Netbooks used to be popular, but today the so-called stick computing
market is exploding. These are small computers running a desktop OS
designed to plug into any HDMI port. Intel has its Compute Stick. InFocus has their Kangaroo portable computing system. It has some amazing features and I took it out for a spin, or I guess hop in this case. Photo by InFocus
Common Features of Stick Computers
Stick computers are designed to be an extra computer for most people.
They have mobile device processors like phones rather than laptop or
desktop processors. They plug directly into an HDMI port on the back of a
TV or monitor. These computers usually have a few USB ports along with
Bluetooth and micro-SD card slot. Examples of generic stick mini-PC computers | Shutterstock
For networking, they’ll have built-in wireless but no Ethernet port.
Most of them look like a large USB flash drive, but contain a full
computer with an operating system. Depending on the brand, they’ll come
with Windows, Android or Chrome OS. The onboard storage is usually
around 32 GB flash memory. That’s enough to run an operating system, but
not to store much else. That’s where the micro-SD card slot comes in.
What Can These Systems Do?
They can do most things their laptop or tablet counterparts can do.
The devices running Android tend to have similar computing power as
their tablet or phone equivalents. The Windows stick computers perform
basic computing functions.
Typical computing tasks like web browsing, watching online videos and
checking email work great on a stick computer. Even office suites work
fine, so long as the files aren’t too large or graphics intense.
Any HDMI TV or monitor works | Shutterstock
When I set these up, I always install TeamViewer so you can remote
into the computer. That way if the TV isn’t on the right input, I can
still access the computer.
What Are Their Limitations?
These systems limit themselves with space and speed. The small
storage space prevents you from keeping too many files on the primary
drive. Depending on your operating system, 10-30% of the drive is
already used when you get the computer out of the box. The micro-sd card
lets you expand the space. Those sd-cards are expensive. I also have a
tendency to lose them. With just a few programs, the storage is getting fullThe mobile processor means you can’t perform heavy calculations. For
example, encoding video files takes forever. If your HDMI monitor is
large, part of the processor’s power is used to render the video screen.
Don’t expect much more power than a mobile phone here. If you’re using
an Android-based stick computer, it will seem faster because developers
optimize the programs for less powerful systems.
In my tests of the Kangaroo system, the system was unacceptably slow
with most gameplay. Other tasks, like running a Plex server were
completely acceptable. Quickbooks ran fine on my Kangaroo.
Cool and Unique Features of the Kangaroo
When I was looking for a stick computer to try out, I decided on the
Kangaroo for a few reasons. First, it works on battery power. I got
around 2-3 hours off of it. You can’t use it as a laptop since it
doesn’t have a screen or keyboard attached. Or can you?
The killer feature for me was the Kangaroo’s iPad app. If you have an
iPad with a Lightning connector, a companion app for Windows let you
use your iPad as a screen and keyboard. The windows screen showing on an iPad Mini
The program installs drivers in Windows and then lets your iPad
remote in. The program isn’t that much different than TeamViewer or
other remote control programs. The difference with the Kangaroo’s app is
it works with no latency on the Lightning cable. InFocus support told
me it would work over an older 30-Pin connector, but it doesn’t. It only
works with an iPad over Lightning. This includes the iPad Mini. It
doesn’t work on an iPhone. Currently, I use it over TeamViewer since my iPad is a little older. I
keep it around when I need to run a PC program like Quickbooks. It also
works great as a NAS to keep some media on the road.
Drawbacks of the Kangaroo
Because this acts more like a laptop than a stick computer, you need
to use a power charger and HDMI cable to plug it into a TV or monitor.
Other stick computers plug directly into an HDMI port and don’t need a
cable. They get their power from a micro-USB connector. Since many TVs
or monitors have a USB port, most users won’t need another adapter. The Kangaroo lets me use an HDMI to DVI cable | Flickr
The Kangaroo’s HDMI cable requirement isn’t a limit for me. I like
it. This gives me more flexibility in placement. I also use an HDMI to
DVI cable on an older monitor. I could use an HDMI to DVI adapter and
then use a DVI cable with other stick computers. That configuration
seems really complex. The Kangaroo gives me more flexibility.
Overall Review: Very Cool Computing
These systems retail for around $100 in the US. That’s more than a
Chromecast, but less than an Apple TV or most other computers. If you
need a simple computer in the bedroom or for the kids, stick computers
are perfect. I like the Kangaroo because of the battery, flexibility,
and remote capabilities.
