Kangaroo Mini PC Review - $99 Full Windows 10 Desktop PC Mobile Desktop Computer
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Buy it on Newegg - lon.tv/kangaroo (affiliate link) - The Kangaroo Mini PC is the absolute best value for a fully licensed Windows 10 desktop PC at only $99. It's made by projector manufacturer InFocus.
VIDEO INDEX:
00:02 - Hardware Overview
01:40 - Ports and dock
04:00 - Fingerprint reader demonstration
04:07 - Microsoft Word and web browsing demonstration
06:16 - iPad second screen demonstration
07:53 - Minecraft and Counterstrike GO / gaming discussion
09:40 - Kodi and hometheater performance
10:27 - Conclusion and final thoughts
The Kangaroo is powered by an Atom X5 Cherry Trail z8500 giving it faster burst speeds compared to the other slightly more expensive Cherry Trail PC's we've looked at. It also has a battery built in that can power the device for about four hours or so. It has 2 gigs of RAM and 32 gigabytes of storage along with a fully licensed version of Windows 10 Home Edition.
The most interesting component is the included docking station. It currently supports most of the ports on the system, including HDMI, two USB ports (one 3.0 and one 2.0), as well as power. Kangaroo says they plan to make additional docks that will add other functionality. Interesting concept.
It also has a feature that allows an iPad to act as a second screen. The software is unique to the Kangaroo but there are other applications that work the same way, namely Duet that I use quite a bit.
Gaming performance is where other Cherry Trail devices are. Adequate for casual stuff and Minecraft, not so much on the more demanding titles.
I don't recommend this for home theater users as it does not pass through the higher end audio formats. It will do Dolby Digital and DTS as other mini PCs too. It was able to play back Blu Ray MKVs via its built in AC wireless adapter without trouble.
You won't find a better value for a mini desktop pc. If you're looking for one this is currently the one to get.
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This seems like an amazing little PC. Have a friend that just browses the web, email and such, will mention this to him. Thanks Lon :)
ok i didn't really expect the finger print reader for this price.
I love the way you actually listen to your viewers, and do so many reviews on products even though they may be similar. Apparently everyone else thinks that if it is from the same line up it is the same thing. Thank you for your good reviews.
Excellent thorough review Lon! Really touched on critical questions and it's just what I have been searching for
so its been a month with the Kangaroo pc and i still love it. It does get bogged down when its main drive gets full, but i added a 64 gig micro sd to suppliment memory and storage, gota a usb extender for more usb slots, and wireless keyboard and mouse whos two usb receivers plugs into two of the extender slots leaving me 5 open usb slots. overall no complaints. i have noticed if it gets overly hot it can freeze. and to put it clearly it never froze whilst in use, only when i had it on all day and wasnt using it. who knows mabie its a sleep mode. shutting it off and on didnt show any issues. If i were to purchase another ide opt for the 8 gig memory no OS installed version, only because im sure the additional ram will increase its performance, i havent tried giving windows 10 access to my new 64ssd card for additional virtual memory. (funny notion virtual chip memory from and ssd chip) if it works out great then ide stick with the less memory windows OS version. i mean think about it.. the OS is technically more expensive than the device it resides on with it installed! crazy! and i like that!. im sure there are other mini pc more powerfull but non of them cost $99, and is as well equipped. the old notion that the common cell phone is more powerful than the workstations of the past.. well this kangaroo PC is pretty much that. you can kinda think of it as a cell phone with a desktop OS usb ports the works, and instead of a display screen a hdmi output. Also keep in mind what kinda power a smartphone or tablet has graphically since theyre screens are far beyond the resolution of your average HD television. AND theyre pushing that superhd graphics around in perfect sync realtime!. im surprised someone didnt create a kangaroo type pc sooner.
You're so awesome, Lon! Such a pro and veteran. You totally WIN at giving us the most thorough reviews, in the least amount of time! So glad I found your channel. :)
I watch almost all your reviews Lon . They are so informative and pack so much into them , a big Thank You , i love technology and the fast moving world of computing , have a great day :)
Lon...Great Review...it's my first time watching any of you videos...but just based on the quality this review, I had to subscribe...
