PIPO X7S, Windows and Android: Can They Coexist?

This time, I'm reviewing a rather controversial device. The manufacturer has tried to please supporters of two different user groups at once and put an end to the Windows vs Android flame war.
The solution they came up with was a dual-boot device: a mini PC that runs both operating systems (well, almost).
If you're interested, read on.

This mini PC is, so to speak, an upgraded version of the previous model — PIPO X7.
I've already reviewed it, but this time I'll repeat some of the tests to avoid referring back to the previous review too often. Though I doubt I can avoid that entirely, since the devices are very similar, and it wouldn't be right not to compare them.

But, as always, I'll start with the basics: the packaging. I'll try to keep it brief.
The mini PC arrived in a plain white cardboard box. There was some kind of bag, but I don't remember where I put it, since I've had this device for quite a while now and wanted to test it for longer.
The back has a brief list of technical specifications.
And, pleasantly, it's in Russian. Though I think this sort of thing is easy enough to understand in the familiar English, too.



Inside, in a white bag, is the mini PC itself, with the included accessories underneath.


Though “accessories” isn't quite the right word, since the package is more than a little spartan. Just like with the X7, all you get with the computer is a power supply and a warranty card.
Actually, no—they also included an adapter for our type of outlet :)
There are no cables, instructions, adapters, or remote controls.


The power supply has a flat plug, and the adapter is included separately by the store because it was packed separately. What's stopping the manufacturer from making several power supply models for different countries? It can't cost that much more.


The power supply is exactly the same as the one for the X7: 12 V, 2.4 A, 5.5x2.1 mm barrel plug, center-positive.
The power supply has more than enough capacity, even allowing for the usual tendency of manufacturers to overstate their specs.


And here's the little box itself. This model comes in three colors: gold, silver, and black.
I chose silver. Its advantage is that fingerprints are completely invisible on it.
Though personally, I think a plain white version would be just as good, maybe even better, since the antenna is white and looks a little out of place.


The front panel is similar to that of the X7:
Power button
Power indicator LED
2 USB 2.0 ports
3.5 mm audio jack


There are ventilation slots on the sides. They look quite well integrated, although they don't do much to help with cooling.
And choosing white lettering was simply genius if you want the labels to be invisible, even though they're there.


The back has an antenna, a bunch of ports, and the power connector.
The first difference from the X7 is immediately obvious, though it's not always mentioned: a fifth USB port, as well as a reset button.
For some reason, the specs often list only 4 USB 2.0 ports.


The antenna rotates 180 degrees, but for some reason it can only be tilted up and… down.
I still don't understand why you'd tilt the antenna down. It would make more sense if it could swivel sideways, parallel to the case.


Here's a closer look at the back panel. You can see:
1. Reset button. I haven't had to use it, but it's nice to have; let's call it useful.
2. MicroUSB port. It serves two purposes familiar to Android tablet users: it works as a regular USB port, and it can connect to another computer for reflashing or use as a storage device (in this case, the X7S shows up as a PIPO drive with a capacity of about 4.5 GB). This only works in Android.
3. A microSD card slot is located below the MicroUSB port.
4. Next are two standard USB 2.0 ports.
5. HDMI video output. I'm glad it's a full-size port: it's bulky, but sturdy and reliable.
6. Ethernet port. A wired connection is sometimes more reliable than wireless, even if it's less convenient, so this is definitely a welcome addition.
7. 12 V power connector. The manufacturer accounted for the 12 V power supply and fitted a connector with a 2.1 mm center pin. That means you can plug in a barrel connector with either a 2.1 mm or 2.5 mm inner diameter, but the included power supply only fits the 2.1 mm jack.
Considering that the power supply is 12 V rather than the usual 5 V, this is probably a good thing.

And no, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you—the lettering really is printed like that.


Nothing interesting on the bottom: ventilation slots and a sticker with the serial number and model name.
There are four feet made of some kind of soft, non-slip foam :)


Well, how could I not take it apart and have a look inside? :)
There's just one small catch: on the X7, the screws are next to the feet; here, they're underneath them.


First I tried to pull the feet off, but realized they were glued on so firmly that they'd probably tear in half before coming loose. Then I thought: the feet are soft, so it would be easier to poke through them with a screwdriver and remove the screws. I looked at a photo of the X7 to figure out where the screws were and unscrewed them without any trouble.
The photo shows where to look for the screws.



Knowing about the X7's overheating problem, this time I tested the temperatures first and only then opened it up. Unfortunately, the results aren't very encouraging: it does get hot. More details under the spoiler.

That wraps up the hardware, so let's move on to the software.
The software review will be split into two parts: Windows and Android.
I don't see much point in going into too much detail, since most readers know both systems very well. But I'll certainly cover how they're implemented on this device and the test results.

