The Intel Compute Stick is a desktop computer that’s so small it doesn’t have to sit on your desk at all. Just plug the HDMI connector into a TV or monitor, connect a power source, and you can basically turn any display into a fully functional PC.

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The Compute Stick comes in two models: there’s a Windows version with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and a cheaper Ubuntu Linux model with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage… although you can install Ubuntu on the Windows model yourself if you want the extra memory and disk space.

The Compute Stick isn’t actually the first device of its type. Chinese companies have been producing similar mini PCs with ARM processor and Android software for a few years and a handful of those companies started producing Intel and Windows models before the Compute Stick hit the streets.

Now that Intel has entered the space though, folks that might have been wary of buying hardware from companies like MeegoPad, Esense, or Hannspree might be willing to give these Windows PC-on-a-stick things a try.

Intel loaned me a Windows model for the purposes of this review. The little computer measures about 3.9″ x 1.5″ x 0.4″ and weighs less than two ounces. It features an Intel Atom Z3735F Bay Trail quad-core processor, 2GB of DDR3-1333 MHz RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. It runs Windows 8.1 with Bing software.

So what exactly are you supposed to do with a computer this small?

What’s it for?

In some senses, the Intel Compute Stick can do just about anything a larger PC can. It’s got quad-core Intel x86 processor, WiFi, Bluetooth, a full-sized USB port, and support for Windows 8.1 or Ubuntu 14.04 Linux. You can use it to watch movies, play (some) games, edit documents, or perform many other tasks.

But it’s a low-power computer that doesn’t have the graphics chops for bleeding edge gaming and doesn’t have enough ports for some common activities.

Intel is positioning the Compute Stick as a device for consumers or businesses. You can plug it into any television to transform it into a smart TV for streaming internet music or video, playing games, web surfing, and more. Hook up a USB webcam and you can use it to Skype from your TV.

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Intel says you could even use it to stream PC games from another room in your house using Steam In-Home Streaming (although I haven’t tested this, since I don’t have a gaming PC that meets the requirements).

Enterprise users can treat it like a thin client: plug it into a screen, connect a keyboard and mouse and you can use remote desktop software to connect to a more powerful machine (or you could always use Office or other apps on the Stick itself). You could also use it to power digital signage, kiosks, or other solutions.

There’s a lot you can do with the Compute Stick. The question is whether you really want it to do those things, or if other devices might serve your needs better.

In some ways the Compute Stick and similar mini PCs might exist partly because they can. A few years ago it would have been tough to cram all the components of a fully functional PC into a case this small. But computer components have been getting smaller and smaller. Take apart the Compute Stick and you’ll find a system board with a processor and integrated storage and memory that looks a lot like something you’d find in a recent smartphone or Windows tablet.

Basically the Compute Stick is like a Windows tablet without a screen, but with a full-sized USB port and an HDMI connector. It’s small enough to slide into your pocket, allowing you to take your PC with you wherever you go. Or you can plug it into the back of your TV and forget it’s even there until you need it. Whether it’s something people will regularly use or ignore remains to be seen, but I’m still kind of impressed that we live in an age where this sort of technology exists at all.

What’s in the box?

The Compute Stick looks a bit like a large USB flash drive, but instead of a USB connector on one end, it has a full-sized HDMI connector. There’s a full-sized USB port and a micro USB port (for power) on one side, as well as a small power button.

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On the other side there’s a microSD card slot which you can use for removable storage.

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There are vents on the top, left, and right sides of the Compute Stick, and if you place your hand over the smaller vent in the top while the system is running, you may feel a warm gust of air since there’s a tiny fan inside the case which helps keep the system from overheating.

cs_07

The fan is pretty quiet, but it does make a high-pitched whirring sound which you can hear in an otherwise quiet room, or when you put your ear near the Compute Stick. Even with the fan, the little computer can get warm to the touch.

Under the hood the device features a processor, memory, storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, and just about everything else you’d find in a larger computer. There are just fewer ports and options for expansion. There’s no room for a hard drive or disc drive. And since there’s just a single full-sized USB port, it can be tough to connect a keyboard, mouse, and USB flash drive all at the same time.

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You can get creative though: use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard and the USB port is free for other peripherals. Personally I tested the Compute Stick with equipment I already had handy, so I connected a Logitech wireless keyboard & touchpad combo unit with a single USB dongle.

