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Android desktop to ship soon

Michelle Avenant
By Michelle Avenant, portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 06 Oct 2015
The Remix Mini uses 10 watts of power, compared to the 60-250 watts of most desktop computers.
The Remix Mini uses 10 watts of power, compared to the 60-250 watts of most desktop computers.

As the use of mobile devices increasingly eclipses that of desktop computers, China's Jide Tech suggests the rise of mobile computing is redefining the desktop computer, rather than replacing it.

The start-up's Remix Mini, marketed as "the world's first true Android PC", runs on Remix OS: a custom-engineered version of Android Lollipop (5.0-5.1.1) that allows users to work and play with the Android app ecosystem in the presence of traditional PC features, such as a task bar, multiple windows for multi-tasking, and monitor, keyboard and mouse support.

As mobile computing technology advances in functionality and a growing number of users subsist entirely or almost entirely on mobile devices, Remix Mini aims to offer desktop computing the relative simplicity, low energy consumption and low cost of mobile computing.

A large number of PC-users are "spending top dollar for the latest hardware specs just to check their e-mail and watch Youtube videos," the device's Kickstarter page chides.

The Android computer - which can be reserved via its Kickstarter for $30 (R410) and comes with an HDMI cable - is slightly bigger in size than the average computer mouse, and boasts a power usage of ten watts. The average desktop PC is popularly estimated to use between 60 and 250 watts.

Two versions of the computer are available: one with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, and one with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. Both are equipped with a 64-bit, 1.2GHz quad-core processor.

The computer has ports for Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0 and headphones, and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Remix Mini is pencilled for delivery this month, although no recent announcements have been made regarding this date.

Alternatives

While several Android emulators exist for using and testing Android apps on desktop computers, Remix Mini is the most well-documented Android PC to date.

While Google last week announced the Pixel C as a tablet-laptop hybrid running Android, early reviewers have critiqued it as showing little difference from existing keyboard-equipped tablets.

Pixel C also carries a hefty price tag, starting at $499 (R6805), with the keyboard sold separately at $149 (R2032).

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