end that it worked out as after ordering I thought I had been conned..

Peregrine

jArgHA wrote: »

I bought an MK802+ from GeekBuying.com and it arrived a couple of days ago. It took 15 days to arrive.

I was getting a bit worried as the tracking website they provided looked really dodgy, I wasn't sure it was the real thing but it got here in the end. I emailed them a number of times as the tracking information provided wasn't working for me and they were pretty responsive (1 day reply) each time, although their english is pretty shabby. Happy in the end that it worked out as after ordering I thought I had been conned..

My tracking seems to be working but it's been 2 days and it's still being processed, payment confirmed
Yeah response is okay too, e-mailed them one night about making sure the power adaptor is the UK/Irish standard and got a reply the next day

I'll see how long my delivery takes, 15 days too probably

almighty1

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Grr back to square one
Decided to a dual core one
There's the Mk808 with Jelly Bean at €55
And the UG802 with ICS at €47

They seem to have reverted to MiniUSB in the Mk808

Will I just go for the Mk808 with Jelly Bean and the unconventional MiniUSB?

Ordering tonight, God it takes ages to deliver from China

Do you have access to a Sky Go account. I would be very interested if Sky Go worked on these.

yoyo

almighty1 wrote: »

Do you have access to a Sky Go account. I would be very interested if Sky Go worked on these.

SkyGo won't work on these, only a select few devices support SkyGo, see here. Amazingly it still doesn't even support Android Jellybean, or rooted/jainbroken devices at all!

Nick

Peregrine

almighty1 wrote: »

Do you have access to a Sky Go account. I would be very interested if Sky Go worked on these.

yoyo wrote: »

SkyGo won't work on these, only a select few devices support SkyGo, see here. Amazingly it still doesn't even support Android Jellybean, or rooted/jainbroken devices at all!

Nick

I haven't got it yet but as Nick said, it shouldn't work
The Sky Go Android app only works on a select number of devices running Android 4.0 and below
Hopefully they'll cop on a bit and update their app for everyone and latest OS