Chinese device maker has been offering tiny Windows and Android computers for a few years, but the company first came to my attention back in 2012 when I learned that the Android-powered Mele A1000 TV box was also able to run Linux.
This year the company started selling some products with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed, and the latest is the PCG03U, a compact computer/TV box with 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, an Intel Atom Bay Trail processor, and Ubuntu 14.04 Linux.
It’s available from AliExpress for $90.
Mele is selling the PCG03U under its Star Cloud Brand. In terms of hardware, the computer is basically the same as the Windows-powered PCG03 the company launched last year, except that the newer model has the Star Cloud logo, orange and yellow rear and bottom panels, and twice as much storage as the Windows version I reviewed.
Is this the best Linux PC you can buy? Probably not. But at $90, it’s certainly an affordable option for folks looking for a small, fanless, low-power Ubuntu computer that you can use in the living room or in an office.
The system features HDMI 1.4 and VGA ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 10/100 Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, and an SD card slot.
It measures 5.9″ x 4.7″ 1.6″.
While it ships with Ubuntu 14.04, I suspect you’re pretty much on your own if you want to update to a newer version of the operating system or make any other changes.
The vast majority of Chinese companies that ship TV sticks and mini PCs with Ubuntu don’t seem to bother developing the software on their own. Instead they usually just grab one of Ian Morrison’s publicly-posted builds of Ubuntu for devices with Intel Atom processors and slap it on the device, making no promises of support or future updates. So proceed with caution.
Still, if you’re cool with using Ubuntu 14.04 indefinitely, or just want to buy a computer without paying for a Windows license, it’s nice to have the option.
via AndroidPC.es
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Bit confused about the updates thing. Why would it not update in place like any other Intel Ubuntu installation, or are they doing something more evil? Is it the “HDMI audio, bluetooth and wifi” issue alluded to on the Ian Morrison page, which begs the question why is that the case at all?
Not evil… just incompetent.
Generally if they’re borrowing code from Morrison, they’re using a patched kernel or some other custom code to make sure all the hardware works. If you just use the Ubuntu updater tools, something will probably break.
You can probably do the update yourself or install an alternate OS. But you’ll be on your own if you want to make sure WiFi, audio, etc all work properly.
well, for $90 it is fire & forget, like the rest of today’s it industry. the biggest toxic junk yards producing industry these days.
There is a general Kernel issue with Bay Trail…
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/sh…
And some systems may need custom setup for supported hardware to avoid conflicts, etc. that the generic drivers may cause.
Basically, look for the latest ATOM/Celeron/Pentium for best Linux support or get a Core based Intel product and not worry about it…
Bay Trail is really cheap now but it’s using architecture that is significantly different from what they’re using now… It’s basically a legacy support issue and thus requires extra work to get to work properly for end users.
Bay Trail chip, N wireless, no USB 3.0.. I get that for $90 we shouldn’t expect cutting-edge hardware, but this thing is like going backwards.
Why cant they just add an extra NIC.
USB NIC
Inappropriate for a router.
I have build so many untangle router using USB NIC for SMB. It’s perfectly appropriate for a router. And it wasn’t even gigabit.
The English website is http://www.aliexpress.com/item…
I wonder if one could use a different operating system? It is nice to not have to pay for Windows when one wants to try a different OS.