This didn’t leave me with many options for connecting other peripherals, but I did pair the Compute Stick with a Bluetooth speaker for a little while to confirm that Bluetooth does work — although it took multiple attempts to get the speaker to pair with the Compute Stick. Other reviewers have noted similarly unreliable Bluetooth performance, but Intel is reportedly working on a software update that might address the issue.

The device is basically a self-contained computer that requires nothing more than a power source to operate — although you’ll probably want to connect a display, keyboard, mouse, or other controller unless you want to use the Compute Stick as a headless system like a file server.

cs_accessories

Intel ships the Compute Stick with a few accessories. There’s a short HDMI extender cable that you can use if it would be awkward to plug the stick right into the HDMI port on your display for some reason.

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The Compute Stick draws power from a micro USB port and Intel includes a USB to micro USB cable and a 5 volt, 2 amp power adapter that comes with four different sets of prongs so you can use the adapter in most regions around the world.

cs_adapter

Note that the USB cable isn’t very long, so you may need a different cable if your TV or monitor isn’t very close to an outlet. But you don’t necessarily need to use the included adapter: I was able to plug the power cable directly into the USB port on one TV in our house with no problems. The Compute Stick ran for hours with no interruptions while drawing power from the TV itself.

Some TVs may not provide enough power though: when I tried the same thing with a different television, the Compute Stick would occasionally reboot or turn off unexpectedly.

How well does it work?

The Intel Compute Stick isn’t a supercomputer. But it’s definitely a computer. You can use it to view presentations or edit documents using office software. Fire up a web browser and you can surf the web, play online games, or stream online videos. Install image, audio, or video editing software and you can use it as a cheap (and relatively slow) media editing workstation.

Just don’t expect bleeding edge speeds. While the Compute Stick boots relatively quickly and handles simple tasks with ease, it offers the kind of performance you’d expect from a cheap Windows tablet… because it has the same kind of hardware as a cheap Windows tablet.

Want to play PC or mobile games on your TV? It can handle Window Store games like Asphalt 8, but don’t expect it to perform as well with graphically-intensive games like Crysis 3 or Far Cry 4.

sword

You may have some luck with some older or less graphically-intensive games though. I installed Superborthers Sword & Sworcery: EP and played through the first level. The adventure game is known for it’s beautiful soundtrack and attractive design… but it was initially designed for iOS devices and it’s not exactly taxing on the Compute Stick’s Intel Atom processor. Still, it’s fun to play on a big screen.

hulu

The Compute Stick also makes a decent media center. I was able to stream online video from YouTube, Netflix and Hulu. I installed the Kodi media center application and streamed 720p videos from a shared network drive with no difficulty.

I also tested the system with a few other apps including LibreOffice (for editing documents), Handbrake (for transcoding videos), and 7-zip (for creating compressed ZIP archives). It was able to handle all of those tasks… it just wasn’t exactly the fastest computer I’ve tested.

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In fact, even some computers with similar hardware seem to run faster. The Mele PCG03 and Zotac ZBOX PI320 pico are both small desktop computers with Intel Atom Z3735F processors, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and Windows 8.1 with Bing software. They both performed my audio and video test more quickly than the Intel Compute Stick (although the Compute Stick did come out a little ahead of the curve in the Folder Zip test).

Interestingly the results of a Hanbdrake video transcoding test were a little different: the Compute Stick was faster than the Mele PCG03, but slower than the Zotac ZBOX PI320 pico.

cs_handbrake

Note that none of these systems were as fast as the Asus Zenbook UX305 laptop with an Intel Core M-5Y10 Broadwell processor. While it’s kind of unfair to compare an Intel Atom and Intel Core processor, the Core M chip is a 4.5 watt processor that doesn’t use much more energy than the Atom Z3735F chip found in these mini-computers. But it clearly offers significantly better performance.

All told, the Intel Compute Stick offers reliable performance for certain tasks. But it’s pretty clear you shouldn’t expect miracles from a small, cheap machine.

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The biggest problem I encountered while testing the little computer was mediocre WiFi range. The system has built-in support for 802.11n 2.4 GHz WiFi networks. I got strong WiFi performance when using the system with a TV that sits right next to our router in the living room on the first floor of my house. But when I tried plugging the computer into a TV in my third floor office, performance was spotty at best, and non-existent at worst.

