The "Android Stick PC" Thread

human_wheels · 14th September 2014, 23:18

Happy to inform that I was able to restore my pc stick back to working state. Once in the set up mode there was an option to restore it via backup. And it reinstalled android.

honeybee · 19th October 2016, 00:35

Not sure I spotted any thread/topic discussing this - I had asked earlier about stick PCs, but not many people have tried them.

To ensure my daughter doesn't stick her nose to the tablet in order to watch the children's songs, and also to ensure a better usage of our TV, I ordered the Asus Chromebit from Amazon today. It arrived a few hours back.

After unpacking, you get the Chromebit, which is a stick PC, a power cable with Indian style pin adapter, a small HDMI male/female cable. The stick has one USB port where you can connect a wireless keyboard/mouse combo, or a card reader (or a USB hub).

The stick runs Chrome. On startup you need to first attach a keyboard/mouse (wired/wireless/bluetooth). Once the keyboard and mouse are attached, next step is to choose the language. After that the stick will prompt you for a WiFi network.

Mine didn't connect to the home WiFi immediately, so I tried shutting it down. But there's no option to "Restart"! Fortunately after switching the TV display options, the stick booted up and I was back in the computer. This time the stick connected to the WiFi and proceeded ahead.

You are then asked to log in using your gmail account details. If you do not have a gmail account, you can sign up for a new one. Or you can browse as a guest.

The main interface is an empty desktop. There is a tutorial to explain the key features of the stick PC and you are advised to go through it.

The left hand bottom corner has a "Start" button. Clicking that will launch Chrome.

So far I have tested the Youtube videos (daughter was very happy to see her fav shows blown up to lifesize on the TV!) and am surfing TBHP through the same. In fact I am posting this through the stick PC itself!

Using the Chrome app store you should be able to download and install apps within Chrome. But otherwise you can access Google Drive or Google Docs through Chrome itself.

Right now it's a handy way to surf, email and watch YouTube, which is more than 80% of what I do on the net from home. And you can always switch between the stick PC and the usual cable TV programs!

diyguy · 19th October 2016, 01:17

I tried out a similar one from Dell a year or so back primarily to get my son to play clash of clans on a larger screen than a tab or phone but was unable to get the game to work on it. The Dell device was running android. The hardware is as you describe on the Asus btw.

14th September 2014, 23:18	#31
human_wheels BHPian Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 81 Thanked: 81 Times	Re: The "Android Stick PC" Thread Happy to inform that I was able to restore my pc stick back to working state. Once in the set up mode there was an option to restore it via backup. And it reinstalled android.
	() Thanks

19th October 2016, 00:35	#32
honeybee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dombivli Posts: 3,056 Thanked: 2,139 Times View My Garage	Asus Chromebit Not sure I spotted any thread/topic discussing this - I had asked earlier about stick PCs, but not many people have tried them. To ensure my daughter doesn't stick her nose to the tablet in order to watch the children's songs, and also to ensure a better usage of our TV, I ordered the Asus Chromebit from Amazon today. It arrived a few hours back. After unpacking, you get the Chromebit, which is a stick PC, a power cable with Indian style pin adapter, a small HDMI male/female cable. The stick has one USB port where you can connect a wireless keyboard/mouse combo, or a card reader (or a USB hub). The stick runs Chrome. On startup you need to first attach a keyboard/mouse (wired/wireless/bluetooth). Once the keyboard and mouse are attached, next step is to choose the language. After that the stick will prompt you for a WiFi network. Mine didn't connect to the home WiFi immediately, so I tried shutting it down. But there's no option to "Restart"! Fortunately after switching the TV display options, the stick booted up and I was back in the computer. This time the stick connected to the WiFi and proceeded ahead. You are then asked to log in using your gmail account details. If you do not have a gmail account, you can sign up for a new one. Or you can browse as a guest. The main interface is an empty desktop. There is a tutorial to explain the key features of the stick PC and you are advised to go through it. The left hand bottom corner has a "Start" button. Clicking that will launch Chrome. So far I have tested the Youtube videos (daughter was very happy to see her fav shows blown up to lifesize on the TV!) and am surfing TBHP through the same. In fact I am posting this through the stick PC itself! Using the Chrome app store you should be able to download and install apps within Chrome. But otherwise you can access Google Drive or Google Docs through Chrome itself. Right now it's a handy way to surf, email and watch YouTube, which is more than 80% of what I do on the net from home. And you can always switch between the stick PC and the usual cable TV programs!
	() Thanks

19th October 2016, 01:17	#33
diyguy BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 517 Thanked: 578 Times View My Garage	I tried out a similar one from Dell a year or so back primarily to get my son to play clash of clans on a larger screen than a tab or phone but was unable to get the game to work on it. The Dell device was running android. The hardware is as you describe on the Asus btw.
	() Thanks