When you turn it on, you're prompted to choose which OS to use.
You have 10 seconds to choose. If you don't, the computer boots into whichever system it was running before it was last shut down.
After choosing an OS, confirm by clicking the button at the bottom or pressing Enter on the keyboard.
In Android, you can reboot into Windows: pull down the tab at the bottom right and select “Switch to Windows” from the menu. To go the other way, you have to use the usual shutdown and reboot process. Technically, Android does the same thing, but automatically.


Let's start with the OS this computer was originally designed for.
After all, Intel processors are more commonly associated with Windows computers.

Well, we're gradually getting to the real “special feature” of this device—or rather, what sets it apart from the previous version.

The internal drive is partitioned so that 8 GB of its total capacity is allocated to Android.
Part of that is taken up by the OS itself, leaving 4.36 GB available to the user. This drive is also visible when connected to another computer via the MicroUSB port.
I tried several flash drives, and they all worked perfectly except for the one formatted with NTFS. The device detects it, but when I try to access it, it asks me to format it.
The same flash drive works perfectly when booted into Windows.

There's also a minor mouse glitch. I use an old A4Tech mouse for work. I have three models at home: PS/2, PS2/+USB, and USB. Only the third one works. But I have no problems with a wireless keyboard with a touchpad, or with the newer mice I found at home. The problem only occurs in Android; Windows is fine.


Next, I moved on to the tests. I'm no Android expert, so I'll try testing it with the tools I know.
You can see the disk and RAM access speed tests in the Windows section of the review. I don't think they'll change when switching to Android. But I couldn't skip testing Android's performance.
First, I checked the results in AnTuTu 5.2.0.
The result looks pretty good to me, especially for a device that has two operating systems.




But since the program kept insisting that I update it, I figured I might as well and ran the test again with a newer version — 5.7. The result was even higher this time.


After testing performance, I moved on to multimedia playback. First I tried AnTuTu VideoTester 2.2, but it sometimes behaved rather erratically and could freeze at the start of a test, so I updated it to version 3.0 as well.
I wasn't even surprised by its new “tile” interface, which I'd just got rid of in Windows 8.1. Everyone copies whatever they can from everyone else, and more often than not it's the bad stuff, not the good.

Testing showed that it couldn't play all the formats by a long shot.
Of the 30 tests, 16 passed completely, 10 partially, and 4 failed altogether.
For the video test, I used video files featuring ducks. The 720p and 1080p files played perfectly, while 2160p played fine but froze about halfway through.



But then things got really confusing. When I ran the test again, I got this result —


One of the tests that passed last time failed this time around.
It was a video in an AVI container, encoded with AVC and with AC3 audio.
I have no idea why.



I think I'll wrap things up here for now. I wanted to run some more tests in Android, but unfortunately I don't know what else to test yet. I'd be very glad to hear your suggestions, but we can already draw a few conclusions, which I'll get to below.

Summary:
Pros
Two operating systems: Android and Windows
The TV box (or mini PC) is pretty snappy; in Android, its performance is comparable to that of the Amlogic S812
Faster flash memory than in previous versions of the device (write speed is 1.5–2 times higher)
5 USB ports
Low power consumption (the announcements claimed 1 kWh over 10 days, which is about right)
Good build quality—I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5.
Full-size HDMI port
Ethernet port

Cons
Cooling problems again. The engineers don't seem to want to learn from their mistakes, though fortunately the fix is simple.
Still no USB 3.0
There seem to be some stability issues with apps in Android. Hopefully there will be new firmware that fixes them.
Small amount of built-in flash storage.

Conclusions:
I've had the previous version, the PIPO X7, under constant observation for three months now. Over time, only one issue has come to light (it was mentioned in the review comments): sometimes the network card may drop out. Unplugging and reconnecting the power fixes it, and fortunately it doesn't happen often. So, as far as using the computer in Windows goes, I can say there are no problems: everything works, and works well. In all three months, there have been no freezes or glitches. If you're interested, there's a long thread about this mini PC on the 4PDA forum; most of what's there also applies to the X7S.
Since the main difference between the X7S and X7 is dual boot with Android, it deserves a separate mention.
The developers have come up with a pretty snappy little machine, even though x86 isn't exactly a native environment for Android. An AnTuTu score of 35,000 is very good even for TV boxes in a similar price range, and especially good for a hybrid device.
The AnTuTu Video Tester results were disappointing, but I'd put that down to immature firmware.
Overall, the device has a reason to exist. It could use 64 GB of storage, at least one USB 3.0 port, and better cooling. In fact, more storage and better cooling would be enough, since you can still get by just fine without USB 3.0. But the developers seem to do things their own way.

All in all, though, despite these shortcomings, I'm more pleased with the device than not. Yes, if I had to choose between Windows and dual boot right now, I'd probably choose Windows, but that's mostly because of the nature of my work.

I see this combo device as a small entertainment center: IPTV, web browsing, music playback, working with office documents (after all, it has full Windows), and casual Android games. It would also work well connected to a NAS.

The mini PC was provided for testing and review by the gearbest store.
As always, I'm looking forward to your questions, comments, and suggestions for interesting and useful tests.



The product was provided for review by the store.