Been searching for reviews on this little gem and found this one. Kudos! I just watched this review on my Kangaroo using my Ipad mini as my monitor. Currently using a Logitech bluetooth mouse, a generic bluetooth keyboard, have a Sandisk 64GB micro-SD card for additional storage and an LG wireless headset for very good audio. Also just did the recently released major Windows update without a hiccup. Ordered a USB 3.0 dock with ethernet to hook up to my network. Netflix, Amazon & Plex media server videos all play fine through my Ipad. Going to get another one of these babies to replace my girlfriend's antiquated desktop. In my estimation, this is the tech buy of the year. You can buy several for multiple uses. Can't wait until they release other docks.
I just received mine in the mail today. In love!!!
A new version of Kangaroo PC is on newegg now. Has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB Hard drive. It's $170 but no OS. If it came with Windows 10 I would get it.
+Lon Seidman Please I live in the UK, where can I buy it from?
+Build battle133 You can order it from newegg
Jonathan Sokolowski i wouldn't see why not?
Oblivion Lord yes but it is only available to buy IF you live in the us :((
And it is very hard to find it oncebay
Just to add: The action switch is a "custom feature which allows you to use VNC control software to remotely control your computer", according to the InFocus website.
It's certainly better than a 99 dollar tablet.
Better than my $300 iPad mini
+Pender C not sure why you would compare it to a tablet but Im pretty sure IPad Air is better considering this device is limited by the low specs and not enough power to video edit.Maybe you should consider Microsoft Surface in the future since its best of both worlds a Tablet with Windows.
Nope I have a chewy tablet that's better.. and you can buy for cheap if you look around
The docking port allows you to connect a keyboard and mouse and other periferals but if you have more than one docking port it also allows you to connect your Kangaroo PC to different monitors/displays such as at work and at home.
I wouldn't have known about this *either*, were it not for Leo Laporte & Paul Thurrott on _"Windows Weekly"_, so a HUGE thanks to them.
#twit #windowsweekly #leolaporte
It overheats very quickly (8-10 minutes) causing the CPU to throttle making it impossible to watch UA-cam through Edge and HDhomerun View Windows 10. I've set everything to low quality and installed LAV filters and still have issues. It simply overheats.
+Erich Holcomb So you don't have hardware acceleration support and it overheats?
Fantastic channel! Great production quality and super informative. Keep up the great work! :)
Good review buddy! was waiting for this one!
Thanks for another highly informative review of an intriguing device. The Kangaroo seems to play movies far more smoothly than the Panda. [The demonstration you provided of the Panda playing "Back to the Future" appeard to show repeated stuttering, which drives me absolutely crazy when I'm watching video.] While you don't award the Kangaroo high marks for its Home Theater performance, it looks like it would work admirably playing movies in a desktop setting, connected to an optical disc drive, a monitor, and a pair of computer speakers, or simply streaming video from Internet sites. I figure I'd be more likely to use the Kangaroo in that type of configuration.
So far so good. I will be pushing it this weekend with a few high data rips!
I have to say, i really like the look of this little computer. Great value for money and i think the docking system is awesome.
+Lon Seidman After a bit of looking around I found out it's made by Infocus, a well known projector manufacturer. Nice to know this little PC comes from a reputable company. Do you perhaps know of any European retailers that sell this device? (or an affordable way to get it in Europe?)
*Italian voice* Yooooouuuuu... This channel is a necessity. Im going to defiantly check the out.
this device is perfect for the price and what I have in mind for my church... cant wait to get this.. thanks Lon
$99 where ??
I just got my Kangaroo last week. I love it for what it is, but it wasn't what I had hoped for. Somewhat sluggish, and streaming via Steam left much to be desired. It is basically what I was expecting from the windows 10 released for the raspberry pi(which disappointed), but, I found my pi to be more capable when it came to media, emulators, etc. All in all, its makes a great portable terminal(openssh now in win10), and is perfect for on the go coding, I just wish it were more fun/capable. Not bad for $99.
