Anyone has any epxeriene with the Mini PC Computer Sticks?

[Greekman]

I am about to be away for work for 8 months and I will not be lugging my tabletop PC behind.
I am toying with the idea of acquiring one as furnished apartments and hotels have a modern TV (but not SMART TV)
Use will be browsers, acrobat, word and some light photograph editing (non-photoshop)

what do you know of? what is your advice?

[kid_couteau]

Not a stick PC but I like the Raspberry Pi computers that are out there.

[surfivor]

I always use laptop computers rather than desktop machines, I always thought the term “computer stick” referred to a flash drive

[FreeLancer]

Does a computer on a stick provide better utility than a sub-$200 laptop?

[bartsdad]

Most people just do interwebs and such. Do you need more than a Chromebook?

[kid_couteau]

My reasoning on the Raspberry Pi is if you use the TV for a monitor all you need is the following

PI [preferrably in case]

Power adapter [yes it will run on an Anker power bank I have done it]

HDMI cord

Wi-fi keyboard and mouse

Assorted flash drives with movies and such

This can be carried very light and compact
Kid Couteau

[archer]

i have a pi running a local web server for my household and as a print server and backup server.  a pi  could work well for you if you know linux.

[Bradbn4]

Even the older Raspberry pi hardware would work as a ok internet browser.  i had used the old hardware to support a network drive but it was too slow.  however as a print server it was perfect.  i have not tried the newer Raspberry PI 3b+ yet, but the network speeds over te cat 5 has been improved.

the hard thing to find is support of even light level photo editing.  not sure if any pico computer can work with it.

the right type of phone might provide more power; a tablet like amazon fire if you can get that hardware would be a bit better as an all in one setup.

[Greekman]

No Ra Pi. Please do not punish me with another system and one more OS to battle with...

regarding a small laptop, yes it is the best solution but what cost 200 in the US costs 350 over here. Which is the price of a months rent and home expenses.
Hardly a proper expense when you travel for work.

on the other hand a Chinese android based 80 dollars stick PC, seems quite reasonable. This was my thinking.

[kid_couteau]

A Raspberry Pi setup would be around 80 bucks and it is easy to learn.
I would help you

[Greekman]

thanks for the offer. the Ra-pi are all the rage in the HAM world these days so it would be a double duty, double benefit affair.

But i CANNOT bring myself to the effort these days.
Do not worry, if need be i will be remembering your kind offer.
regards, greekman

[kid_couteau]

 
No worries

But then again
Format SD card with OS you downloaded
Plug in
Update

Seems pretty easy to me.
 

[fritz_monroe]

Not a stick PC but I like the Raspberry Pi computers that are out there.

I'm a big fan of the Raspberry Pi.  I have several that I have doing various jobs.

Since you aren't a fan of them, how about a used laptop?  I picked up a refurbished Lenovo T420 on Ebay for about $200.  Put Linux on it and it does everything I want from a laptop.

I even talked my son into giving the T420 a shot for his college laptop.  Works fantastic for his needs, he left Windows on it.  It works great.