OVERVIEW: MiiPC - Android Computer and Media Player for Only $ 99

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This story began at the end of last year, when flipping through new projects on Kickstarter, I came across a very entertaining project. Developers from the United States have promised to release a candy-bar-sized candy bar that can become a full-fledged home computer at a completely ridiculous price for those who will fund their fundraising campaign. The idea seemed interesting to me, and I decided to participate. The project successfully completed funding in May 2013, and the monoblocks were promised to ship in August. True, the team shifted the terms of development and production twice. As a result, at the end of October, the parcel crossed the border of the States, and in November arrived at my place in Ukraine. What is a $ 99 computer and why should you buy one for yourself?

Unpacking

Everything arrived by ordinary Ukrposhta (it's like the Russian Post, only in Ukraine, so sending goods in this way usually causes shock and awe; but no, everything worked out: the packaging was intact, there were no signs of opening or attempts to get the gadget from the sealed and sealed box) … The declared cost, by the way, is $ 50 (apparently, to save on the duty:)). True, for delivery outside the United States, I had to pay $ 15 to the principal amount, but these costs paid off (I'll tell you why later).

The package from the USA arrived in 4 days from the moment of shipment at the warehouse in Chicago, I think it is very fast. In a brown cardboard box in a dense dark gray material, similar to foam rubber, there was a candy bar itself, a power cable with an American plug, a power supply, instructions, a few stickers - and nothing else.

What is inside

The case of this mini-computer is made of plastic: you can order several colors, but I chose black as the most versatile one. All ports are located on the rear panel: 1 x HDMI, 3 x USB, 1 port for microphone and headphone. On the front there is a slot for various types of SD memory cards. The power button is touch-sensitive. Inside there is a built-in Bluetooth and WiFi module. When you turn it on for the first time, the green backlight of the case also lights up (which, if desired, can be turned off in the settings).

The main thing about MiiPC

First, a small demo video:

The main feature of the device is the ability of parents to set up access and the level of safety for children, as well as control which sites, services, games and applications your child launches while you are not at home. 4GB fixed memory, 1GHz dual-core processor and Android operating system with support for multiple usernames. From the very beginning, I bought this indie gadget not as a replacement for a PC, but as an excellent modern media player for a record low price. Therefore, my entire further story and field tests are built around this functionality: to play streaming video / audio broadcasts, online radio, as well as video and audio files in various formats.

How it works

After the first turn on, the software shell offers us to turn on parental control, set up some accounts and other nonsense. I ignore all this (and recommend it to you) - and run classic Android 4.2. Everything here is like on a regular phone or tablet with a "green robot" inside.

To work with media files and various streaming services, we need applications. You can install them from your own dedicated store (Google Play is not here, although Google's music client is available for installation). You don't need to create an account here. I chose free players and a couple of aggregators for online radio stations. But you can even install a full-fledged office suite, different text and code editors - if you wish, use this candy bar as a budget desktop computer.

Now let's take a look at the settings: here, too, something needs to be adjusted. In particular, translate the system into Russian, turn on Bluetooth and connect all the necessary devices (keyboard and mouse) through it, as well as find a home wireless network. Now everything is ready, you can start field testing.

Testing the media player

Files in HD and FullHD quality are played without problems. For playback, you can use either the device's own player (but it may not have enough codecs, so it is better to use one of the available players from the Android application store). Even the connected 1TB external hard drive (with an external power supply unit of its own) was detected correctly and did not cause any malfunctions. The MiiPC has its own media server (although it needs to be configured separately and when turned off, it can reset the settings, so next time you have to start all over again), but the files can be viewed and selected in a shell reminiscent of Explorer in Windows.

Let's summarize

For $ 99 + shipping, the MiiPC is a good solution for anyone looking to purchase a modern, low-cost media center and connect external hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards to it. The only drawback, in my opinion, is the rear-facing ports and only 1 HDMI connector. But as a one-stop budget solution for playing music, videos and listening to radio stations / watching video podcasts, the MiiPC suits absolutely everyone.