The $50 PC
By Bob Rankin
$50 now gets you a real computer capable of most home computing needs.–PC Pitstop
Would You Buy a $50 PC?
OK, now it’s getting ridiculous. I mean the miniaturization of PCs and their prices. A fully functional computer, capable of performing most home computing chores now costs $50, and fits in a chassis the size of a USB thumb drive? Yes, it’s for real. Read on to learn more about Android-based mini-PCs…
Introducing the $50 Personal Computer
I’m talking about the Android Mini-PC MK802, an all-purpose general computer that runs the Android operating system or open-source Ubuntu Linux. The Mini-PC by Rikomagic looks like a USB flash drive, and plugs into your TV.
The hardware specs of the latest version (MK802 IV) include a quad-core ARM processor that hits 1.8-2.0 GHz; up to 4 GB of RAM; a Mali-400 GPU; 802.11 b/g/n WiFi built in; and a VPU capable of displaying 1080p video.
You don’t really need to understand any of those tech specs — here’s the important thing to know: Just add a display and an input device to this little gadget, and you have a powerful, flexible, secure, and very inexpensive computer that requires almost no maintenance. (Those with kids or tech-challenged parents will see right away how awesome this could be.)
Any HD TV (or computer monitor) with an HDMI port will do. A wireless keyboard or mouse are the most common input devices, but some specialized Mini-PCs use wireless game controllers.
Software is not a problem. There are thousands of apps available for Android systems. In general, if an app runs on your Android smartphone, tablet, or Kindle, it will run on the Mini-PC. Some pundits say that Android is the new Windows, in part because so many software developers are writing apps for Android.
Is It a Real Computer? – Article Continued Here
Excerpt shared with permission from Bob Rankin.
