Intel's most recent Compute Stick is a big improvement over the old one, but in real-world use, its biggest drawbacks are its 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Versions of the stick with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and faster Core M processors are on the way , but they'll also cost quite a bit more than the low-end version.

A company called InFocus now has a product that can fill the gap: the Kangaroo Plus mini PC, available for $169.99 with no operating system installed, uses a similar Atom x5-z8500 CPU but pairs it with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. You still might not want to use one as your primary PC, but no matter what you're using it for, the RAM should make it more responsive, and the extra storage will make it easier to install apps and updates.

The Kangaroo Plus (also available in a cheaper version with Windows 10 but 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage) is physically larger than the Compute Stick, and while it offers similar connectivity, you do need to connect a separate (but usually included) dock to get it all. The PC itself just has a micro-USB port for power and a microSD slot, but the dock adds an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, and a plug for a non-USB power adapter. 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 should help it avoid the connectivity problems of the original Compute Stick.

The worst thing about the Kangaroo Plus for Windows users is that you'll need to bring your own license, but for people looking to install Linux or another OS on it anyway, the fact that it doesn't come with an operating system isn't a big deal.

The Kangaroo Plus is available on Newegg now and should come to other retailers soon.