Mostly game emu's such as nes,snes,n64,mame, etc. The Kangaroo is very capable of running emulators, however, when attempting to use an arcade front end, such as Emulation Station, it failed horribly. It also seemed to have an issue with anything that uses fullscreen resolutions below 1080. The Pi2 had no issues with any of this. I do not consider this a deal breaker.
For a portable, snappy, Windows 10 desktop, it is fantastic. I have been running Sublime_Text, pycharm, and a few other IDE's as well as full MS Office apps. This is where the Pi2 is lacking IMO.
Picked this up for a Plex Server! Great little device and an excellent deal for the price! Thanks for the review Lon!
+Lon Seidman I haven't had any issues with it so far. Streaming seems on point. I do need to rename some files for library purposes, but other than that, great little device for the price! Now, I am just using it for a Plex server only. And no heavy duty transcoding here!
The upgrade options for that detachable dongle makes sense. It makes it easier to upgrade the data ports by simply swapping out one bank for another. Assuming of course their internal hardware can be upgraded as easily by the user. It might also be they are planning on offering HD pico laser projection from the detachable dongle. Or the ability to link two or more of these computers together to improve overall performance. Or perhaps to add functionality to other people's existing computer toys and gadgets, like Apple PCs or Google's tablets.
The button: Action Switch Custom feature which allows you to use VNC control software to remotely control your computer.
Very impressed all the power you get from CherryTrail CPU at just $99, this is impossible to beat using ARM device, since all tablets/smartphones that run similar performance CPU cost more than $300
Way better than those "Chinese $130" mini PC's, and it's made by a well known company that makes projectors. I'd much rather have this and have good support. Awesome review, no wonder it's already sold out on Newegg!
Very tempted to get this, install Intel Remote Desktop and velcro it to the back of my bedroom TV!
I really think they should make a "lapdock" for this. I could see it being used in an enterprise environment where a user is issued one of these as their desktop, and if for some reason they need to travel, they just borrow the "lapdock" from IT and slide this in the slot and it becomes a full blown laptop.
I am really interested by this device seems to be a good package for that price and could come in handy somewhere down the line and the ipad functionality is pretty cool for things like the ipad pro :D. Great review as always lon
+Lon Seidman ive sold my ipad air 2 in anticipation on getting the ipad pro when they finally release it which will be coming to work with me on a daily basis and if they release the kangaroo in the uk i will most definitely be buying that for work also as a portable pc but then again i also have a surface 3 and the surface 4 i claim are for work too (the misses doesnt buy that excuse anymore :( )
This thing looks awesome. Thanks for the video.
Hey Lon. Have you tested how well this would work as an DLNA server? I have external USB dives that I use hooked up to a mini PC as a media server. My mini PC just died and I am looking to replace it. Just curious how well this would work.
"Right now if you flick the switch it turns blue, so that's something." 3:06 LOL
awesome video thanks for doing the review for us
Hey Lon, I've just recently started trying to rip some of my Blu Rays to my home pc but when I use handbrake the video quality keeps coming out somewhat pixelated. Do you have any suggestions for what the best settings are for using handbrake to get the best quality video?
Great review. Just one thing you missed. In the official launch video they use the oslinx software with an ipad and an iphone as a main display on the go.
I purchased one from the microsoft store based off your review. Its going to in my sons room. I may buy one fro the living room.
+Lon Seidman Its is. Got it at www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/InFocus-Kangaroo-Signature-Edition-Mobile-Desktop/productID.328073600 free shipping.
BIG EDIT: They just uploaded the Action Switch driver!
@Lon Seidman, you should contact that guy you interviewed and tell them to put that Action Switch / Wi-fi Hotspot software on the website because this is insane to go through..and also we can't install Windows 10 Pro on it :(
Thanks for passing it on!
great review, thanks!
a screen add on i can see them possibly coming out with, very interesting unit indeed.
