Review: Voyo Dual Boot Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4.4 Mini Computer

[RV_]

Several months ago I bought a tiny computer that is essentially a tablet with battery and all, minus screen all packed into a 5"X5"X1/2 inch case.

 

I know all the folks like Jack who are having issues switching over to the Windows ecosphere when they are completely immersed in the Android ecosphere are going to love this. First off this is a quad core Atom Z3735F SoC, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, and which comes with the mini to full size HDMI and USB to micro USB charging cables you will need, as well as the 5 volt 2 Amp charger. The charger uses any USB to miocrI am on it now, and running on battery after charging while doing all the 159 Windows updates that took the better part of the day. I now have 75mbps Cable Internet so trust me you do want to be where you can spend time. This little gem cost me 99 dollars with free shipping directly from China which took a month. It was worth the wait. Once I got it it took me about a half hour to figure it out with trial and error as the quick start guide was all in Chinese. Don't worry if anyone here tries one I can walk you through resetting the region and country so all the menus and apps are in English and just like a computer you bought here.

 

The kick is that it has a switch button on the windows task bar, and on the click down menu in Android. Now I have to say that I have been Windows phone and tablets for three years now, and I had to do some real searching just to find out how to get the shut down /switch OS back to Windows buttons.

 

Here is the website with the pics and description: http://www.iandroidtvbox.com/voyo-mini-pc-dual-boot-tv-box-white.html

 

Once I had the basics done it turns out to be a fast little computer. I hooked the HDMI out to my HDMI in on my desktop and used the onscreen touch keyboard with a wired mouse to get the drivers I needed for the Logitech K-400 wireless keyboard. I just needed the unifying receiver download to use it and pair them even though it is not Bluetooth but a regular 2.4 computer keyboard and touchpad device. Here is the website for it and pics: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-touch-keyboard-k400r

 

I am downloading more updates as I type this. I installed a 32GB SDXC card with 20GB of music on it and am listening to it while the updates download and I am on Windows explorer with three screens open. I can't heartily recommend these yet as it did unexpectedly shut down twice over the past 12 hours of continuous updating and use, both plugged in, and on battery. It may have been something I did that caused the shut downs to sleep mode, but I need it to burn in and test for far longer than one day. This is going on the new TV we are getting this coming Black Friday/Cyber Monday. I sold the bedroom 40" LCD, and the Living room 60" 1080p Plasma Panasonic top model so now have a budget of $1000.00 cash in fist and can add another $500 for a new UHD 4k OLED or LEDF Smart TV. In the meantime we are watching the 40" LED that we bought for the RV last spring, and used while we lived in it fulltime for two and a half months. So we are playing with the new format PC that is totally beyond anything we've owned in this size, and many aren't as snappy for streaming as this one in any size. For techies a delight. Easy learn for the non techies as long as they can change date and region settings on an 8.1 system.

 

However for the folks with a C-note to spare that wants to play with a new approach it is still worth it. They have a one year warranty on it, and I like the company. Cheap prices not products, free shipping, direct from China, patience required.

[DJW]

RV

 

Been watching since you posted a few weeks back about it. If you see it on sale again for the C note price let me know. Our Samsung 60 & 40 inch Model 6350 smart TV's will no longer live stream our church service from HI because it is flash based. Samsung uses some form of Linux and the TV will not upload OS changes so until Samsung does some type of firmware update we cannot live stream from HI. I want to take this mini computer and just leave it hooked to the TV's so I don't need to bring one of my laptops out and hook up my 15 ' HDMI cable to the TV every Sunday. I have seen in the $135-180 range but nothing on sale for under that.

 

Dennis

[RV_]

Will do. I get the email sales circulars from Gearbest, where I bought it, weekly. Wow! I just checked my email to see if they sent one and got this in email with a link to the web announcement here: http://www.gearbest.com/mail/2015/GT1019.html?utm_source=mail_api&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=special.1019&email=b2t8ZGVyZWtnb3JlQHN1ZGRlbmxpbmsubmV0fDM5MDc=

 

You won't have to wait weeks. Sign up for their emails. I bought several items as well as the computer from them. They are worthy of trust. 2-5day deliveries makes them the way to go in many areas.

 

I used anew customer discount. Here is a current one for 15 bucks off that worked as of yesterday: http://www.cheaperseeker.com/sem/GearBest?t202id=330918&c1=CYPUS_Ad7YB it's the third one down.

