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Author Topic: Android on a stick for $79  (Read 12554 times)

Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #75 on: July 09, 2012, 11:14:49 PM »
Quote from: exodus on July 09, 2012, 10:12:44 PM
In terms of cpu, gpu, and ram what is the different between the this and that model?
Nothing.  They're basically the same thing but the "oval elephant" version didn't cut incredibly assininely stupid corners like the mk802 makers did.  i.e. same SoC(CPU/GPU/etc.), 1G RAM, 4G storage... i.e. all same  go check out the link, I think I put up there in my lengthily edited post from today or maybe one of the earlier ones.

Linux will boot on it, because well it's the same hw as most of these allwinner devices/hardware and by default they prioritize boot to the uSD card slot.

I just went ahead and pre-ordered one, so if I'm lucky in the lottery I could have that one next Sat/Mon.

Might not sell the mk802 because I'd hate to sell it to someone clueless and have them end up frying an hdmi port or the board(mk802) and blaming me/not getting support from whomever makes the thing and pestering me, etc.

[EDIT]
Sad that  the box and al isn't even really heavy enough to be used as a paperweight...
[/EDIT]
« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 11:20:58 PM by cutterjohn »
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Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #76 on: July 10, 2012, 12:04:01 AM »
Just to do another update wrt something I found about the "oval elephant", I've been reading through a thread(GOD! This mk802 has just wasted my day) on xbmc:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=134056&pid=1142692#pid1142692
If it does a single message click on the thread title to see the full page view... anyways looks like they MIGHT be doing another shift on the oval elephant now, it's not really clear but the message was recent couple days ago... adding IR, bluetooth, and some other goodies.

It's not clear to me if the current "oval elephant" will be the same as the one that he's apparently referencing with the extra goodies or not... (I suppose that I should create an account there so that I can ask them to clarify things wrt their "oval elephant" project and currently listed products for pre-order...) i.e. you guys MIGHT want to wait to order.

Also the ESD clamps apparently have pads for them to be soldered on the boards which you can apparently do.  I haven't confirmed this yet and the few posts that I've read didn't either, just suggested as they were there and it was a possibility.  Not sure if there's a pad for AXP209.

Also from the oval elephant guy, found out the the mk802 is what he termed an "open project" thing with TONS of different "factories" making those devices, citing that as a reason for it being difficult to get the mk802 design changed to include the ESD clamps and AXP209 as even if some factories do, he claims that there's no guarantee that his supply would be exclusively from those companies that corrected the board whic sounds like what led to his project "oval elephant" product. (Basically slightly larger, FULL HDMI port, o.w. identical spec to mk802 plus sounds like a few extra things, e.g. maybe the pins of an internal USB connection, etc. i.e. this IS a more expensive board to make than what the mk802s are using.)

I also decided to order their backlit lenovo wireless kb with it... seems to be a steal($~$25) where it was ~$54 from one place on amazon, ~$63 ebay, etc. and their uSD bundle prices were pretty decent(i.e. not gouging the hell out of you), although they didn't include class spec or "make" so YMMV.

Alrighty. That's it.  I'm done with this for a while, and it managed to waste my day tracking down things about this so I'm off to have some fun...

Oh, about the HDMI ESD, it can be somewhat mitigate IF you don't do things like connect/disconnect USB/HDMI while the mk802 is powered up.  The lack of power regulation just isn't fixable unless you can add it and they left the empty pad in the PCB for it, of course as mentioned above it sounds as though you can do that for the ESD clamping if you like soldering, have equipment, have friend to do it, etc. (Just easier for me to replace it with a better designed product.)
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Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #77 on: July 10, 2012, 06:21:24 AM »
OK, so "fun" was not so "fun" on a monday night, but I let the miniland v3 lubuntu image burn while I was out and successfully booted it...

Also use the dumb TVs settings to adjust H/V size and have both android and Ubuntu image fitting...

Temps running lubuntu felt MUCH lower for a similar set of operations, browser test, wifi, benching(whatever the installed bench suite with that lubuntu image was, never saw it before), etc.

