We’ve covered a number of PCs-on-a-stick in recent months, all of which have the potential to function as an uber-mini Android-powered media centers.
Such devices are powered by various chipsets, like Rockchip or Allwinner A10 processors. Examples of the latter include the Goosberry, MK802, Hackberry A10, Mini Xplus and Z902.
However, while the Allwinner supports Android as well as various forms of Linux such as Ubuntu or Fedora, it does seem to have somewhat of a problem with XBMC media center software. Fortunately, the status quo is starting to change.
Indeed, as Liliputing’s Brad Linder reports, a developer by the name of Neal Peacock has coded a special build of XBMC that he plans to include with PengPod tablets (which have yet to hit the market), while Jas-Hacks has compiled an Ubuntu-based operating system with a working XBMC app for the Hackberry A10 developer board.
“Theoretically the Jas-Hacks software should run on other devices with Allwinner A10 processors, but it’s not quite ready for prime time yet,” Linder explained. “I took it for a spin on an MK802 mini PC today and while the operating system boots and I was able to get to the XBMC splash screen, the device rebooted before it fully loaded the media center software.”
As you can see the in the Hackberry video above, most of the XBMC functionality appears to be intact, including smooth menu transitions and 720p video playback (1080p HD hasn’t been tested yet).
The Allwinner A10 can best be described as a low power 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip paired with Mali 400 graphics.