 

The Voyo like I have is not yet stocked in the US warehouse, yes you can choose on their website which warehouse to order from. Go here: http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box/pp_142339.html

 

Here's their current flyer: http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box/pp_142340.html

 

Here is the page where I added the China warehouse to find the Voyo: http://www.gearbest.com/computers-networking-c_11257/2.html?wid[]=2&wid[]=1

 

If you order one PM me for shortcuts to not have to do the trial and error to get everything in English.

[G&K]

I've been watching the dual-boot Android 5.1 / Win 10 Cherry Trail units that have 4 gigs of RAM / 64GB internal storage and use the Ipad 9.7" retina display (yes, its exactly the same LG panel!)

 

They are coming in around $230 or so, but you get a lot of capability for that money.

 

http://www.gearbest.com/tablet-pcs/pp_230777.html

 

Geo

[RV_]

Geo,

I've been looking too, and just don't need another screen. If I didn't already have two HD IPS screen tablets, one a 10.8" screen, and the other 11.6" both Windows, the 10.8 Dell Venue 11 Pro is running Win 10 already, the other ASUS 11.6" runs 8.1.

 

I absolutely do not want Android anywhere on my network. I did try it out but did not login or try anything other than just looking to see it indeed did work. My last Android device a few years back ran 2.3, so I have no clue and don't want one. Android phones home with my private data, and is, more infested with vulnerabilities and real world exploits than Windows mobile.

 

But I bought one for 99.99 bucks and can now report on it. Next to see if it does upgrade to Windows 10 seamlessly. If that breaks Android dual boot I can repartition and have more storage. But if Android is a plus for you, these are much more than expected in performance. They run faster than any stock mid range Windows 7 computer without SSD. I am amazed.

 

That video was awesome. And yes, like the one I got, it is all in Chinese. It could not be upgraded because it is not a US version and the Windows key is not valid here in the US. I can deal with my Windows 8.1 that was activated in China to prevent activation problems here in the US. The guy in the video had to buy a Windows 10 license here. Made it more expensive by over a hundred bucks.

 

You and me have no issues getting around the language/region changes needed. Others will be bumfuzzled. Make sure you order one with the US plug for the chargers. The different ones shown have the charger variances (EU, UK, and US) as the only differences I could see for the price differences. Go here to see how different they are and why you want the US plug specified. I have adapters for most Euro plugs but why bother? Most folks have never left the US and traveled abroad much, many not even out of their home country and/or state. Witness how much fear and bluster we see about crossing into Canada.

[G&K]

Derek, I think these are shipping with English Windows now. I maybe wrong...

 

This is quite a good video.

 

I quite like the TechTablets reviews.

 

I'm working on a dual/triple screen system for HDTs that will be based on Android with the potential for a passive slave display using HDMI.

 

Geo

[RV_]

Geo,

Mine shipped with English Language, but the region selected was China. I could read about half of the screens but too many were in Chinese so I played around and found the region/country setting buried in the depths of the time and date resetting from the clock in the taskbar. The firmware on boot and during windows updates set up, the blue screens are all in Chinese yet. Go back to your video and listen from 4:05 on the video and you will hear him make reference that it is a Chinese tablet. Lots of folks like me will tell about the system after we have tweaked and figured it out but rarely do we admit to having to do trial and error just to get it running. It is like my ASUS tablet as it needs me to press and hold the on off button until the light comes on. No Haptic Buzz like my Dell Venue 11 Pro, and my old HP Envy x2 had, to let me know it is ready to start. It is surprising how much we need from a quick start book until we get one in a foreign language and character set. I may have to return it if it keeps turning itself off. Had it happen three times in 12 hours or more so not a major issue for a computer only for HTPC use, as losing the stream does no lose data but like your video said, the Chinese market builds are luck of the draw. I'd suggest going with a growing company like Gearbest for that reason. They answer ticket issues within the day or next morning after I posted questions about where it was for a month. Mine took six weeks from China, but their new US Warehouse, while limited in stock, changes that to 2-3 days. I checked out the unboxing videos besides yours and they are totally English it appears unlike mine with a few screens that I know what they are saying and it is only on boot where I see Chinese characters next to English, and when the blue screen pops up for the request not to turn off the computer, Windows is configuring updates.

