MK 809III Android Mini PC: a computer in your pocket
Android OS has confidently captured the market of smartphones and tablets, next in line are ATMs, teapots and toilets, car navigators, all-in-one computers, digital cameras, and TVs. However, if there is a desire, you can get Android on the monitor / TV right now: recently, Chinese craftsmen got the hang of releasing Android mini-computers, which are not much larger than USB flash drives and are mostly oriented to work together with a TV. On Amazon or Ali Express such models are a wagon and a small trolley, and prices start at $ 30. Natural curiosity got the better of the toad living in each of us, and I decided to order such a joke to check in. Immediately, I note that I have a LG47LM669S TV with a completely sane firmware, which can play many formats, and the TV is always connected to a powerful computer from which we are watching a movie, so the USB stick was ordered out of curiosity.
Check, so check, so I chose the most advanced model, the MK 809III - based on a quad-core processor and running Android 4.2. Judging by the offers of online stores, mainly Rockchip processors are used in such mini-PCs. In my case, this is the Rockchip RK3188, the cheaper options are equipped with the Rockchip RK3066 dual-core processor. By the way, observing such a “diversity”, the conclusion suggests itself that all “USB sticks” are clones of a reference mobile device developed by Rockchip itself.
')
However, quite preludes, let's turn our gaze to the device itself.
I opened the box and ... The first thought - and yet it is big! Indeed, comparing the MK 809III with a regular USB flash drive (I'm not talking about carriers made using COB technology) is the same as comparing a glass and a decanter. MK 809III is about four times the size of a regular flash drive. Perhaps in a few years the dimensions of such mini-computers really compare with the dimensions of flash drives, but for now we have what we have. However, this does not mean that the device can not be carried in your pocket. I just expected something ... less.
But the device is assembled on the conscience: the two halves of the case are just perfectly fitted to each other. And I liked the “checkered decoration” too: it was cheerful, tenacious, and besides, there were absolutely no fingerprints left. The back panel of the device has holes. Apparently, for cooling.
There are only four connectors on the case. The most important is HDMI, through which the MK 809III “fits in” with a monitor, TV or other display device. Three other sockets - USB (more precisely, one full-size USB and two micro-USB). They are used to connect peripherals (mouse / keyboard) and drives. Next to one of the micro-USB is a slot for microSD cards.
A huge ergonomic miscalculation of the device is the absence of a hardware power button (it is also easy to turn off the OS itself). The only button in the device is on its side and is recessed into the body so that it can only be pressed with a paper clip (in the photo below it is circled in red). The assignment of this key was never determined: the computer did not react to pressing, whether single or long.
The MK 809III comes in a fairly large box, where in addition to the computer itself, you can find a USB-micro-USB cable and a power plug, an HDMI extension cable (useful if you have difficulty connecting the computer to the TV due to the dense layout of the connectors of the latter) and the micro-adapter USB-USB for, for example, connecting the drive.
The kit has a very brief instruction, but there is exactly zero to it: half of the 22 pages are in Chinese, only some of the software functions are described, the screenshots are too dark to make out anything about them.
And one more thing: due to the fact that the instruction does not explain the design features of the mini-PC, the latter had to be studied using the scientific method. For example, the power must be supplied through the micro-USB port located at the end of the case, and not on the side.
As mentioned above, the hardware basis of the MK 809III is the SoC Rockchip RK3188, which is manufactured using the 28-nanometer process technology and includes a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and a quad-core GPU Mali-400 MP (533 MHz). The maximum processor frequency is 1.8 GHz, but in the case of the MK 809III it is 1.6 GHz. I note that at the moment this platform is one of the most productive in the average price range.
What else is included in the MK 809III? 2 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal flash memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters.
Even when I looked at the characteristics of the mini-PC before the purchase, there was a feeling that the manufacturer (in this case, Rockchip itself) took and slipped into the MK 809III the trimmed motherboard from the tablet with the wired periphery. This guess was confirmed when working with the device: now and then Android asked to “do something with the tablet”. For example, when you press the virtual shutdown button, the system asks the characteristic question - "Turn off the tablet or not?".
shutdown
On the other hand, one cannot say that the developers did not make at least a minimal adaptation of the software part due to the specifics of using a mini-PC.
MK 809III runs on Android 4.2.2. There are no add-ons over the interface - the user gets a naked Android with several pre-installed applications whose names speak for themselves: eHomeMediaCenter, Explorer, Apkinstaller. This is correct: the device provides access to Google Play, where you can download everything you need.
