NOTHING COSTS MORE THAN IT USED TO:

The general upshot of the stick is that it ports the television on your computer or smartphone -- like Netflix, or YouTube -- to your television. A lot of devices can already do this for you. So what makes this thing any different or better than all the others?

It's dirt cheap. The stick only costs $35. Roku's similar dongle-type streamer retails for $100. There's a huge mental difference between $100 and $35. It's easy to splurge on something that costs less than an Urban Outfitters shirt. In addition, Netflix users -- new and existing -- get three months of the streaming service free, essentially paying for most of the stick. (Three months of streaming costs, at minimum $24.)

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