Intel seems to know that the WiFi performance is nothing to write home about. The company provided a reviewer’s guide that made recommendations for testing Steam’s in-home game streaming. Intel says you’ll want a “high-speed low-latency connection” which you can get by connecting a USB-to-Ethernet adapter or a USB 5.0 GHz 802.11ac WiFi adapter. In other words, the built-in WiFi probably isn’t good enough for streaming games.

Can I run other operating systems?

Intel offers the Compute Stick in two configurations: you can buy a model with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and Windows 8.1 or a cheaper version with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and Ubuntu 14.04 Linux.

Want to load Ubuntu or another operating system on the higher-priced model? You can do that… maybe.

ubuntu

You can access the Compute Stick’s BIOS/UEFI settings by hitting F2 when the device boots. From there you can enable or disable Secure Boot or adjust other hardware settings. In order to run Ubuntu you’ll need to find the option that says “Select Operating System” and change it from Windows 8.1 32-bit to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 64-bit then save your options and shut down the computer.

Next, you’ll want to either follow our guide for installing Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS 64-bit software (which will prevent you from being able to boot into Windows unless you alter the bootloader every time you want to switch operating systems), or our guide for installing Ubuntu 14.10 64-bit with a 32-bit bootloader (which is a bit clunkier, but which lets you dual-boot both Windows and Ubuntu and choose between operating systems whenever you turn on the computer.

Next, you’ll want to download a 64-bit build of Ubuntu or a similar operating system and then create a bootable microSD card using Unetbootin or a similar tool.

Insert the microSD card in the Compute Stick, turn on the computer and hit the F10 key to bring up the boot menu. You should see two options: the first is internal storage, and the second is the microSD card. If you only see one options, you probably didn’t prepare the card properly (or tried an unsupported OS).

boot

I was able to load Ubuntu 14.04.02 64-bit using this method, as well as Ubuntu 15.04 64-bit. But WiFi didn’t work out of the box with either operating system.

Linux Mint 17.1 and Fedora 21 wouldn’t load at all. I was able to access the GRUB bootloader menu with these operating systems, but I couldn’t get the full OS to load.

You may have better luck with other operating systems, but it’s worth noting that the BIOS does say only Windows and Ubuntu are supported. I checked with Intel, and I was told that the software that will ship with the Ubuntu version of the Compute Stick is a version of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS that has been tweaked to work properly. Users may be able to load Ubuntu or other operating systems on their own, but there’s no guarantee WiFi, audio, or other hardware components will work.

Intel plans to ship the Ubuntu version of the Compute Stick in June. It’s possible the company could offer software that will let you load Ubuntu on the Windows version or integrate the driver stack into other operating systems at that time. But if you really want to run something other than Windows on the Compute Stick, for now the company is suggesting you buy the Ubuntu model.

There are a few things to keep in mind: You’ll need a wired keyboard or one with a USB dongle in order to hit F2 and F10 at boot. Bluetooth keyboards won’t work.

That means you’ll need to use the computer’s only USB port for a keyboard, which is why you need to prepare a bootable microSD card to load an alternate operating system. There’s no free port to connect a USB flash drive or disc drive.

What alternatives are there?

If Intel had released the Compute Stick a few years ago, it might have been a revolutionary device. These days it’s just the latest in a line of small, inexpensive devices that can transform any display into a computer.

pico_02

As mentioned above, there are already a handful of other mini PCs with Intel Atom processors and Windows software from device makers including Zotac, Mele, and MeegoPad.

There’s an even larger number of devices with ARM chips and Android software.  The Rikomagic MK802 with an Allwinner processor and Android 4.0 software launched almost 3 years ago, and since then we’ve seen dozens of similar devices.

MK802

Want to run Android apps (including Netflix, YouTube, or Kodi) on your TV? You can pick up an Android box or stick for about a third the price of a Windows-powered Intel Compute Stick. Some of these devices can also run Ubuntu or other Linux-based software.

But if all you’re looking to do is turn your dumb TV into a smart TV your best bet might be to buy a dedicated device like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, or Roku Streaming Stick. These are all devices that look a bit like an Intel Compute Stick, but they’re designed specifically for bringing smart TV functions to a television.

ftv chromecast

They’re easy to use, don’t require a Windows license, and sell for around $35 to $50.

Want the full Windows experience? You could always just connect a Windows notebook, tablet, or larger desktop PC to your TV. All you need is an HDMI cable or an an Intel WiDi or Miracast wireless display adapter.

