To many people out there, this little dongle-like device will look like either a USB flash drive
or a Chromecast.
However, as I'm sure some of you know, this is not either of the two.
It's actually one of a few computers that's built into a tiny form-factor.
Hold on, this thing?
Yeah.
That is usually the reaction I get when my friends find out that this tiny device is
actually a full-fledged computer.
So to the uninitiated, this is the Asus Chromebit.
So like the name suggests, the Chromebit runs Chrome OS which is commonly found on Chromebooks.
There are other products like this out there, such as the Intel Compute Stick which can
run a full desktop version of Windows.
Now, these little things aren't actually anything new.
In fact, the one I have here was actually introduced in March 2015.
But these devices aren't for everyone.
That's probably why a lot of people haven't heard about them.
So, who could actually make use of such a small machine?
I mean, the specs aren't that impressive.
Well, the Chromebit is actually aimed towards enterprise users.
The idea is, you would use a bunch of these small computers which also happen to be pretty
cheap to power kiosks in shopping malls.
That's just one of many applications that one of these things can be used for on an
enterprise level.
Still, a small number of consumers may find such a device useful.
Like myself!
Currently, I'm using my Chromebit to compliment my home theatre setup.
So why don't I just use a Chromecast?
Well, I have a Chromecast, and I use it more frequently than I use my Chromebit.
It's an older generation, but it's a lot more convenient.
For the average person who wants to watch videos or movies on their TV, I would just
recommend a Chromecast.
However, as convenient as the Chromecast is, there are many things that it cannot do.
Or not do well.
One of them is playing videos on unsupported websites.
Sure, you can mirror your screen from a computer, but often times, the resolution will be lower
and you'll lose out on framerate.
The audio can glitch out sometimes, and you may even run into lag.
Now, for the most part, the popular websites most people go to are well supported on the
Chromecast.
However, there are still exceptions.
But if you have a Chromebit, you have the functionality of a full desktop browser.
The main reason why I sometimes chose the Chromebit over the Chromecast is because you
can't translate subtitles on the Chromecast.
Not for now, anyway.
And I'm not the only one having this issue.
We've just passed the new year, and a lot of people had family members over.
And they may only know how to speak foreign languages, but movies here run in English.
I tried running my movie on my computer, translating the subtitles there and then mirroring it
over to the TV.
But, I quickly realised that the video was running at a much lower framerate and it just
appeared jittery.
Which is never really a good way to watch any movie.
In fact, some people may even find it outright frustrating.
I know I'm just nit-picking, and the newer Chromecast models may perform better, but
it's still something to consider.
Especially if your wifi connection isn't very strong.
Well, if you have a Chromebit, you can just auto-translate the subtitles of those movies
if you bought them on YouTube or Google Play.
Or run a Google Chrome extension to insert custom subtitles to Netflix movies, or other
HTML5 media.
Also, if you have local content, they will usually play a lot better on the Chromebit
than the Chromecast.
Now, the downside with the Chromebit is that you can't interface with it from your phone.
You also can't remote into it, due to Google's restrictions, you will need to pay for that
service.
Also, the Chromebit requires a little more power than the Chromecast would, so you would
have to plug it into a wall instead of plugging it into a USB port.
Which may be a deal-breaker for some people, but it wasn't for me because I have a lot
of outlets to spare.
So, for a while, my solution was to use this tiny Bluetooth keyboard that also had a trackpad
on it.
They're pretty cheap on Amazon, but be careful of which one you buy.
The one I have here disconnected very frequently, which made it very painful (annoying) to use.
So eventually, I switched over to the Logitech K400 plus keyboard.
It didn't cost much more than the other keyboard, but it came from a brand that's known to be
reliable.
This keyboard connects to a dongle, which I just plugged into the Chromebit via the
USB port on the top.
And it works like a dream!
So should you get the Asus Chromebit?
Well, if you have any issues related to the ones I listed, then you should take a serious
look into this product.
Having a computer connected to the TV has solved many issues for me.
And it isn't that expensive for a full-fledged computer.
So if you're thinking of getting one, feel free to comment below.
Also, if you already have one, let us know how you're using it.
That's it for this video, I'll see you next time.
I just want to say thank you for watching my new video, it's 2017 and I'm hoping to
upload a lot more regularly than I did last year because...
Well, I mean it's not hard to beat last year.
I want to give a shoutout to John McGahan, his YouTube channel is youtube.com/McGahan.
He promised to make an upload if I uploaded, so here it is.
Looking forward to seeing your upload, John.
No pressure!
While I'm at that, I might as well shout out Ernest Kwame Adu, his YouTube channel can
also be found in the description.
He makes videos regularly, they're a lot of fun to watch, and he's a friend of mine!
Also while you're at that, I heard Bryan's going to be making a video this month so,
I would keep an eye out for that as well.
Okay, see you in the next video.