From Joe Steel’s review of Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 2:

Amazon currently has the 2nd generation Fire TV Stick on sale for $29.99, that’s $10 off the normal price, and an unbeatable bargain. That’s wacky-arm-flailing-inflatable-tube-man pricing. I’ll risk recommending something that some people might hate, because at $30, it’s basically the cost of a bad dinner, and a drink, at a restaurant.

And:

I bought the 2nd generation stick when it was first available for preorder in October, and have been very pleased with it’s performance over the 1st generation device. Since the previous model I had also came with a voice remote, there’s no difference in features, but if you had purchased the model without a voice remote it’s absolutely a different experience.

My dad just emailed me, asking the best way to add Netflix to his TV. There are many ways to solve this problem, but my knee-jerk reaction was to consider an Apple TV. But the cheapest Apple TV is US$149. The Amazon Fire TV Stick solves the same problem for $30. For someone who just wants Netflix, hard to argue for the Apple TV.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my Apple TV and am thrilled with the purchase. But if you want to add a few more, the price really adds up.

My dad just ordered an Amazon Fire TV Stick and I ordered one for myself so I can walk through the interface on my end, help him work through the setup remotely. At $30, the Fire Stick is a bargain, gives you something Apple TV does not (access to Amazon Video), and points out a real hole in Apple’s product line.