Played some youtube (totalbiscuit terraria with that incredible imbecile jessie cox) in the ICS boot which looked good on the TV. ICS does run warmer than lubuntu, possibly because of GPU/VPU usage... (so if the mali-400 and vpu ever get linux drivers it'll likely run hotter under that as well...)

lubuntu /proc/cpuinfo indicated 1GHz(roughly) proc speed.  TV/mk802 ports haven't blown up yet, but I'm mnot holding my breath there as it will happen at some point.

Lack of axp209 equals likely no overclock and possibly flakey operation even at speced 1GHz and even lower possibly depending upon the "quality" of the soc and other components.

So, I've got a "fully" functional mk802, anyone in the US who thinks that they might like it knowing how it comes and/or can add the missing components(which may or may not work dependent upon PCB design and leftover pads) I'll ship it for $70 (USD) in the US, not including alaska, hawaii, and random territories and possessions(e.g. Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.)

Back to thinking about the "open project" thing, the housing probably doesn't mean much as one company probably actually builds the PCBs and populates while they may or may not also supply the generic plastic housings and other materials which the various "factories" "theme".  I'd bet fairly highly that there is a single source of the PCBs and possibly the other "pieces" which sells to the "factories".
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Offline qbertaddict

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #78 on: July 10, 2012, 08:17:12 AM »
I just got mine today and enjoyed it. Im not interested in running ubuntu on it. I am just using it for a mini emulation station on the tv. The inclusion of the otg cable and mini hdmi was a nice touch. One thing that bugs me is that there is no shutdown option you just pull the plug. One thing I do like is that on the box. They actually state that they get the 1.5ghz specs by adding the 1ghz + 500 mhz cpu. I will be playing with it more today and do a review for my channel. I need to find a gamepad that works. I cant get my xbox 360 controller (wired and wireless) going.
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Offline skelton

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #79 on: July 10, 2012, 08:53:00 AM »
qbertaddict, the xbox 360 pad gives some problems with android. Maybe you can try with this app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.poke64738.usbjoy&hl=es
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Offline qbertaddict

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #80 on: July 10, 2012, 10:50:16 AM »
Quote from: skelton on July 10, 2012, 08:53:00 AM
qbertaddict, the xbox 360 pad gives some problems with android. Maybe you can try with this app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.poke64738.usbjoy&hl=es

Genius just purchased will try it when I get home. Thanks so much

Edit: Doesnt work it is very picky about which joysticks it uses. Time to go back to the ydpg18a and tvout :)
« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 09:28:37 PM by qbertaddict »
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Offline exodus

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #81 on: July 10, 2012, 05:18:59 PM »
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189224

Will this type of device help protect against ESD for the TV port?

Mini Display port to HDMI cable Adapter - It says it has the ESD protection built into it.
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Offline ruffnutts

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #82 on: July 10, 2012, 06:39:06 PM »
Looking forwad to messing with it  :)
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Offline exodus

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #83 on: July 10, 2012, 07:12:36 PM »
My tracking says it passed through customs LA, CA on 07/07.  Was posted on June 30. So going on 10 days.

Was thinking that these devices are like those TV box's.  Why did these get so much attension? Like the Mini X TV Box, Mele A1000 seems like it would be better because it is seperate.
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Offline qbertaddict

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #84 on: July 10, 2012, 09:27:23 PM »
Well it was cool for a while until I tried to play any games. There is tons of jitters on all emulators and regular games. I am very disappointed with it. Maybe someone will be able to do something with it. Scrolling sucks it is the same with my tablet that is a alwinner a10 as well. I should have known. Anyone want to buy one?
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Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #85 on: July 10, 2012, 09:39:44 PM »
Quote from: exodus on July 10, 2012, 05:18:59 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189224

Will this type of device help protect against ESD for the TV port?

Mini Display port to HDMI cable Adapter - It says it has the ESD protection built into it.
Probably if it actually works as advertised.  You'll still be stuck w/o power regulation unless you add the axp209 yourself though.

