Just because it follows the form factor of the chromecast and firestick does not mean that it needs to match that ease of use on a TV.
I don't buy this review. The author doesn't seem to understand the niche that this device is best for.
* Grandma and Grandpa need a PC to read their email, watch YouTube, and maybe make a christmas card in Word. They don't care about playing Dark Souls II because they're not 12 year olds. They just need a cheap computer that isn't their eMachine from 2005. This outperforms it.
* I want a web terminal in my kitchen for reading recipes, or in my garage for watching YouTube tutorials and running some obscure software to program my car.[1]
Why is it better than a chromebox/book?
* You need / want software that isn't available in a browser. And with this device, you don't have to hack on the BIOS to boot another OS.
Where this device is beaten:
* I want to a dedicated device to stream Twitch or Netflix (Get a $30 set-top device meant to do graphics intensive things, not a general computer)
[1]: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=175 // my brother uses an old laptop for this currently.