Yes, I admit it: I'm using Windows And I'm delighted. How is that possible, if I switched to Linux several decades ago and haven't looked back? Well, there's an explanation for everything, starting with the fact that I'm not a fanboy not a hater, I know perfectly well that there are different options and each one has its strengths and weaknesses. In addition, and I'll give you a little spoiler, no, I don't use it as my primary operating system or on a secondary laptop.
I'm using Windows, I'm delighted - maybe I say it like that, but it would have to be qualified a lot - and it makes sense: I use it in what is now my TV BoxThis story begins more than six years ago. When I bought the Raspberry Pi 6, that was exactly what I wanted to use it for. My mistake was thinking it would make a good mini PC, but I overlooked the architecture and the fact that there's a lot of software that isn't available.
Later, I acquired a Xiaomi Mi Box, and the performance, from my point of view, was terrible. But anyway, I used it for a while and it gave me joy, until I gave it to a nephew. Later, I converted an old laptop into a TV Box with Linux, but everything didn't quite work to my liking—for example, Prime Video didn't play in HD. I've gone back to using it. Android TV, this time on the RPi4, but many of the sources I find are in 4K, and it can't handle them. First of all, I bought an Apple TV for €150 (I think I remember), and it's one of the worst investments I've ever made because you can't watch anything "unofficial" on it.
A mini PC with Windows, the best possible TV Box
I recently thought about a Windows mini PC, and after a brief search on Aliexpress, I bought one for €110. Brand? I'd rather not say, as it doesn't have any recognizable names. How long will it last? I hope it lasts a long time: the components are, in theory, similar to those found in other mini PCs that cost about €100 more. At this point, if anyone wants to do what I did, let them do it, but keep in mind that the gamble may not pay off as well. For me, for now, it's worth it.
The RPi4 was worth, if we add the board, case, charging cable (which I ended up buying the original because the one that came in the third-party box didn't work well) and some SD, around €100. And it was arm64. The mini PC I bought to be my new TV Box has an Intel N100 processor with x86_64 architecture, 16GB of RAM (average, not the newest or fastest) and 512GB of SSD storage, and its price was €110. The Apple TV is even more expensive, and you can't use Kodi on it.
Detail, I think important: For years, I've had a wireless keyboard, which makes it easier to navigate an operating system that is designed for use with a keyboard and mouse.
The reason for this decision
Before buying it I found out if that mini PC could with 4K contentAnd no, I don't have a big TV or one with that resolution; it's simply that a lot of the content I find now is in that resolution. Basically, it's to have more options.
The RPi4 couldn't handle 4K, and when I used a Linux distro I saw what is known as tearing, which is like a line that runs from one end to the other in some frames. The Apple TV is very good, I won't deny it, but only for what it lets you do. The Xiaomi was just too small for me, and my Linux laptop, which is quite old, is three-quarters the same.
Uses I make of it
And here comes the mini PC, not a brand name, but running Windows. With it, I can:
- Watch Prime Video in HDIf I want to download a movie, for whatever reason, I can use the Windows app. If I don't want any ads and want to watch the content without downloading, I can do so with Firefox and uBlock Origin.
- Stremio: This did work for me on the RPi4 with Android TV, but I couldn't play the 4K sources It made me waste a lot of time sometimes.
- Kodi: I also had it running on the RPi4 with Android TV, but I had the same problem.
- 100% desktop browser for whatever I want.
- Cloudflare VPN or DNS without complications. Windows has apps for OpenVPN and WireGuard, and I can use the free VPN from ProtonVPN to bypass blocks. Cloudflare WARP is also available. Again, no hassle.
- Don't "burn" my Steam DeckThe deck can handle a lot of the above. Except for watching Prime Video in HD, yes, it worked for me. But I was using it too much, constantly, and also docking and undocking… I felt like I could ruin it at any moment or shorten the battery life.
I didn't praise Windows before, nor do I praise it now.
I think you have to be smart and use the best in each case. It may not seem very smart to spend €110 on a device to use as a TV box, but it's cheaper than the NVIDIA Shield TV and others just as powerful, and they do less. In the end I opted for a mini PC because everything is for Windows, and not everything is for Linux or works as well on Android.
But not everything is perfect. It still makes me nervous when the antivirus loads a plugin from Kodi and I have to figure out how to get it to leave alone, not to mention the firewall that has even blocked Stremio and/or Kodi (I know it's my fault but...). I'm not crazy about the operating system, not at all, but if it works well when you've found what you want and during that specific use, well, that's fine.
So no, I'm not going to switch to Windows or defend it tooth and nail... although there are some Linux vs. Windows-type articles coming up in which I'll discuss areas where Linux or the software available on it could be improved.