Oval Elephant device(need to track down who actually makes it as I could've sworn that I'd seen a similar one on DX or somewhere before in June or May....) updated me.  That nifty N9502 Lenovo backlit optical mouse wireless keyboard they have for a bundle well SURPRISE their supplier LIED to them and it turned out to be the utterly crap N9501 lenovo kb(trackball, non-backlit user disapproved) so they offered to delete it from the order or offered a not quite so nice but backlit keyboard from your usual china supplier.
http://www.ipazzport.com/10a.html

I decided to try that as whatever I get I want to have it backlit and don't really want to spend $50+ for the N9502 which is the price range that I've seen for it on Amazon(non-direct) and ebay in a quick search.  I guess that some deals ARE too good to actually be true unfortunately as $25 was a bargain for it.

power/ESD: doesn't have anything at all to do with the OS that you're running.  This is a hardware design defect at a VERY low level that no software will ever "fix".  The ESD can be mitigated by adding clamp or trying a cable as above which should protect the TV at least but not the mk802 w/o clamps.

Power regulation: Be happy if you get stable 1GHz as you'll probably not get anything above that, i.e. no OC, and if it's not stable @ 1GHz(mine seems to be ATM) you'd want to scale it back down, i.e. underclock it.  This seems to be fixable by adding an axp209 to the board as the pads are still there, just unpopulated.

I wonder who the TRUE parent company of this device is as it seems that all the so-called factories are little more than assembly shops getting supplied with the case and PCB(fw too I'd imagine like a lego kit for hw) from some other company who also supplies many more assembly shops as I've found at least 3 different brandings of the same hw w/same plastic case but different "branding" marks, e.g. Z802 (only one I recall offhand as it was so similarly named).

D'oh I forgot to go through the boot logs to check what flash chip was IDed when it booted, as a way to check which if the PCB variants I have as I'm kind of inclined to believe that the plastic casing is not such a reliable indicator.  (Plastic case might even come from a second company, i.e. not same as the PCB manufacturer.)

Side note: camera came today around lunchtime but I didn't get much of chance to use it as the batt was pretty low after a few test shots and it takes FOREVER to charge, and oh yeah, it has this crappy proprietary connector that looks like a cross between a uUSB port and a miniUSB port and adding insult to injury the charge/data cord is about 18" long, talk about almost unuseably short....
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Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #86 on: July 10, 2012, 09:49:01 PM »
@qb
Did yours have the vent holes and case port markings on it?  (Should be 2 rows of 5 holes on the "bottom" side towards the edge beneath the mini HDMI port...)  IF it did yours MIGHT be one of the newer batches with possibly ESD clamping fix at least already done...
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Offline ruffnutts

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #87 on: July 10, 2012, 10:15:44 PM »
That don't sound to good Qbert I have a z802 and mk802... well one at the mo as the mk802 is in the post the others at work...
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Offline exodus

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #88 on: July 10, 2012, 11:02:23 PM »
Quote from: qbertaddict on July 10, 2012, 09:27:23 PM
Well it was cool for a while until I tried to play any games. There is tons of jitters on all emulators and regular games. I am very disappointed with it. Maybe someone will be able to do something with it. Scrolling sucks it is the same with my tablet that is a alwinner a10 as well. I should have known. Anyone want to buy one?

That is wierd the A10 AllWinner is better (faster) then the AmLogic and my s601 can emulate just fine.  Have you tried to install setcpu to make it stable cpu speeds?
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Offline cutterjohn

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Re: Android on a stick for $79
« Reply #89 on: July 10, 2012, 11:03:15 PM »
Have you guys seen this one?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console
Just came across it on engadget... nice idea, but ICS is going to be moldy-oldy next march, and I wonder IF they really can deliver the source...

Tegra 3 will likely also be moldy oldy by next March... should've waited for some of the -A15s to start popping up, but who knows maybe they'll change if they start showing up before they get to close to final production runs...

Didn't miss much... the 1st 1000 were $95 v. $99 (big deal...)... sounds interesting though, but I think that I'm going to wait and see on that one
« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 11:06:24 PM by cutterjohn »
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