Welcome to the Real World – The Minix Neo U1

With all due respect to the Wachowski brothers (sisters?) and Keanu Reeves, this NEO is The One.

I’ve reviewed literally dozens of android TV boxes and owned even more. I’ve run the cheapest little plastic boxes eBay had to offer and spent a year of my life with the Nvidia Shield and at least some time with every conceivable media streamer in between. This is the best bang for the buck I’ve ever owned when it comes to streaming media players of the Android variety.

The Minix NEO U1 boasts first-class build quality, with heavy plastics and great fit and finish. IT’s really a large step above most Android boxes and feels every bit as solid as a piece of high-end electronics should.

The NEO U1 has the Amlogic 905 SOC, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.  It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. I know, it doesn’t sound like the specs you get with the latest crop of TV boxes, but it’s not about sheer brawn. It’s about how you implement it. Just like two PCs with identical specs can offer completely different user experiences, so it is with Android TV boxes.

I run the Antutu benchmark app on every box I review because, while other apps will tell you what you processor is capable of, how fast you RAM is, etc., Antutu gives you the best idea of how powerful the box is as a whole. I have yet to review a TV box, regardless of processor, that beats the NEO U1.

Raw numbers aside, it’s really about what you get when you lean back with the remote or the gamepad in your hands. And that’s where the Minix delivers. From a choice of launchers to the zippiest read/write storage I’ve ever found in this application, the attention to the user experience is what sets this box apart. Mine came pre-installed with two different versions of YouTube, the Play Store version and the more remote-control-friendly version for Android TV. Now that’s thoughtful. The navigation bar and notification bar are there if you want them, but disappear when they should. 

And the fact that this is the first box I’ve used that runs my Blu-Ray rips from a portable hard drive, in Kodi, with perfect DTS and Dolby Digital pass-through, just knocked my socks off.

Throw in regular online updates (that actually work) and you’ve got what is now my every day streaming box (at least until their new NEO U9-H comes out).

Oh, and...

Add the A2 lite air mouse/remote control and the experience becomes even better. Since this NEO U1 has access to all Play Store apps, you need a mouse or air mouse to take advantage of those apps that use a touch interface. Beyond that, the A2 lite is optimized for Minix devices and adds tons of functionality like shortcut keys and transport keys for media playback. Well worth the modest investment.

Know What You Need – The GooBang Doo T20 LCD Projector

One of the things I ask people who come to me for tech advice is, “How are you going to use it?”

Folks are most often disappointed in an electronics purchase because they go into it with unrealistic expectations. The think they’ve found the bargain of the century only to discover they’re trying desperately to squeeze an inexpensive square peg into a pricey round hole.

Take the GooBang Doo T20 LCD projector, for example.

This is really a great piece of equipment at a very reasonable price as long as you don’t expect it to serve the same purpose as a 70-inch UHD Flat screen. It’s not meant to.

The T20 has all the inputs you need (2 USB, Full size SD, HDMI, monitor) and all the functions you could want if you use it for the right application.

This is a killer presentation projector. It’s extremely light and portable, throws a good clear picture at reasonable distances, and is well built enough to toss in a check-in bag without worrying it will be destroyed by the baggage carousel.  The Included IR remote has all the buttons you need and is responsive for both video watching and presentations (the projector has IR receivers on the front AND back).

It’s terrific as a second big screen for the kids to watch cartoons and play video games without complaining about having to use the “little TV”. In fact, the T20 is adjustable enough to make their “TV” the biggest in the house.

Will it be your main viewing device? No. Do you want to pay to have it mounted to the ceiling? No.

But with all these bells and whistles and, if your expectations are realistic and you know what you’re buying, I doubt you’ll find a better projector for the money.

This is Not a Toy - The Minix Neo Z83-4 mini computer

Ok. So I know it’s not Android. But I’m excited about this one and, hey, a guy can broaden his outlook.

This is the Minix Neo Z83-4 mini computer.

At first glance, you’d think you were looking at another in the endless series of Android set top boxes. But this is no toy. This is a full performance Windows 10 PC, with the Intel Quad Core “Cherry Trail” processor and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, all in a package that you can hold in the palm of your hand. Build quality is stellar with a solid, premium feel to the thick plastic enclosure and metal bottom.

At setup, the gigabit Ethernet port or 802.11 AC dual-band Wi-Fi will have you surfing the net in no time. Productivity applications like Microsoft Office run flawlessly. A standard USB keyboard and mouse turn this tiny box into a fully fledged desktop computer, indistinguishable from the bulky towers of old. This is what the desktop of the future looks like, folks. And the design team at Minix has this mighty mite running cool enough to dissipate heat without a fan. That’s right; this is a computer you’ll never hear running and, with both HDMI and mini-monitor jacks, you can hook up dual monitors to make this a real multi-tasking beast.

The device has integrated Intel Graphics and casual games from the Windows Store (to which you have full access) show absolutely no signs of struggle. Let’s face it, you’re not buying this to be a gaming PC, and it’s not meant to be one. Throwing the latest hardware-hungry behemoth game at this thing would not be advisable. But I wouldn’t be afraid of anything you’d run on a high-end tablet or Android box.

As a Home Theater PC, the device really shines. Plug in an air mouse (or a FLIRC, combined with your Logitech Universal remote) and you can lean back in your chair and enjoy streaming at its finest. The 4 GB of RAM means streams will never stutter (assuming your ISP can keep up). You can download Kodi directly from the Windows store and it runs beautifully, even using heavier builds. The 32 GB of onboard Flash storage may not seem like much (this is the maximum Microsoft allows for this type of device, even with this full Windows license), but pop in a micro SD card or plug a USB Flash, solid state, or hard drive into one of the 4 USB ports (3x 2.0 and 1x 3.0) and storage becomes an all-you-can- eat proposition.

Look, this is not going to replace your kajillion-dollar, 40-pound, water-cooled gaming rig with the neon lights and built-in cappuccino machine. But if you’re looking for a reliable Windows 10 box that’s completely silent, productive as heck, and fits in a jacket pocket, the Minix Neo Z83-4 mini computer is well worth a look at this surprisingly low price point.