Mini PCs and TV boxes are available from Chines in masses. There are a ton on devices to choose from, which really doesn't make things easier. One issue is that most of them look the same, yet some manufacturers still have new ideas from time to time which actually are quite interesting. One of those ideas is to create a classic power bank and pack a mini PC or TV box into it.
That's exactly what Ainol did with their mini PC, which actually happens to be their first product after their comeback. Yes, Ainol disappeared for a while since they failed to succeed on the Chinese tablet market. But now they are back, and apparently better than ever.
Gearbest have been kind enough to ship us the Ainol Mini PC and our first impressions are actually quite positive. The mini PC is made from solid aluminum and looks very stylish and slim, perfect for the living room. Inside we find the Intel Z3735F quad-core x86 processor, which actually isn't the fastest chip yet still offers decent enough performance for the living room, web surfing and even basic office tasks. The integrated 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM do not sound like a lot but are actually enough. The internal memory offer 32GB of space of which about 25GB are usable. The Ainol Mini PC offer two USB 2.0 ports on the front, one 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro SD reader and a mini HDMI output. There also is an OTG port to use a third USB device. One highlight however is the internal 7,000mAh battery. This either allows you to use the Ainol Mini PC as a classic power bank or to let it run independently from a power socket for a while. This can come very handy in case you use the mini PC for productive purposes and want to carry your work around with you without having to reboot.
Anyway, we decided that we want to use the Ainol Mini PC in the living room mainly and for this reason also asked Gearbest to bundle the device with the Mele F10 Deluxe air mouse. Next to the air mouse functionality the Mele F10 Deluxe also offers a full keyboard on its rear and all the classic remote controls one needs for the living room. The thing is paired with devices through either 2.4GHz or infrared. The energy is provided by an internal and regargeable lithium battery. The nice thing is that you are not only able to fully control the Ainol Mini PC with the air mouse, you can also use it as an universal remote to control your TV. Getting the Mele F10 Deluxe to work was actually fairly easy. We just hooked the 2.4GHz USB dongle up the mini PC and pressed the button combination to pair it. It started working instantly without ever attaching a real mouse or keyboard to the mini PC.
So much for our first impressions. As usual, stay tuned for the full review of both devices and enjoy the Unboxing till then. In case you look for the products, you'll find them at Gearbest here and here .
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