There is an app for android that will do the same as OSLinx for Apple devices. It's called iDisplay from the company Shape.ag. It has been around for quite a while. The app you install on your PC is the Win 8 Beta but works perfectly for me.
Hi Lon, what is the latency on the Ipad OS linx? Second, do you think it'll work on Ipad Pro when it comes out? I think getting a Ipad Pro + Kangaroo is a much better deal than the Surface book! Assuming there's no glitch with the OS linx, and latency is low. What do you think?
Great video thx . What do you recommend for htpc ? Less than $100 ? Or android tv box ? Thank you
I got one but I can figure out how to stop the overscan on my TV, no one to change scaling in the video options as "maintain current scaling" is unclickable
Hey Lon; just wondering if you can you please run crystaldiskmark to test the onboard ssd and passmark for the cpu score? Thanks!
perfect review, you covered everything.
I think it's ironic they called it the Kangaroo, since I can't buy one here in Australia >:-( . Anyway another top review Lon, it amazes me how cheap these computers are becoming these days.
Can't wait for someone to release a super small 720p HDMI monitor. Totally going to use this to build a Steam Boy.
The function of the "Action Switch" is explained in full at the Customer Support Portal for the Kangaroo. Live help chat is also available.
I bought two of them after seeing the review. Just curious, is anyone else experiencing issues with Wifi disconnecting? I noticed randomly when I power on the device I'll have to unjoin and rejoin my wireless network. Doesn't seem to do this with any of my other wireless devices.
can you put a USB adapter for more USB outlets on it. as I would have to run my external drive, wireless keyboard and mouse as well as my magic jack???
Does this support UA-cam Live streaming? Is it fast enough for highest quality live feed?
Thank you Lon.
hey Lon. Thanks for the review! Am looking for a inexpensive computer to replace a dying one. This seems like a great replacement for it. Think I'll be on newegg once my tax check comes in. Thanks again!
Question Lon ,, ( or anyone who might know ).
You posted a video some time ago about Windows 8 onto a ChromeBOX . I have this Kangaroo mini pc .
So ,, Is there ANY way to load Windows 10 ONTO my HP Chromebox and use this ( The Kangaroo's mini pc ) Windows Product ID or KEY number
to make it a "Legitimate" copy of Windows ???
Or would I have to purchase another Legitimate copy of Windows to load onto the Chromebox ??
And ,, Will Windows 10 work on the Chromebox ,, or only 8 ??
Thanks Lon ,, or Anyone .. :) ..
Lon, tell me, please, have you compare different USB Stick to each other ?!
(for example, Intel compute Stick vs Kangaroo vs Tronsmart Ara X5)
would you recommend this for kodi over the older amazon fire TV box? My biggest disappointment with the fire tv was its inability to run 1080i channels smoothly from my hdhomerun connect via the kodi add-on or any other way. CBS football looked awful. thanks for your awesome reviews
These Bay - & CherryTrail PC's are still rocking all over the Internet. Latest i heard is that Intel has now introduced new Server grade CherryTrail Atom CPU's with 8 or even 12 cores. Don't know if they implemented hyperthreading with those, would be freaking awesome to have a 16 or 24 logical cores Atom CPU on a tiny board. I guess 3GHz boost for atleast 4 or 6 of them is not that far fetched either. Looking forward to these products or tiny low budget motherboards.
Intel Atom C3750 : 8 cores / 8 threads
Intel Atom C3808 : 12 cores / 12 threads
Intel Atom C3950 : 16 cores / 16 threads
www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/processors/atom/c-series.html
Lon have any windows 10 tablets come out with cherry trail that are in the ~100 dollar range, i cant find any : ( I find it makes a lot more sense to grab a tablet than a mini pc for obvious reasons. Love the reviews as always.
Lon, with that OS Linx app is the resolution on the ipad side limited to 1024x768 as shown in the video? Any possibility to set it to a higher res? perhaps if it's the only monitor instead of extended? thanks for the great review
+Lon Seidman Awesome thanks. In the meantime I'll check out Duet!
