The advance of compact and inexpensive computers shows no signs of stopping. After the Raspberry Pi 3 was introduced, we then saw a new version of the ODROID platform, and now it's the turn of the Unuiga S905. Its hardware sits a bit above what we saw in the latest Raspberry Pi, but its main feature is that it uses Remix OS as its operating system, an Android variant specially designed for the desktop.
From robot control to BitTorrent servers, arcade machines, supercomputers, and educational environments, the possibilities surrounding today's compact computers are enormous. Unfortunately, not all the benefits of these systems—(with special emphasis on the economical aspect)—can be equally reproduced around the globe. For example, I have seen cases where the price markup of the Raspberry Pi completely discourages its purchase, and something similar happens with official Arduino hardware. Therefore, users are forced to explore alternatives in the form of clones and take advantage of any deal that comes along. One of the most recent involves the Unuiga S905 computer.
Hardware details
This computer uses an Amlogic S905 system-on-chip with four cores at 2.0 GHz, and a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 architecture. To this we add a Mali 450 video module with 4K playback and H.265 decoding, a microSD slot, an HDMI 2.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and a gigabit Ethernet port. The amount of RAM, internal storage, and WiFi support depends on the model. In the basic version of the Unuiga S905, we find 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of space, and WiFi n on 2.4 GHz, while the Plus variant doubles the memory in both directions, and adds to the wireless connectivity both the ac mode and dual-band compatibility. The operating system chosen by its manufacturers is Remix OS 2.0, an Android fork for the desktop, which we mentioned last January.
Crowdfunding and price
The Unuiga S905 comes directly from China, and to fund its production phase, the manufacturers are seeking support through Indiegogo. In total they need 75 thousand dollars (they have raised just over 3 percent), an amount that will allow the product to be marketed at 25 dollars in its normal configuration, and 40 dollars for the Plus model (this does not include shipping costs). If everything goes well, the first deliveries will take place between April and May.