I quickly got used to controlling the Android mouse, but the lack of a touch screen deprives many of the charms. For example, in games you will not play any more. Although I did manage to go through one level of Angry Birds.
I drove the MK 809III in all popular benchmarks, let the screenshots of the test results speak for themselves.
For comparison, in AnTuTu my Nexus 7 on the NVIDIA Tegra 3 platform barely gains twelve and a half thousand parrots, and the result in the Quadrant is 3380 points. So with performance at Rockchip RK3188, everything is more than good.
You should also tell about how well the MK 809III handles video files of different formats and resolutions. To do this, I installed two of the most popular video players from Google Play - BS Player and MX Player. They are also installed on my tablet (although in 99% of the cases I get around with the free BS Player version). In case the file was not played by one player, I used another. The results are as follows: somewhere from 60 files it was impossible to view only one with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. All the rest, regardless of the codec, bit rate and resolution, were played with a bang.
Surely many people are concerned about the question of how compatible the MK 809III is with storage devices and peripherals. So - compatible great. The device correctly recognized the three wired mice and the Logitech K520 radio kit. The latter is especially nice: hung up on one port and a mouse, and a keyboard, and the second remains free to connect the drives.
Speaking of drives. The MK 809III quietly recognized an Apacer 500GB external hard drive with USB 2.0 interface, an external 1TB HDD Silicon Power with USB 3.0 interface, and a whole bunch of USB flash drives of various sizes with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 interfaces. In short, no problems with connecting drives and peripherals - and for a device that can replace the HTPC, this is extremely important.
It seems to me that devices like the MK 809III are still too narrowly specialized. They are not able to replace the desktop computer, and besides, if you don’t have a touchscreen at hand, you’ll not be able to feel all the delights of the Android OS. Neither do you want to play evil birds, but to drive in Real Racing.
So who could benefit from such devices? It seems to me that the MK 809III is still a good alternative to the HTPC, a much more compact (in my case “flat box” behind the TV is not even visible) and powerful enough to play any movies from any media. Mini-PC can also be useful for owners of “older” TVs that have enough HDMI video inputs, but the functionality of the firmware is lame. As practice shows, such TV is more than enough. The built-in media player is not omnivorous in them, and there may be problems with connecting the drives. In this case, the MK 809III is a good option for expanding the functionality, and also quite affordable.
Another category of people who may be interested in mini-PCs on Android are vacationers. Mini-PC is not a heavy burden, but at the same time in a hotel or hotel, it will allow you to easily watch an interesting movie on the TV in the room.
As for the MK 809III, I liked the device. It is quite functional and moderately compact, the performance is excellent at all, and the price does not bite much. And if I often went on vacation or at least was the owner of an old TV, I would certainly actively use the device.
Check, so check, so I chose the most advanced model, the MK 809III - based on a quad-core processor and running Android 4.2. Judging by the offers of online stores, mainly Rockchip processors are used in such mini-PCs. In my case, this is the Rockchip RK3188, the cheaper options are equipped with the Rockchip RK3066 dual-core processor. By the way, observing such a “diversity”, the conclusion suggests itself that all “USB sticks” are clones of a reference mobile device developed by Rockchip itself.
')
However, quite preludes, let's turn our gaze to the device itself.
Appearance
I opened the box and ... The first thought - and yet it is big! Indeed, comparing the MK 809III with a regular USB flash drive (I'm not talking about carriers made using COB technology) is the same as comparing a glass and a decanter. MK 809III is about four times the size of a regular flash drive. Perhaps in a few years the dimensions of such mini-computers really compare with the dimensions of flash drives, but for now we have what we have. However, this does not mean that the device can not be carried in your pocket. I just expected something ... less.
But the device is assembled on the conscience: the two halves of the case are just perfectly fitted to each other. And I liked the “checkered decoration” too: it was cheerful, tenacious, and besides, there were absolutely no fingerprints left. The back panel of the device has holes. Apparently, for cooling.
There are only four connectors on the case. The most important is HDMI, through which the MK 809III “fits in” with a monitor, TV or other display device. Three other sockets - USB (more precisely, one full-size USB and two micro-USB). They are used to connect peripherals (mouse / keyboard) and drives. Next to one of the micro-USB is a slot for microSD cards.
A huge ergonomic miscalculation of the device is the absence of a hardware power button (it is also easy to turn off the OS itself). The only button in the device is on its side and is recessed into the body so that it can only be pressed with a paper clip (in the photo below it is circled in red). The assignment of this key was never determined: the computer did not react to pressing, whether single or long.
