(Does this belong under streaming, Windows, or somewhere else? I never know where to put something like this.)

When I was searching for a streaming computer, and ended up ordering a Pipo X7, I was asked to post my impressions of it when it arrived. I’m not equipped to do a proper review so impressions are all I have to offer.

It arrived today, after three weeks in transit, and the first impression is overwhelmingly positive. The official price for the unit was around US $114 or so but the actual cost to me including shipping and conversion charges worked out to about NZ$150. For this amount I received a complete Windows box the size of a small paperback running a full version of 8.1. I won’t bother posting any photos because there are much better ones on the AliExpress site where I bought this.

In spite of its small size, the Pipo has a complete set of ports, which is why I bought it. There are even four USB ports. It worked straight out of the box, with no set-up needed beyond some personal customisations. It just works, no problems. That in itself is a refreshing change.

This is a compact unit, not a high end one. System info says the processor is an Intel Atom 1.33 gh with 2 gb of RAM. The box it came in says Intel Baytrail T, quad-core 3736f up to 2.16 ghz. It has a small hard drive, I think 32 gigs, with only about 20 gigs or so free but capacity can easily be added via one of those USB ports so I don’t see that as a problem. It says the hardware is 64 bit, but the OS is the 32 bit version. It also has bluetooth but I am only using it to stream via HDMI to the TV. Both the Ethernet connection and the Wifi work without problem.

Because of where I live, I only have a slow RBI connection with capped data so I don’t do a lot of demanding HD streaming, but the sites I did try today worked flawlessly and the computer seemed to have no problem at all keeping up. No stuttering or buffering or anything like that and screen quality was nice and sharp, though not high definition. I am extremely pleased with this little unit. It performs exactly as I hoped it would. I could not have found anything better for my purposes. At the moment I am using a cheap mini usb keyboard/mouse to control it and that works fine. I toggle the Windows magnifier back and forth using keyboard shortcuts and that works adequately for navigation from the couch. The Pipo itself seems solid and well-made with an aluminum case and it has that ‘quality’ feel that is so hard to define. I am very glad I chose this over one of the slightly cheaper alternatives. 

I consider this little computer excellent value for money and I feel I got a good buy. Can’t say how it will perform over time, of course, but my first impression is I am in love with it.