Which is Better? MK808 or UG802?

There has been a lot of interest on miniscule sized computers of late. It all started with the announcement of the Raspberry Pi, a tiny computer that runs on Linux and is targeted at the hobbyist community. It is a full computer roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes that you plug into a TV and a keyboard.

However the Raspberry Pi experienced a lot of delays and supply was scarce when it was finally released. Enterprising manufacturers in China seized the opportunity to release rival products that runs on the popular Android platform.

These devices are packed into an even smaller form factor and looks like and oversized USB thumbdrive. Since it runs on Android, it is much more user friendly as the Android platform is familiar to any Android smartphone or tablet user. So basically the Raspberry Pi has a rival that is easily available, cheaper, smaller, more powerful and easier to use.

The most popular of the Android Mini PC is the MK802 Android 4.0 Mini PC by far. The two biggest reason for its popularity is that it is one of the first designs to run on Android 4.0 (ICS) and the fact that it is based on the popular Allwinner A10 chipset which had a lot of Linux support and made it relatively easy to get Linux to run on the MK802.

However, the MK802 is not without its own problems. Although very popular, the Allwinner A10 chipset is fairly old and its age shows when running processor intensive tasks on the MK802. Users who are used to the smooth interface on a modern Android smartphone will notice the jerkiness and lag.

Many MK802 users also complain of poor WiFi connectivity. This was suspected to be caused by a poor antenna design or ESD interference from a poorly shielded HDMI port. Another problem that got a lot of attention is overheating. The MK802 tends to run quite hot and some users actually resorted to modifying their MK802 units by adding heat sinks.

So, it is inevitable that a new design will come along and resolve these problems. Two new products that have appeared recently is the MK808 and the UG802. Both are quite similar products that feature a much faster dual core CPU. Let's take a look at the similarities and the differences between these 2 products.

Next, let us take a look at the differences between the MK808 and UG802. These are the facts that you should consider when deciding between the two.

The UG802 comes with 4GB of built in storage while the MK808 has double that at 8GB. In reality since it is possible to add up to 32GB of extra storage using the microSD expansion slot, the extra 4GB is not really a huge difference but it is nice to have an extra 4GB up front before having to resort to buying an SD card.

The MK808 has a HDMI port that requires an additional HDMI cable to connect between the MK808 and the TV. However the HDMI cable is included with the package. The UG802 has a HDMI connector on the unit itself so you can plug it directly into the TV without an additional cable like how you would plug in a USB drive into your computer. However, if the HDMI ports on the TV are located very close to each other, it is possible that the UG802 will block 1 or more of the other ports on the TV. The way to resolve this is to use an adapter cable but this is not included together with the UG802.

The MK808 has dual WiFi antennas for better WiFi connectivity. The UG802 specification makes no mention of dual antennas but it is possible that it has this same feature as well.

On the software side, the MK808 comes with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) while the UG802 comes with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Android 4.1 comes with many enhancements such as Project Butter and better Notification Center and this is definitely a significant advantage.

While the design and features for both the MK808 and the UG802 are fairly similar, the MK808 holds an edge over the UG802.The extra 4GB storage and Jelly Bean OS definitely makes the MK808 a better choice.

A quick check on eBay shows that the MK808 is a little more expensive than the UG802 as it is slightly newer but I believe that prices will drop to a point where both will be roughly the same.

On the other hand, even as you read this, I am very sure that even newer models are appearing on the market so come back often and check out my articles on both Wizzley and Squidoo.

LINKS

New MK808 Dual Core Android 4.1 Mini PC

New UG802 Dual Core Android Mini PC