Most notebook or desktop computers are more powerful than a Compute Stick… but they’re also typically more expensive. If you’re using a PC you already have though, this could certainly be a better option. And if you don’t already have a PC or don’t want to bother with constantly connecting and disconnecting it from your TV, there’s another option: buy a cheap Windows tablet.

winbook tw700

Some models with HDMI output and USB 2.0 ports sell for about half the price of an Intel Compute Stick.

But note that there are pros and cons to any of these options:

  • A Windows tablet, notebook, or full-sized desktop isn’t as compact as a Compute Stick. It’ll take up more space in your office or living room when in sue and probably won’t fit in your pocket when not in use.
  • Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, and other dedicated TV devices cannot run Windows apps and many don’t even have a basic web browser.
  • Android boxes with ARM chips can’t run Windows apps either, and while you can install Ubuntu or other GNU/Linux software on some models, you often have to make do without hardware-accelerated graphics.
  • Other Windows TV boxes tend to be a bit larger, with the exception of models that seem to be based on the same design as a Compute Stick… but most of those come from Chinese companies which may not have the same kind of name recognition (or customer service) as Intel.

Should I buy a Compute Stick?

Maybe. I mean, it depends what you want to do with it, right?

The Intel Compute Stick makes an interesting option for folks looking to create a home media center. Not only can you install Kodi or other media center software for local playback, but you can also stream internet video from just about any service that supports a web browser.

Among other things, that means you can stream TV shows and movies from Hulu without paying $8 per month for a Hulu Plus subscription (which you’d need to pay if you wanted to stream Hulu content to a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or most smart TVs or smartphones).

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On the other hand, there’s not a lot of built-in storage space for storing your music or movie collection, there’s only a single USB port and a single microSD card slot for expanded storage, the built-in WiFi adapter doesn’t have a very strong range, and there’s no optical disc drive. So this might not be the best solution if you were planning to watch DVDs or Blu-ray discs, add a TV tuner for streaming live TV, or storing downloaded, ripped, or recorded videos.

Looking for a cheap way to add an extra computer to your home? The Compute Stick is relatively affordable, compact, and versatile. You can use it for email, web browsing, casual gaming, productivity, and much more. But it’s hardly the only device that fits that description: you might be better off with a cheap laptop.

Still, the Compute Stick could be a useful addition to your home. It’s small enough to leave plugged into the back of you TV all the time, even if you only use it some of the time. It’s low-power enough that you could connect it to a large hard drive, connect it to your home network, and turn it into a personal media server or home backup solution. And it’s compact enough that you can slide it into you pocket and carry from place to place so that you can take your personal computer form home to school, work, vacation, or anywhere else.

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As a consumer device, I certainly don’t think the Compute Stick is a must-buy. But it’s also not a must-avoid. As long as you have a good idea of what it can do and how you plan to use it, the Compute Stick might make a useful addition to your home.

Things become more interesting when you start to consider it as a device for enterprise users or for the DIY/maker set.

Businesses could buy a bunch of Compute Sticks, load some enterprise software on them, and distribute them to works for use at home or while on business trips, where they may not have access to a company’s more powerful computers. Or they can be loaded with remote desktop software, making it easy to remotely login to those work PCs from other locations.

Tinkerers could use the Compute Stick to build their own laptops, home automation systems, robots or other devices that I haven’t even thought about yet.

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55 replies on “Intel Compute Stick mini-computer (with Windows) review”

  1. i want a solution for intel stic pc with windows 10 operating sytem. system date and time is not getting change automatically, so please provide proper support

  2. Could you tell us aprox how long it takes to boot windows 8/10? Thanks.

  3. Hi, have you tested for connecting a web cam for skype chat? does it work? how well? can u post a demo

  4. Hello There,
    I want to know a think about PC-Stick, If I connect this to my PC (Desktop or Laptop) by USB (Using USP male-female cable) so can I use PC-Stick Operating System for BOOT my pc or not

  5. I’m testing one of these to primarily act as a monitoring solution. Plugging this into existing IPS screens to display metrics via Solarwinds and Nagios. So far, it’s doing this pretty well.

    However, every time I try to stream online video (BBC News or RT news), the stick reboots or just shuts down completely so I cannot corroborate your findings although admittedly, I have not tried YouTube.

    I also had to buy a wifi dongle as the one built inside is utterly crap; taking around 10 minutes for a 10MB file to download. The additional wifi dongle does this in less than 2 seconds!!

