dtgreene: Actually, a mini pc that fits in a backpack can be useful if, say, you need to bring the computer to a convention to show off a game you're making.
Of course, there's the issue with the monitor, and unless you can find one that folds somehow, fitting it in a backpack could be a problem, and carrying it separately, of course, is annoying. (I've done that in the past, but they were to smaller events where I could park close by.)
Most people would use a laptop for that task but indeed, a mini pc is great. I have one Intel compute Stick (stk2m3) and although is not used for that purpose, the very low power requirement makes them the perfect fit for some projects. Now that are plenty of Raspberrys everywhere it might not make so much sense.
My unit was used to control some stuff and was on 24/7.