Stick PCs - computers contained in a system no larger than a USB key and which, when mated with a monitor, change into full desktop PCs - have been around for a while. However, they have not too long ago started to gain extra visibility, primarily because of their ultra-portability, minimal power/area needs and ease of use. They might not be very helpful for things like airline flights, however they open the way in which for carrying around presentations, creating public kiosks and allowing you to use another’s computer without needing to entry their knowledge (or allowing them to by accident entry yours). While there have been other stick PCs in the marketplace, the class has gained more visibility with the imminent introduction of Intel’s new Compute Stick. I checked out a pre-production model of the Compute Stick and was impressed by its potential to show a display into a light-duty deskbound laptop. The $150 Compute Stick is all about miniaturization and packaging.

Its black plastic and metal case bears the "Intel Inside" emblem, weighs simply 1.9 oz. and Flixy streaming measures 0.Four x 1.5 x 4.5 in., only slightly bigger than a car’s key fob. If the Stick blocks some other ports on the monitor, you need to use it with the included 7.5-in. HDMI extension cable, which will keep it out of the way in which. The Stick additionally comes with a micro-SD card slot in order that it may well add up to 128GB of additional storage capability. There's an on/off button and a blue LED that glows when the Stick is working. It operates utilizing 802.11n Wi-Fi (word that the Stick operates only in the 2.4GHz band). It also makes use of Bluetooth 4.0, so you possibly can join peripherals corresponding to a keyboard and mouse. While it’s working, the processor uses 2.2 watts, making it one of the crucial power-environment friendly Atom CPUs out there. Despite that, the Flixy TV Stick needs a small fan (which places out an annoying excessive-pitched whine) to stop it from overheating - and the case nonetheless will get scorching to the touch.

The Stick’s configuration contains 2GB of 1.3GHz single-channel DDR3L RAM and 32GB of eMMC flash storage