MK802 IV: First Thoughts

The MK802 IV is the 4th generation Android USB stick by Rikomagic.  The MK802 brand has received a lot of praise over the last year.  The 4th generation definitely improves upon the 3rd generation, but it doesn't have many new features that I would use in the Android TV space.  The 4th generation doubles the CPU (quad core vs dual core, and the core is slightly faster) and doubles the RAM.  There doesn't seem to be an upgrade with regards to the GPU.

I use the MK802 for a very specific purpose.  I use it as an Android TV.  For this purpose, the 3rd generation is really good at it.  I never had any performance issues that would require a quad core.  I can currently stream HD video just fine.  I read one article about the 4th generation that described the 2nd generation as a proof of concept, the 3rd generation as leading edge, and this upcoming 4th generation as the mainstream.  I think hardware of the 4th generation has perfected the Android TV.  Some apps that I use (Hulu Plus and Netflix) do have occasional UI slowdowns.  These should be eliminated with the 4th generation.

That being said, the MK802 is NOT only an Android TV.  It is a generic device.  I have read how some people use it as a travel computer.  I've read about more people that are interested in it as a gaming platform.  This is where the 4th generation really shines.  The specs on this new generation rival the new Ouya device.  The 3rd generation already supported USB controllers.  With Bluetooth support, this device can actually turn into an awesome gaming platform.

With the 3rd generation, I bought 2 devices as soon as they were available to replace the 2 2nd generations that I had.  Because of the lack of new features in the TV space, I probably won't buy the 4th generation as soon as its available.  I will probably wait for it to get cheaper.  Also, I probably won't buy 2 at the same time.  I will probably buy 1, then wait for the 5th generation to come out.