Completeness
The MK 809III comes in a fairly large box, where in addition to the computer itself, you can find a USB-micro-USB cable and a power plug, an HDMI extension cable (useful if you have difficulty connecting the computer to the TV due to the dense layout of the connectors of the latter) and the micro-adapter USB-USB for, for example, connecting the drive.
The kit has a very brief instruction, but there is exactly zero to it: half of the 22 pages are in Chinese, only some of the software functions are described, the screenshots are too dark to make out anything about them.
And one more thing: due to the fact that the instruction does not explain the design features of the mini-PC, the latter had to be studied using the scientific method. For example, the power must be supplied through the micro-USB port located at the end of the case, and not on the side.
Interior
As mentioned above, the hardware basis of the MK 809III is the SoC Rockchip RK3188, which is manufactured using the 28-nanometer process technology and includes a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and a quad-core GPU Mali-400 MP (533 MHz). The maximum processor frequency is 1.8 GHz, but in the case of the MK 809III it is 1.6 GHz. I note that at the moment this platform is one of the most productive in the average price range.
What else is included in the MK 809III? 2 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal flash memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters.
Even when I looked at the characteristics of the mini-PC before the purchase, there was a feeling that the manufacturer (in this case, Rockchip itself) took and slipped into the MK 809III the trimmed motherboard from the tablet with the wired periphery. This guess was confirmed when working with the device: now and then Android asked to “do something with the tablet”. For example, when you press the virtual shutdown button, the system asks the characteristic question - "Turn off the tablet or not?".
shutdown
On the other hand, one cannot say that the developers did not make at least a minimal adaptation of the software part due to the specifics of using a mini-PC.
Software
MK 809III runs on Android 4.2.2. There are no add-ons over the interface - the user gets a naked Android with several pre-installed applications whose names speak for themselves: eHomeMediaCenter, Explorer, Apkinstaller. This is correct: the device provides access to Google Play, where you can download everything you need.
I quickly got used to controlling the Android mouse, but the lack of a touch screen deprives many of the charms. For example, in games you will not play any more. Although I did manage to go through one level of Angry Birds.
Performance
I drove the MK 809III in all popular benchmarks, let the screenshots of the test results speak for themselves.
For comparison, in AnTuTu my Nexus 7 on the NVIDIA Tegra 3 platform barely gains twelve and a half thousand parrots, and the result in the Quadrant is 3380 points. So with performance at Rockchip RK3188, everything is more than good.
You should also tell about how well the MK 809III handles video files of different formats and resolutions. To do this, I installed two of the most popular video players from Google Play - BS Player and MX Player. They are also installed on my tablet (although in 99% of the cases I get around with the free BS Player version). In case the file was not played by one player, I used another. The results are as follows: somewhere from 60 files it was impossible to view only one with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. All the rest, regardless of the codec, bit rate and resolution, were played with a bang.
Compatibility
Surely many people are concerned about the question of how compatible the MK 809III is with storage devices and peripherals. So - compatible great. The device correctly recognized the three wired mice and the Logitech K520 radio kit. The latter is especially nice: hung up on one port and a mouse, and a keyboard, and the second remains free to connect the drives.
Speaking of drives. The MK 809III quietly recognized an Apacer 500GB external hard drive with USB 2.0 interface, an external 1TB HDD Silicon Power with USB 3.0 interface, and a whole bunch of USB flash drives of various sizes with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 interfaces. In short, no problems with connecting drives and peripherals - and for a device that can replace the HTPC, this is extremely important.
Urgency
It seems to me that devices like the MK 809III are still too narrowly specialized. They are not able to replace the desktop computer, and besides, if you don’t have a touchscreen at hand, you’ll not be able to feel all the delights of the Android OS. Neither do you want to play evil birds, but to drive in Real Racing.
So who could benefit from such devices? It seems to me that the MK 809III is still a good alternative to the HTPC, a much more compact (in my case “flat box” behind the TV is not even visible) and powerful enough to play any movies from any media. Mini-PC can also be useful for owners of “older” TVs that have enough HDMI video inputs, but the functionality of the firmware is lame. As practice shows, such TV is more than enough. The built-in media player is not omnivorous in them, and there may be problems with connecting the drives. In this case, the MK 809III is a good option for expanding the functionality, and also quite affordable.
Another category of people who may be interested in mini-PCs on Android are vacationers. Mini-PC is not a heavy burden, but at the same time in a hotel or hotel, it will allow you to easily watch an interesting movie on the TV in the room.
As for the MK 809III, I liked the device. It is quite functional and moderately compact, the performance is excellent at all, and the price does not bite much. And if I often went on vacation or at least was the owner of an old TV, I would certainly actively use the device.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/192662/
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