[Hoot Gibson]

I recently bought a $35 computer called the Raspberry Pi. I thought that I might use it as a media center for one of my TVs, but it is a little slow for that purpose and there are too many video and audio formats that it does not support. While I was researching peripherals for the Raspberry Pi board, I came across many devices best described as "computers on a stick." I am now considering ordering one, which would basically allow my TV to work like an Android tablet.

The devices come loaded with software that allows them to stream video from Netflix, Amazon, etc., but they will also run any app from the Google Play Store, including browsers like Chrome. If you are already using one of these sticks, how do you like it? I have used a Roku box before, but the Android devices seem much more versatile and the new ones should be pretty speedy.

This is the one that I am leaning toward. It is called a Neo G4 and costs under $70. I plan to use a wireless Logitech keyboard/trackpad with it. The actual size is about the same as a standard sized USB flash drive. It provides up to HD 1080p output, wi-fi, bluetooth support, and a USB port. By adding a powered USB hub, it would be easy to add a large external hard drive to the device.

[Image: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31SH6TBgRKL.jpg]