InFocus has updated its Kangaroo mini-PC range with the Kangaroo Plus. The new model takes all that users liked about the original Intel Atom x5 Z8500 SoC powered mini-PC and doubles the RAM and storage capacities.
The Kangaroo mini-PC was launched late last year, for $99, and has both proved popular and earned plaudits from the likes of Paul Thurrott - for being innovative and capable - at a great price. The InFocus product announcement spells out the reasons behind the quick follow-up with this new Kangaroo Plus machine: "We've received overwhelmingly positive response from the launch of Kangaroo a little more than three months ago. For our latest model, we have taken direct customer feedback and incorporated it into the Kangaroo Plus." said Lawrence Yen, director of Kangaroo product marketing.
As mentioned in the intro, the updates simply offer a RAM and storage bump. "Customers asked for more storage and memory packaged in the same tiny form factor and we are giving it to them," explained Yen. One more change has been delivered, but not to the hardware, it concerns the OS; "Customers have also asked to be able to customize and configure their own operating system and now that is possible as well." Windows 10 Pro, Linux and other OSes are compatible with the Kangaroo Plus.
So what are the key specifications of the Kangaroo Plus? I've bullet pointed them below for your convenience.
- Processor: 14nm quad-core 1.44GHz (2.24GHz boost) Intel Cherrytrail X5-Z8500 SoC with Intel HD Graphics
- RAM: 4GB LPDDR3 1600MHz
- Storage: 64GB eMMC
- Ports: 1x USB 3.0 (via included dock), 1x USB 2.0 (via included dock), 1 Micro-USB 2.0 (charging only), HDMI (via included dock), Dock connector, 3-in-1 card reader (MicroSDSC/MicroSDHC/MicroSDXC)
- Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0
- Battery: Lithium-ion 81WHr (up to 4 hours)
- Physical: 157.70 x 80.50 x 12.90mm, weighs 210g with dock
- Other: black colour, TPM 2.0, Fingerprint reader, Action Switch (toggles Wi-Fi hotspot).
- OS: None pre-installed
The original Kangaroo will stay on shelves, this isn't a replacement but a bigger brother. You can see that Microsoft still sells the Kangaroo, as a signature edition with Windows 10 pre-installed for $99, it is also sold by Newegg. The new Kangaroo Plus will be sold via Newegg priced at $169.99. While InFocus puts a positive spin on this, as a new OS-flexible machine, if you do want Windows on it you will be faced with a significant increase in system cost.
