MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC • Hacker News Board

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#31

Post by niggler » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:27 AM UTC

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

"completely abused Kickstarter is becoming"

The problem is that Kickstarter gets a 5% fee, so it is to their business interests to raise as much money as possible (even if the product isn't completely up to snuff)

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#32

Post by mbetter » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:28 AM UTC

podperson wrote: post #10

rbanffy wrote: post #9

Am I the only one who would love something like this, but with standard expandable memory and, maybe, a SATA or PCIe port?

And a better CPU?

A real operating system would be nice, too.

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#33

Post by andsosayallofus » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:36 AM UTC

mbetter wrote: post #32

podperson wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And a better CPU?

A real operating system would be nice, too.

And lets get rid of the computer and add an FM radio.

Ok, we just invented the Pontiac Aztek.

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#34

Post by protomyth » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:41 AM UTC

frozenport wrote: post #18

There is absolutely no motivation for pushing the price point lower. PCs are devices we expect to use for hours and hours and hours. A difference of $300 will make this into a real computer, most parents value their kids beyond such a petty price point.

$300 is still a lot of money to a lot of people. $99 is doable, sometimes $399 isn't.

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#35

Post by anthonyb » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:41 AM UTC

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

The title of the kickstarter is:

   MiiPC - Power to the Parents!

and then the whole blurb is about how it lets you keep an eye on your kids online. Does that give you a clue that it's not about the hardware?

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#36

Post by anthonyb » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:43 AM UTC

niggler wrote: post #31

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

"completely abused Kickstarter is becoming" The problem is that Kickstarter gets a 5% fee, so it is to their business interests to raise as much money as possible (even if the product isn't completely up to snuff)

In the short term, perhaps. Long term, why would they burn their business down like that? All it takes is a few high profile failures...

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#37

Post by andrewfelix » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:45 AM UTC

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

I'm not sold on MiiPC, but support, future updates and user experience come at a price.

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#38

Post by wmf » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:45 AM UTC

anthonyb wrote: post #35

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

The title of the kickstarter is: MiiPC - Power to the Parents! and then the whole blurb is about how it lets you keep an eye on your kids online. Does that give you a clue that it's not about the hardware?

If their innovation is not in hardware, one wonders why they're designing hardware at all. Why not put their ROM on an existing ARM box?

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#39

Post by niggler » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:49 AM UTC

anthonyb wrote: post #36

niggler wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"completely abused Kickstarter is becoming" The problem is that Kickstarter gets a 5% fee, so it is to their business interests to raise as much money as possible (even if the product isn't completely up to snuff)

In the short term, perhaps. Long term, why would they burn their business down like that? All it takes is a few high profile failures...

"Long term, why would they burn their business down like that?"

There are two ways of looking at the problem:

- from the side of the project sponsor, KS is already the gold standard. Think about forbes.com: forbes has a name but they still make money selling out the name. Even if there are high-profile failures, the storyline will be spun as failures of the projects and not the platform or process.

- from the side of the project creator, KS is an easy way to get a ton of money (far more than the fixed-funding campaigns of other sites like indiegogo)

Re: MiiPC: $99 Family-Friendly Android PC

#40

Post by rockyleal » Tue, Mar 26, 2013, 2:50 AM UTC

tiles wrote: post #23

hosay123 wrote: post #15

For comparison, here's a stick with double the RAM, double the cores, and double the flash for 30% less ($70): http://dealsprime.com/ugoos-ug007b-andriod-4-2-tv-stick-hdmi... . For literally a few $ more you can get the same spec in a set top case complete with Ethernet port, in a plethora of shapes and sizes. If these devices interest you, spend an hour reading http://www.cnx-software.com/ archives. This computer on…

It's a product that people are willing to pay for and in return people get an accountable manufacturer (or at least a sympathetic community of other buyers) rather than a random Chinese producer. How is this abusing Kickstarter? The market being flooded clearly wasn't enough for them. They're buying exactly what is advertised. I don't think manufacturers should feel bad for pricing a product comfortably (what a disas…

I you had written "an accountable manufacturer (or at least a sympathetic community of other buyers) rather than a random producer", you would have avoided one of the forms of racism that is socially acceptable to Western people at this time.