 

I really like the specs and screens of your choice in tablets, and since you are an Android user it will give the best of both worlds.

[G&K]

Derek, I just ordered a Teclast X98 Pro from Banggood. $284 CDN using a coupon which is pretty good.

 

 

Apparently Gearbest have had trouble getting stock.

 

It will be interesting to see what shows up!! lol

 

From what I've heard, Cube has the best quality, followed by Teclast, then various others some distance behind. I hope I get a good one.

 

I like the spec. May do the heatsink mod to let it run a bit cooler and battery life isn't a big deal as it will spend most of its life plugged in.

 

Geo

[RV_]

Geo,

Please do a review when you get it up and running.

 

Geo, you had said these are shipped with English but as I found the Chinese is also in other screens. Thanks for the video because they at ~6:40 in the video showed me how to get those last few Chinese on the welcome screen and other menus, as you will need to do too.

[G&K]

Arrived today. Typing this on it now.

 

Nice toy!! It is English so no messing around required.

 

Geo

[RV_]

Ahh our toys, what would we do without them? I'm shopping two for Black Friday. My new Tablet after which I will sell the ASUS TA 200 with the SSD in the spare bay. It is just a 100GB SSD but why put a hard drive in a tablet /hybrid that has a keyboard? The main storage is an SSD and no vibration or shock short of destructive impact will damage the data. Putting a HD in the dock slot would be limiting to me. I am used to not worrying about gentle shocks like dropping a corner clumsily and getting a bit of shock that would stripe a HD. Not an SSD.

 

Anyway I am going to take a chance that the Surface 3 Pros are going to be cleared out directly even cheaper than this offer: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-3-12-Tablet-Intel-Core-i3-4GB-RAM-64GB-Storage-W8-1P/262119427012?rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F711-53200-19255-0%252F1%253Fff3%253D4%2526pub%253D5575069831%2526toolid%253D10001%2526campid%253D5337590633%2526customid%253D%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.com%25252Fitm%25252FMicrosoft-Surface-Pro-3-12-Tablet-Intel-Core-i3-4GB-RAM-64GB-Storage-W8-1P%25252F262119427012%2526srcrot%253D711-53200-19255-0%2526rvr_id%253D925339254232

 

That is new not refurbed. Comes with the Stylus too. I hope I don't regret passing that by. BTW that seller will not take back a return, the warranty from MS is what you get so no buyer's remorse refunds possible. No problem for me as I am sure when I pull the trigger.

 

So either a Surface Pro 3/4 or Surface 3. Or another if one comes along I can't avoid trying for a few months to a year.

 

The other thing I am shopping is a 65" or 70" 4k TV. If I got a deal like 500 bucks for a 55" I'd do that too. We already sold our 60" Panasonic 1080 Plasma which was the best picture until the 4ks came out. Everyone is saying no real 4k content out there but dang! My 27" touch screen is quad HD, 2560X1640, makes the 2160 actual, 4k claimed, content on YouTube look like the 4k sets almost!

 

I love a challenge.

 

Play with it for a week and let us know with your own thread so folks don't miss it buried in mine.

 

Congrats Geo!

[Tom_M]

I just bought an Android TV box on Amazon for $38.99:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014HAGH6O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

It runs on Android and comes preloaded with KODI (formerly XBMC) for media center use.

[RV_]

Great, how about an in depth review once you have used it for a bit?

 

Geo,

Gonna tell us how you like the build quality and and feel of your new toy?

[Tom_M]

Great, how about an in depth review once you have used it for a bit?

 

Geo,

Gonna tell us how you like the build quality and and feel of your new toy?

I've only had it a few days but have managed to get Kodi set up. I've messed a bit with Android on my phone so I'm a little familiar with the directory structure. I have a fairly large collection of movies and TV series that I have acquired over a few years. Luckily I had settled on a naming convention for movies and TV series that was compatible with Kodi (Movie Title [yyyy], TV Series SxxExx). Once set up, Kodi will catalog the video files with cover art and info about each movie or TV show.

 

I've checked playback on a few different videos and it did fine with everything that I played including H265 encoded video.

 

The TV Box comes with a remote that works fine for playing content but is a bit of a struggle for doing things like entering text. My Bluetooth keyboard and mouse works well with it.

 

I'm getting ready to head for Florida so I won't have time to mess with the box for a while.

[RV_]

Sounds good! I look forward to your later comments.