Jide Remix Mini First Look

[Guest]

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Jide delivered a $70 barebones mini-PC to us. The selling point? It has a custom Android-based operating system developed specifically for desktop use.

Jide Remix Mini First Look : Read more

 

[harrkev]

If you don't need Netflix, you can get similar performance from a current Raspberry PI 3b. for about $50 (Pi + case + sd card). Linux OS instead of Android, but web browsing works OK, and can even handle light YouTube usage.

Plus, with many millions of Raspberry Pi devices out there, community support is pretty much guaranteed. If the company that make the Remix Mini goes under, there goes any chance of software updates.

 

[problematiq]

I'm waiting for a Pi that has dual Nic's on it. sure I could use usb nics but thats no fun.

 

[ammaross]

If you don't need Netflix, you can get similar performance from a current Raspberry PI 3b. for about $50 (Pi + case + sd card). Linux OS instead of Android, but web browsing works OK, and can even handle light YouTube usage.

Plus, with many millions of Raspberry Pi devices out there, community support is pretty much guaranteed. If the company that make the Remix Mini goes under, there goes any chance of software updates.

The idea was to get a device that can handle streaming 1080p, uses hardware H.264/5 decoding, and can drive a 4K display. It's a really good media streamer, and is somewhat a useful desktop replacement for grandma/kids/school.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

For only $70 - that's decent value, BUT for only $30 more - Kangaroo Mobile Desktop is IMO much better option.

 

[Brandon_29]

I have had a Remix Mini for a long time. I was one of the early backers on Kickstarter. What I can tell that is annoying is that sound does not work through a receiver. I have tried this on my Denon and my Yamaha I have the same problem with both. No sound output. If I wire the HDMI directly to the TV it works fine. For me this killed it as a streaming option as all of my TVs have sound systems with receivers. So now this thing sits on the floor doing nothing. Besides it is insanely slow. Like Roku 1 slow.

 

[wkwilley2]

I was also an early backer of the 2G version. It's a great little unit and works well for streaming video and the like. I couldn't really find a use for it so I ended up giving it to my sister for Christmas last year. She couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Brandon_29]

I was also an early backer of the 2G version. It's a great little unit and works well for streaming video and the like. I couldn't really find a use for it so I ended up giving it to my sister for Christmas last year. She couldn't be happier with it.

Ya I really should just give mine to someone as well. I have other devices that do the same things only way better (like Roku for streaming). Browsing on it is fine for general stuff, but using it to watch videos that don't have apps is very buggy thanks to the crappy browser in Android. There are a lot of anime streaming sites that don't have official apps. It was 50/50 if I could get them to work at all on the Remix. Add these things to the sound problem with receivers and it just doesn't work for me. I am sure a user with less needs could use this and be perfectly happy with it.

 

[LordConrad]

Increase CPU speed to 2GHz and include ChromeOS instead of Remix, and I'd by a few for clients and relatives.

 

[joshyboy82]

Seems like a pretty decent mother's day present.

 

[Ya3___]

can i installed opera 30 browser? HEVC x265 format video supported? external HDD supported?

 

[NobodyFWithTheJesus]

Did anyone else read the title as "Jim Hendrix"?

 

[NobodyFWithTheJesus]

Did anyone else read the title as "Jimi Hendrix"?

 

[wkwilley2]

I was also an early backer of the 2G version. It's a great little unit and works well for streaming video and the like. I couldn't really find a use for it so I ended up giving it to my sister for Christmas last year. She couldn't be happier with it.

Ya I really should just give mine to someone as well. I have other devices that do the same things only way better (like Roku for streaming). Browsing on it is fine for general stuff, but using it to watch videos that don't have apps is very buggy thanks to the crappy browser in Android. There are a lot of anime streaming sites that don't have official apps. It was 50/50 if I could get them to work at all on the Remix. Add these things to the sound problem with receivers and it just doesn't work for me. I am sure a user with less needs could use this and be perfectly happy with it.

Yeah I had a similar issue, video playback was finicky to say the least. The Issue I seemed to have was some apps just didn't want to work at times. Netflix as an example would take forever to load, if it would load at all. Pandora was another that was extremely slow, although I didn't have any of the sound issues you mentioned, but I did end up using a third party HDMI cable for mine as the one that came with the unit was DOA.

 

[Brodie_2]

This guy's price is wrong currently the remix 2.0 mini is $49.00 on there website when you sign up for email alerts you get $40 off the price making it a $49 mini PC not $70

 

[negusp]

with miracast/intel WiDi built in (or similar), and using the top of the thing as a trackpad and a remote, this would be awesome....

 

[LuxZg]

Hmmm...after buying cheap Atom + W10 tablet some 6 months ago, I'm kinda spoiled... Except LAN port nothing really stands our compared to my tablet. Both have HDMI, microSD card support, USB ports for kbd/mouse, etc. But while LAN port is nice, with WiFi on each corner it's not really a must have for mini-PC type of device. Yet full Windows 10 on my tablet will still put any Android OS to shame. And not to feel sorry about some Android features - said tablet is dual Android (Kit Kat) and W10 device! At the moment you an still get such tablets for ~85$, probably less if you bargain-hunt. So really... except the novelty factor, why should anyone pay 70$ for this? ... and the answer eludes me...