In fact, if you're on a laptop, you can use a HDMI cable to link it to a TV screen. Then you should have the option to put your laptop's screen in rest mode, so you just use it as a keyboard and you won't get distracted by the laptop's glare (unless you have external Bluetooth devices paired with it, then you have more freedom).
But what I think is great about these Android boxes is that they are as light as a feather. No need for a big chunky tower making lots of noise and taken up a lot of room on your table, and the ports are often situated at the back with those massive PC towers as well, which can be rather fiddly. Most of the ports you need are on the side of the Android units.
The default launcher is pretty basic, but you can add your own from the Google Play Store. Recently, I added the Microsoft Launcher, which is better, as it looks like a desktop, so you can put your icons into rows. Like the way I do it, i put my browsers at the top, then my video apps below, and so on.
I had Sentio Desktop before, but now it ain't working. That's certainly the best one, as the Microsoft one I have has no bar at the bottom, and you have to scroll to the left to see the clock. Plus, the wallpaper I added doesn't quite reach the end, and starts to repeat.
But at around £40, these things are a steal. They aren't perfect. Nothing is perfect. But you just use them as you would with any ordinary PC, and many of them have Kodi. I even think they are better than the Amazon TV Stick, because you can use a wired mouse right away, and the browsers don't act as dodgy. Although I do recommend getting a 4 to 6K one with an OTG port, as you can add other devices. And most of the apps you require are already free from Google's official store. Or you can install APK files, and even add a SD card as internal storage, so you can play games. One of my favourite ones is the 8-ball pool app, from Miniclip.
I did purchase a Google Chromecast, but I ended up getting the basic one from 2017, that is just for casting and bugger all else.
To get an idea of what they are like, go on YouTube and look up a guy called Free Tech. You'll get to hear some funny jokes into the bargain.