What about streaming games from Steam? How does it compare to their proprietary device while streaming over WiFi if someone wanted to spend the extra $50 for the added PC functionality?
I am pretty sure I know the answer, but others might find the comparison interesting.
+EdT1138 We've seen the Meego Pad and the Intel Stick doing fine with Steam In-Home. I guess this will too... I'm still actually in the market for a small PC to connect to my TV. All these little OC stick/box are quite interesting.
Nice review Lon :)
+Martin-Pierre Beaulieu Thanks Martin. I have been streaming to an Atom powered PC attached to my home theater projector for a while, so I would be surprised if this didn't work. I just thought it would be an interesting comparison since Lon recently reviewed the $50 Steam device, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind getting another video or two out of it.
+Lon Seidman Watched it yesterday. Seems the Kangaroo is on the top of my list for now. Thanks a lot for that addition to the review.
+Lon Seidman HI! Can run visual studio on this computer??
+Lon Seidman Thanks!!
Love the detailed reviews! It takes most of the worry out of buying one of these great devices. I'm in the market for a mini pc and I've been eyeballing the Zotac bi320u. There aren't a ton of decent options for $200. Any reviews on the Zotac?
When you connect it to an iPad, can you use the on-screen keyboard? Or just a Bluetooth keyboard?
Dang! This looks awesome! I want one!
I have been enjoying my Kangaroo and have tried other second screen solutions all are pretty laggy. Native HDMI seems to be much more efficient and not laggy. I do hope that a 4GB RAM version will be offered. I'd drop more $$ for that version.
Considering this is labeled as InFocus (although manufactured by FoxConn) I can't wait for CES where they are supposed to announce new docks for these. Can you say Pico Projector??? It is InFocus after all.
They will likely make a projector that this slots into. Perhaps the side switch is for some kind of pairing function, say for a remote control?
Couple questions :
1.) is the MicroUSB slot connected through the USB 2.0 or other (USB 3.0, PCI-e) to the MOBO ? - In other words is it worth buying a high speed micro SD card to reach the 80-100MB/s transfer rates or should something under 60MB/s be purchased since they are cheaper and if using USB 2.0 interface you are limited by the hardware to under 60MB/s anyway !
2.) Have you tested the read/write performance of both the eMMC drive and the SD card slot and what is the performance like ? ( since it only has 2GB. of RAM seems it will be swapping memory so knowing how the memory performance rates would help and none of the specs say what type of speed the eMMC or SD card can achieve !)
Hi, Lon! Very cool video!
I think what the hardware to choose and used for digitally signage business (a very important stability and reliability).
maybe you have compare: Kangaroo vsIntel NUC or Kangaroo vs Intel Stick \ stick 2
Thank you!
Question for Lon: Which mini PC would you recommend for those looking to use it for home theater purposes? For instance if I want to watch mp4 or mkv files?
will it work with any iPad? or it is just meant to be working with the iPad air and newer....... the keyboard could be attached to the iPad or with the mini pc, or both, thanks!
+Jefferson Ramirez I think it should work with Kangaroo's app. Or you can buy the app like Duet display on App store to makes it work
Can you comment on how HTML5 video plays in browsers? Do you get smooth playback, notice any rendering lag?
is there an android app for phone that you could use as a mouse/keyboard? trying to think how I'd set this up to replace my Fire stick.
I like the os link w ipad makes my ipad into a portable workplace
hey when connecting to an ipad you need a sperate keyboard or you can use the touch key board
can you please check Wi-Fi 802.11 A/C performance
hi great review but i have a question.
this mini pc have a power management in bios consigurable to rtc alarm on every day at specifc hour and minute settings?
thanks
+il mio “ilmiospot” Spot No it does not
Lon , can i connect to my Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Tablet , since it's only say it for ipad . please help Lon Thanks you .
Hey Lon, how about my sound speaker? How can i use them with the Kangoroo?
I'm wondering if any mini pcs will run iTunes I have a gen one hp stream tablet 1gb of ram downloaded iTunes and it won't stream any of my movies I own. I buy some digital movies off iTunes for the iTunes extra
Hey Lon, is there any way you could tell us what the earliest version of iOS that the app requires?
