The guy at the store said he had two Chromecasts, and was waiting for his third to be shipped.
Reviews I read praised the Chromecast as the next big thing in broadcasting.
Even the fact I had to wait weeks for the thing was part of the sales pitch – it must be worth a lot if it is so popular.
Well, it finally arrived,and I hooked it up – properly – then I find out three things about it which are causing me to send it back,
1.The Chromecast hooks up to my TV okay, BUT ONLY when my PC is on to send a Wi-Fi signal. I already have that with a couple of cables I’ve been using between the PC and the TV for a couple of years.
2. Even if I could get the Chromecast to work, it is only offering Yahoo and Netflix videos – stuff I already get on my PC Wi-Fi. The Chrome cast is redundant. MAYBE – just MAYBE the program choices will open up in the future, but here, I already have Netflix and YouTube – that’s all I need. Even if they give us 12 channels, I would still probably say “No” if I still have to have that umbilical cord to the PC!!!!
3. Here is the big clunker, and I want to spread this to as many potential buyers as possible – check your compatibility FIRST
You see, my Windows 7 Home Premium HP/Compaq PC is AMD Athslon II Dual Core M300, 2.00 GHz machine doesn’t cut it.
After digging deep into the bowels of my newly purchased Chromecast, after several hours, I discovered the minimum requirements for the Chromecast is “a 2nd-generation Core i5 (2GHz+), 3rd/4th-generation Core i5 processor, or equivalent.”
If you have LINX or Windows XP, you are out of luck. .Chrome OS is “coming soon,”and only you Apple people will understand Mac-Talk,so here is the requirement chart for you to muddle through. The chart they should have displayed at all points of purchase BEFORE you give them your VISA card.
Mind you, it took me HOURS to research all this for my peeps. No fun but I hope you will be helped.
Perhaps in the future, when the Chromecast can stand alongside my TV without relying on my PC – as I originally envisioned it – I might kick myself for not having hung on to the dongle, but for now, I am wrapping it up and sending it back to Amazon, where it belongs.
Best to the rest of you – let me know how your dongle dangles!
Gramps' blog 