Chinese TV box maker CSQ has launched a new device that’s as much a mini desktop computer as it is a TV box. The CSQ CSW9 is a 6″x 6″ x 1.5″ computer with an Intel Celeron J1900 quad-core processor and support for Windows or Android software.

It’s available from AliExpress for about $200 and up.

csw9_01

Note that while the product descriptions generally call the CSW9 a “Dual OS” device, that’s not the same as saying it’s a dual boot machine. It’s not clear if it comes with Windows and Android both pre-loaded… and if it does have Windows pre-installed, it’s not clear that it’s a licensed copy of Windows.

Update: It ships with Windows. See below. 

Still, the CSW9 certainly has the hardware to support Windows 8.1 or other operating systems designed to run on computers with x86 chips.

The Celeron J1900 processor is 10 watt processor that’s a more powerful cousin to the Intel Atom Bay Trail chips found in a number of cheap Windows tablet, notebook, and desktop computers. This chip offers higher performance, higher clock speeds, and support for up to 8GB of RAM… although the CSW9 ships with just 2GB.

Other features include a 2.5 inch, 500GB hard drive, three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, HDMI, VGA, IR, and headset jacks, a microSd card reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0.

At least one seller also mentions a built-in 2000 mAh battery, which suggests you may be able to use the CSW9 even when it’s not plugged into a power source. That could come in handy if you want to move the machine from room to room without rebooting… but I haven’t seen any pictures confirming that it really does have a battery.

Update: Eric from Geekbuying.com says the CSW9 has no battery and the system is not fanless. While it should support a range of operating systems, the units he’s seen ship with Windows 8.1 with Bing software and not Android. It’s said to be able to support Ubuntu though.

The computer is also available form Geekbuying as the VX2. You can buy a model with a Celeron J1800 processor for $230 or a Celeron J1900 model for $240.

via AndroidPC.es

 

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10 replies on “CSQ CSW9 is a tiny $200 PC with Celeron J1900 Bay Trail”

  1. ok, let me make it clearly, just another rebrand, i have played with this device for a while, first it is no battery built in, and it has a fan inside.
    about the OS, it should come with windows with bing, but no dual boot android, the android OS is buggy, no google play store right now. but another good thing is it also support ubuntu, i am asking the factory to show me the sample about the ubuntu OS.

    we are going to list this, however, we want to make sure every information is clearly 🙂

    1. Who is “we” when you say “we are going to list this”? Do you run a vendor site?

      1. Eric is with Geekbuying.com and in a pretty good position to know what kind of hardware is really included. Thanks Eric!

  2. The IR port is a HUGE plus for those of us with Harmony remotes. My biggest gripe is the lack of gigabit ethernet. 10/100 is stone age. Would’ve appreciated no hard drive, just to save on the cost. Most people would probably prefer to add an SSD anyway. If nothing better comes around before this drops to $150, I’ll probably snag one.

    1. The AliExpress listings for the higher priced versions has a spec listing that shows, “LAN 10M/100M/1000M(Option)”…

      Only the one listed for the lower $189.89 only lists 10/100… but I’m not sure how much you can trust them… Also, if there is only one RAM slot then you may be limited to up to 4GB as it’s usually the dual slot configuration that allows up to 8GB of RAM be installed…

      1. I see it now, thanks… I should’ve checked those other options before posting. Anyhow, looks like you can get the 10/100/1000 option PLUS an ADDITIONAL 32GB SSD for $218 shipped. Not bad at all, actually. That hardware seems ideal for a straight-up Kodibuntu install. Now to see if the CPU/GPU supports Kodi HW acceleration.

        1. People have reported using the J1900 successfully with XBMC setups… Kodi is the update to that of course, so you shouldn’t have a problem…

          Most issues with Bay Trail stem from the mobile version using 32bit UEFI, but this Celeron version should use the 64bit UEFI and that’s a lot easier to get to work with the Linux boot loader… and the all Intel CPU and GPU means fairly decent Linux support…

        2. Got a link? I’m also curious to know what LAN chip(s) are used? Realtek?

    2. Can any one find out HOW to use the IR port ?
      I mean.. it’s there in the front, but how to config or even enable it ?!

  3. Build it like a PC and I’ll pay PC prices.
    Build it like a TV box and charge PC prices and they can stick it where the sun don’t shine.

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