Thanks bud!
Great review! Can you content on how fast the USB3 port is to read/write to something like an external hard drive? Just a quick test with some numbers in MB/s would be awesome. Thanks!
+RichardParker32 For anyone interested, my Kangaroo arrived from Newegg, and I ran some disk speed benchmarks. See the results here: arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=30074759#p30074759
I do appreciate these budget PCs, but I ask for you to include suggestions or links to necessary extra equipment like USB/Ethernet hubs and storage solutions. Maybe budget minded bare minimum functionality, versus higher price with better reliability that might make it a deal breaker / reason for a more complete machine.
Does the base 2gb model run MS Office smoothly? Need some for schooling purposes.
Could you ask when they will be releasing the larger dock with the Ethernet connectivity and capability to add a hard drive internally? (It was demonstrated at several tech shows).
I have no sound you know anything about that? Help thanks
Will it output dolby digital plus from the windows Netflix app to a receiver?
Which version of minecraft were you using? The original java version or the new windows 10 only version?
+Lon Seidman if you happen to be using it later could you test out the windows 10 version? It is available to everyone who bought the java version you just have to sign into your minecraft account and click a link that will take you to the windows store. I only ask because it runs better than the java version.
hi
can you tell which is the most powerfull tv box today with windows os and with android os
How about using it as a Powerpoint system? I'm looking to go from it to a TV via an HDMI cable. The slideshow will just keep running.....
Thank you... Keep up the great work.
I saw you using Kodi. How does it do streaming movies from say a repo such as 1channel? This would be my main use for this product. I guess mainly worried about the wifi speed. Thanks.
Thanks for the reply. I think im going to purchase it and give it a shot. Heck if anything the kids will enjoy Minecraft on the big screen im sure. Lol
Lon, could you do a comparison of this and the Azulle Access Plus? I purchased the AA+ with 4GB/32GB with the Azulle Lynx remote to use as a media center on the road. The combined price was $160. The AA+ is $140 without the remote. I've installed Kodi, Pandora and Netflix, and run portable versions of other software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop Elements visit USB stick running on a powered hub. I've also attached a portable 4TB HHD to the hub. Everything works fairly well, but the Atom processor is certainly a lot slower than running on a Core i7. The Lynx remote is a disappointment because of ackward placement of some of the keys and poor battery life. The remote should use a rechargeable lithium ion battery, but instead uses 2 AAA batteries that only last a couple of hours. It would be nice to have an internal battery, like the Kangaroo, but of course that would add to the size and weight. The Kangaroo dock is a great idea. I haven't tried connecting the AA+ to a tablet as its external screen, but ha wondered if it is possible. Would really like to hear from you for your opinion of the AA+ and other options or uses. Thanks for your informative videos.
I thought you would like to know but there is an upgraded version of this unit on newegg. It comes with 4gb of ram and 64 gbs of storage. Only downside is it does not come with windows 10 . Kangaroo plus if you are interested.
+dplalowski was wondering how the kangaroo + would do as a home theatre system/ retro gaming consule
kodi should run great on it. retro game emulators all should work under the playtion 1 era . Me personally have a Nvidia shield and I think it is worth every penny. I can run all emulators on it , stream pc games, and run kodi or netflix
how is this pc on emulation? I was considering making a small arcade cabinet, could it run most emulators?
cool, and your video was great.
Hey does anyone know if this or any other pc stick will work on my iPad in which I can download iTunes and then sync my iPhone?! 👍🏻
Hi. Thanks for the video. i want to us Ipad to write scientific papers. This is now possible using Kangaroo PC i believe, since we will get the full-fledged office version (equation editor). can the touch screen be used to type or i have to carry external keyboard as well? I would appreciate your feedback, please . Regards
Whats the best budget bang for buck mini pc atm? One that a least doesnt stutter playing 1080 or 4k vidz..
Can format and install fresh copy of Windows 7 Pro on this (for use with WMC)?