Android Mini PC review - Android 4.0 smart computer

Aug. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- What is Android 4.0 Mini PC?
Mini PC Android 4.0 is the smallest computer ever sold to consumers. It run Google's full Ice Cream Sandwich operating system on any screen you attach it to, making it a tempting set-top box, an inexpensive second computer for the kids or a super-portable PC that fits in even the smallest pocket.

Android 4.0 is a Mni Personal Computer made by Android on July 13.  It is called Android 4.0 or Android MK802. It can support special versions of Linux as well.  Linaro will be ported to this and one of the first devices this size to support it.  We have plans to run XBMC shortly.  (More information to come regarding Linaro and XBMC).  These can be installed using the microSD card slot that supports up to 64GB.  Also has full HDMI port (not mini) for direct connection to TV or monitor.  Android 4.0 Mini PC also has built-in MIC and external port for MIC for audio.  Power is by miniUSB port.  No A/C plug required.

How to Setup Mini PC Andriod 4.0
The Android 4.0 Mini PC comes ready to go out of the box. To get started, you first use the bundled mini HDMI-to-HDMI cable to connect to a TV or monitor. If your monitor does not have an HDMI port you can always buy an HDMI-to-DVI adapter. Just make sure you configure your screen's input settings to accept YPbPr color instead of RGB or you may get weird colors.

Click to EnlargeAfter connecting to the monitor, you must attach some kind of input device, preferably both a mouse and a keyboard or a keyboard that has a touchpad built-in. Since there's only one available USB port, you'll want to either attach a hub, a keyboard with a pass-through or a wireless keyboard/mouse set that uses a single dongle. Buy Android 4.0 on: http://r4town.com/products/Mini-PC-Android-4.0.html

Those who plan to use the Mini PC primarily as a set-top box may prefer a palm-size keyboard remote such as the Logitech DiNovo Mini or Visiontek Candy Board. In our testing, we used a Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim keyboard/mouse combo.

To power on the Android 4.0 Mini PC, you must attach its mini USB port to a USB power source. You can use the bundled mini USB-to-USB cable to plug into either a powered port on another device, such as a hub, or you can get your own USB-to-AC adapter, as none is included.

Because the Android 4.0 Mini PC has no power switch, the moment you plug it in it boots to Ice Cream Sandwich, a process that took 1 minute and 7 seconds. That's reasonable for an Android start time, but hoped for better. When we started the device for the first time, it booted directly to the standard Ice Cream Sandwich desktop. Only when we wanted to use Gmail or Google Play market were we asked to enter our Google account credentials.

However, before you do anything else, you'll want to go to the settings menu and configure your Wi-Fi connection, as the internal 802.11b/g/n wireless card provides the Mini PC's connection to the Internet.

Mini PC Android 4.0 Shutdown and Sleep
Though the Android 4.0 Mini PC can go to sleep and dim your screen, it has no shutdown option because it has no power button. By using a third-party app called Quick Boot, we were able to restart the system without yanking the plug. Quick Boot also has a Power Off option, but it doesn't actually turn the power off; it just freezes the screen until you pull the plug.

Android 4.0 Mini PC OS and Software
Click to EnlargeAs its name implies, the Android 4.0 Mini PC runs a stock version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Its makers have not added any kind of skins or enhancements to Google's OS, but that's just fine with us. Users unfamiliar with Ice Cream Sandwich will be particularly pleased with the recent apps menu button, which not only shows you thumbnails of all open apps, but lets you close them by dragging them off to the side.

In addition to some key Google apps (Gmail, YouTube and the Google Play market), the system has a file manager, stock browser, music player, and HD video player. Considering that the Mini PC has access to the Play Market, we were able to download and install a variety of apps, including system benchmarks, screen-shot apps, games and more.

OEM Systems Co. only includes a handful of additional apps, including "Angry Birds Space" and a few Chinese apps that Western buyers probably won't use: video-streaming service PPTP, QQ instant messaging app and PPS.tv, another video service.

Android  Mini PC Controls and Navigation
Because we're used to navigating through Android via touch, controlling the Mini PC via mouse and keyboard didn't feel natural at first. But after using the device for a few minutes, we understood that, in order to long-press an item, we had to long-click it with the mouse. To swipe, you hold down the mouse button and move the pointer. Because the right mouse button takes you back to the home screen, we found ourselves accidentally ending up back at the desktop when we clicked it, expecting to get a context menu like we do in Windows.

Users can type using the mouse alone, but we found the experience slow and frustrating. Stick with a physical keyboard.

Because the device does not have power or volume buttons, taking screen shots was also a challenge. Fortunately, after installing third-party screen shot app KastorSoft, we were able to capture images.

Any app that requires an accelerometer will not work properly. For example, when we tried to play the Jet Ski racing game "Riptide," we were unable to turn. By default, the game requires you to tilt your phone or tablet in change positions. However, changing a setting in that particular game allows you to use a compatible controller, if you have one.

Mini PC Android Storage and Peripheral Support
Through its USB connection, the Android 4.0 Mini PC supports wireless keyboards, mice and USB flash drives. Most USB hard drives should work, too, though a USB 3.0 Buffalo Hard drive was not recognized when we plugged it in. Android-friendly game controllers should work as well, but we're not aware of any external webcams that work with Android. When plugged in a Creative Labs webcam, the system failed to recognize it.

Multimedia Playback of Android 4.0 Mini PC
Click to EnlargeThe Android 4.0 Mini PC and its AllWinner A10 CPU are supposed to be capable of displaying content in resolutions up to 2160p, well higher than full HD. Unfortunately, due to a software or driver error, the Mini PC displayed the OS at only 720p resolution. When we attached the device to two different 1080p televisions and a 1680 x 1050 monitor, it outputted at 1280 x 720, not the screens' native resolutions. A rep from OEM Systems told us that they are working on a software fix to allow higher resolutions.

Fortunately, the 720p resolution desktop still looked sharp even on a 50-plus-inch Samsung TV. Considering that most Android apps aren't written for 1080p or higher resolutions, we doubt most users will notice the difference.

The Android 4.0 Mini PC is definitely good enough to serve as your media server. When we played 720p YouTube videos of "The Avengers" and "Prometheus" trailers, motion was sharp and smooth. Performance was limited only by our office bandwidth. After installing the Netflix app, we streamed the movie "Thor" smoothly. When we played a 1080p local MP4 video trailer for "Skyfall," the image was crystal clear and subtle details such as Daniel Craig's eyes really popped.