Android 4.0 MK802 Mini Computer

Application: Micro Computing

Function: Apps, media player, Smart TV, Linux, Android
Rating:****
Price: $75.00

If your a regular fan of my blog you know that I don't write much about  hardware.  The site is primarily dedicated to Marine Apps.  In this case I could not help myself. This little device has captured my attention and imagination.  The Android 4.0 MK802 is a tiny computer that fits in the palm of your hand.  It is a little larger than a USB memory stick but it also has a processor, RAM, storage and I/O ports which makes it a mini computer.

The device is designed to run Android 4.0 on a AllWinner A10 1.0 GHz processor. It also has 512Mb or 1 GB RAM and an optional 4 or 8 GB of solid state memory. The AllWinner A10 processor is used in many lower priced tablet that are presently on the market so it does a fair job running the operating system. It is not a speed demon but it can be used to check email, surf the web, play some games and play music and video files in 1080P.

To use the device you will need to connect it to some kind of monitor or TV, keyboard and mouse.  The unit comes with several options to make these connections.  This model has a micro HDMI for connecting it to your monitor. A micro USB is provided to provide power to the unit.  A full size USB is provided for connecting additional storage, keyboard and mouse. A microSD card slot will also let you provide additional storage up to 32GB.

The device has WiFi capability which will allow you to connect to the Internet or wirelessly to your onboard network NEMA server.

Specifications:

•  OS - Android 4.0
•  Main Chip - Allwinner A10/ 1GHz Cortex-A8
•  Memory - 1GB
•  Storage - 4GB
•  Graphical processor - 2D/ 3D/ OpenGL ES2.0(AMD Z430)/OpenVG1.1(AMD Z160) 27M   Tri/sec
•  Network - Wireless 802.11b/g/n, WAPI(Ralink8188)
•  Expand Memory - Micro TF 2-32GB
•  IO/Ports - Micro 5pin USB/ USB2.0 data transfer/ OTG and host expand
•  Keyboard - Support virtual keyboard,support 2.4G wireless keyboard, fly mouse
•  Audio - AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
•  Video - WMV/ASF/MP4/3GP/3G2M4V/AVI/MJPEG/RV10/DivX/VC-1/MPEG-2/MPEG- 4/H.263/H.264/1280*720P HD 30 fps, 1080P/720*480 D1 30fps
• Android APP - Youku, Tudou, QQ, Youtube, Twitter, AngryBird, Office, Gmail, Browse, Skype.
• HDMI - 1080P&2160P
• Power Input - 5V2A
• Size - 8.8*3.5*1.2cm
• Weight - 0.2kg

Features:

• Support the latest HTML5, Flash10.3, etc.
• Netflix, Angry Bird, Gmail, YouTube and more
• HDMI output port, support Full HD 1080P/2160P.
• USB2.0 Host high speed data interface and T-Flash card slot.
• Support install applications & games, will bring you best entertainment.
• Can connect wireless mouse, keyboard, etc.

The device primarily runs the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich version. Hackers and modders are already providing customized Android version to give the device better performance.

The processor is capable of running the Linux operating system also. There are alot of resources out there of people already running Linux on these devices. The Linux image simply has to be copied to the removable microSD card and then inserted into the device prior to powering it up.

To revert back to Android, simply unplug the device, remove the SD card and power it back up with the Android operating system.

My little mind started working overtime to come up with uses for this device onboard our boats.  We are all looking for low power consumption computers for use onboard. The less battery power we use means less charging needed from generators and alternators. This little computer operates on 5 volts and draws only 2 amps. The largest power draw will be from your monitor or big screen TV.

There are several great charting apps that will run on Android. Getting GPS to the device could come from a USB GPS or through a TCP/IP NMEA link over WiFi.

The addition of this device to any TV instantly gives you a smart TV capable of connecting to the Internet, downloading or streaming music and movies, books and much more.

I am familiar with many Android apps that are being use on mobile phones and Android tablets. All these apps can now be used on this device over a big screen TV or monitor.  The versatility to boot up with Linux gives you another full blow operating system with OpenOffice for word processing and spreadsheet applications and many other Linux programs.

Most of these devices are made in China. Once one company puts out a device others seem to copy it and put it out under their own name. Zero Device is another company that has their own version called Z802 and their newer Z902 models.  FXI Technologies has the Cotton Candy USB Stick. You can see and purchase them all at Allied Express.  Amazon.com has many of these devices for sale also.

Well, if you want to experiment or like to tinker a little like me, pick one up and let me know how you plan to use it.  I see this as a whole new developing area of computing. I am sure future versions will have bigger and faster processors and more features.  Did I mention that it was only $75.00, I might buy two!

If that is too expensive you can buy a Rasberry Pi for $25-$35 bucks.

Sail On
Mark