  6. Intel Compute Stick now being offered online by local distributors here in Jakarta. Rp 2.1 million (approx. $155 USD). Not too far off the mark price-wise.

  7. Hi, Some websites need activeX , like to access my DVR to view the cameras. Can we run those on this so that I can view my DVR cameras using the browser. or alternatively can i download an APP which can help me view my DVR/ IP cameras.

  8. I think the early series Stick-PCs got it wrong:
    1. No audio port – how do you Skype without a MIC unless it’s all USB?
    2. Only a single full sized USB 2.0 port.
    It’s now possible to purchase devices which have both 2 x USB 2.0 and an audio port (mic/headset). We have devices which run Enterprise versions of Windows 8.1 (Pro/Enterprise) so the devices can be AD joined, secured and managed using GPO, WSUS/SCCM, use corporate VPNs with AD deployed certificates etc. They also have TPMs (Compute Stick does not) meaning you can encrypt them using BitLocker (TPM+PIN) for protecting data at rest.
    In the above configuration they are great home working devices – employees can use their own HDMI monitor (or DVI/VGA with adapter), keyboard and mouse and have cost effective access to corporate systems from a managed device.

    1. 1. Bluetooth headset will do for Skype.
      2. Bluetooth keyboard+ mouse combo or micro USB hub. Also, if your monitor has a USB hub, you can use it.

  9. Has anyone had any luck with installing Microsoft Windows 7 onto this device?

  10. am disappointed that Intel haven’t made the disk images available for the HDMI stick available for download, they would be a useful reference for other distros wanting to target baytrail hardware.

  11. Great review. Much more in depth than other websites (looking at you Gizmodo). Was considering buying one of these but I may hold out for V 2.

  12. Brad, re “They both performed my audio, video, and folder zip tests more quickly than the Intel Compute Stick,” the chart appears to show the zip test running faster on the ICS.

  13. Thank god we don’t have to put up with feeble raspberry pi dwads any more

  14. So does Intel plan on upstreaming the “tweaks” required to make Linux work on this? I want the 2 GB RAM version.

    Too bad I won’t be adding to the sales numbers of the Linux version. This is something the Dell Sputnik guys said they didn’t want to happen with the new XPS 13. They said that all those people buying the Windows based XPS 13 to install Linux on didn’t add to the Sputnik sales numbers which are internally looked at: “Hey, Sputnik sales didn’t go up but the Windows sales did!”

  15. A fan?! They must be joking. For me that would be a deal breaker right there.

    For cheap HTPC rpi2 is less than half the price (including a case and power supply), for more serious usage I would go with something which can at least fit in an m2 ssd and with usb 3.0.

    1. Me too, but it appears that Intel believes at least some of the intended market for this want to run Windows on it. For a fanless low-power desktop, an RPi2 can sort of cut it, though having recompile things for ARM is tiresome, I would also probably go with a NUC / Brix etc.

    2. 100% agree. Fan = FAIL.

      When I read about the possibility of this having a fan here a little while ago I thought that didn’t seem really likely. But now that it is confirmed, I have gone from thinking this is the stick PC I’ve been waiting for to having absolutely ZERO interest in it.

    3. The whole, “RPI can do it for cheap” is very targeted to a specific use case. Especially when this is currently the only intel cpu with dongle support. One main use case as Brad pointed out was Steam in home streaming, I have the meegopad and that is my main use of the device. Though I believe Steam is working on an android client but will likely take some time. But this device could have multi functionality just from the fact it’s intel/window. Eg. You can use many enterprise standard applications like gotomeeting, or IT support VPN.

      Many people assume these devices are only good for XBMC/Kodi

  16. I think I mentioned this before, but be careful buying one of these if you don’t have a newer, major brand-name display. Intel’s graphic drivers will not allow you to correct for overscanning – all you can do is use one of the common 16:9 or 16:10 resolutions. And some off-brand 1080p TVs (like Best Buy’s Insignia-branded ones) overscan their HDMI inputs by as much as 5%, and do not allow you to change them within the TV menu.

    When my Zotac Pico is connected to my 1080P 32″ Insignia TV and set to 1920×1080, I can’t see the taskbar at all. Looks like this one uses the same Intel display driver/control panel system.

    1. Wow, my 7 year old “HD” TV has 1:1/no overscan mode. Same with my cheapo Insignia as well. I guess not all Insignia’s are equal.

