Published Date 10/15/13 4:44 PM
Part 1: Devices
Expensive, large, loud, power-hungry desktop PC "dinosaurs" are more and more a thing of the past. The new class of Mini PCs are finally here--small as a credit card, powerful enough to run a full Linux OS (not just a cumbersome Android touchscreen OS), very low power, noiseless, portable, and under $100. You can plug them straight into the HDMI slot of your monitor, grab a wireless keyboard/mouse, and you're online (more on what you can run and leveraging cloud/VDI in Part 2: Applications.) We've been testing, building, and integrating the top contenders--here's the roundup.
| | Raspberry Pi Model B | CubieBoard2 | UG008 | Odroid-u | U2C | MK808 | CX-919 |
| CPU | 700 MHz ARM11 | Dual 1.9 GHz ARM Cortex A7 | Dual 1.6 GHz RK3066 Cortex A9 | Quad 1.4 Ghz Exynos4412 Cortex A9 | Dual 1.6 GHz RK3066 Cortex A9 | Dual 1.6 GHz RK3066 Cortex A9 | Quad 1.8 GHz RK3188 Cortex A9 |
| GPU | 250 MHz VideoCore IV | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 | 400 MHz Quad Mali-400 |
| Memory | 512 MB SDRAM | 1 GB DDR3 | 1 GB DDR3 | 1 GB DDR2 | 1 GB DDR3 | 1 GB DDR3 | 2 GB DDR3 |
| HD | - | 4 GB NAND Flash | 8 GB NAND Flash | - | 8 GB NAND Flash | 8 GB NAND Flash | 8 GB NAND Flash |
| Bluetooth | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet Port | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| AV Port | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (mic) | No | No |
| Power Button | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Camera | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Weight | 45g | 40g | - | 40g | 52g | - | - |
| w/case | 100g | 140g | 100g | 165g | 135g | 55g | 65g |
| Custom ROMS | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | rpi thin, rpi asterisk, wheezy | cubiuntu, cubieez | picuntu | | picuntu | picuntu | picuntu |
| Notes | Great for tinkering / kids, not enough power for PC replacement. | Solid board, but slower CPU, low memory, and case is a non-starter. Next model cubietruck fixes most of this, but jumps to $110. | Solid board, but slower CPU, low memory, and case is cheap. If they upgrade to RK3188...new winner. | Hard to get full Linux running, and heatsink "case" is cumbersome. | Stand-out with the camera and dock, but wireless is poor and not worth the cost. | Best price for value, but wireless is poor and quality is low. | Fastest response, great wireless coverage with the external antenna. |
| Price | $45 | $59 | - | - | $78 | - | - |
| w/case | $53 | $67 | $68 | $68 | $90 | $45 | $77 |
| Ranking | 2 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
So the winner is the CX-919, performance is excellent and quality/materials have kept up with hard daily usage (writing this review on it right now!) It would be nice to have a headset jack built-in, but a USB headset can be plugged in as necessary. Stay tuned for Part 2: Applications.
COSM Solutions 