      1. Mine does on the VGA, but not HDMI. Not surprising… Like most house brands, “Insignia” TVs probably come from a dozen different factories. Just saying that it’s something to beware – especially if considering these as solutions for less tech-savvy family or friends.

        And it is a bit frustrating that Intel graphics don’t have scalable resolution like NVIDIA. This isn’t just a problem with crappy TVs either – I’ve seen older Dell projectors that overscan their DVI inputs.

  17. Brad,
    Any issues using the WiFi and Bluetooth simultaneously? The (scathing) review at Gizmodo noted they shared the same hardware and had trouble with dropped or laggy connections.

    1. As I mentioned in the review, I only tested Bluetooth by hooking up a BT speaker. I used it to listen to audio from a YouTube video and it worked just fine… but it took 3 or 4 tries to actually pair the speaker with the Compute Stick for the first time.

  18. Fantastic review, Brad! I had the same exact problem with Ubuntu (and Peppermint, and Mint) when trying to install it on my ASUS VivoPC (media center PC), everything worked great except wifi, which pretty much rendered it useless.

    I’m kind of interested in the Ubuntu version of the Compute Stick, and for 110 its less than half the price of a Chromebook. The wifi range would definitely be a problem though, as I would pretty much be using the Compute Stick solely to access cloud services and storage.

    Do any of these PC-in-a-sticks have really good wifi? That seems to be a common complain about most of them.

  19. how can tablets with similar specs (but with a 7″ or 8″ IPS screen) cost less than the windows stick??

    1. Contra-revenue. Devices without screens are not eligible for Intel’s free design/manufacturing assistance and subsidized pricing on the components.

      1. I guess subsidizing their own product will cause issues with other OEMs and laws. Oh well, I’m still planning on buying the 2 GB version and installing Linux if Intel publicizes the “tweaks” required to get things working properly.

    2. Yes this is very odd. The Linx tablet uses the same CPU and have the same specs as this Intel stick – and you can get those for around £60 now.

  20. Great review! Thanks for testing and commenting on the Linux capabilities (or lack thereof)!

  21. not quite futureproof as windows HTPC as it throttled when playing 720p HEVC

    1. There is nothing you can upgrade on this device…except maybe the bios…

  22. If they would just stick this same CPU/mem/HDMI port, but in a bit larger enclosure with room for a laptop SSD/HDD, about 4 USB ports, it would have a huge use case. And cost the same. (Leave the drive bay empty.) It could be about the size of two smart phones stacked which is still pocketable.

    Having it be a tiny “stick” computer gets attention but has zero benefits really, and cripples the possibilities.

    Yes Intel makes the NUC but overpriced. They are protecting their higher dollar PC business.

    1. There are nuc alternatives. check out gigabyte brix (With n2807 cpu it is very cheap)

      1. another NUC and BRIX variant is the ECS BAT-I, it’s a miniITX so not as small but has more I/O.

    2. Foxconn has Baytrail barebone systems as well. The iBT18, iBT19, and iBT29 which use the j1800 dual core, j1900 quad core, and j2900 quad core Baytrail SOCs respectively. Add an SSD and memory and your ‘could’ keep the price just under $200.

    3. The product you’re asking for is already available. You can get an Atom based NUC for about the same price as one of these stick PCs. It’s got all the expandability you want at a similar price point. There is even the bonus of installing regular linux.

      https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX2C36952
      https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883218038

      If you want something using a big core CPU and don’t mind the slightly bigger form factor and power consumption, you can get this:

      https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173102

      1. My Chromecast is the flakiest device I’ve ever purchased. Even when it’s working, it’s not even remotely a smooth experience. It’s cool what it does, and for $35 I’m not complaining, but it’s really aimed at an entirely different market than this thing.

      2. And I can use Chromecast to VPN to my work computer – HOW?
        Chromecast may be all YOU want to do with your TV display, but for others (such as myself), being able to switch on my Compute Stick, grab my keyboard and mouse, and VPN in to my work desktop is SWEET!

  23. At my job, I had to get a computer attached to a projector mounted on the ceiling. Luckily for me, the projector had an HDMI port, and there were two power outlets in the ceiling. I plugged my MeegoPad T01 into it, and used the 2nd power outlet, and project over! No running wires of any kind, and a wireless mouse and keyboard are hooked up.
    These types of devices may not be a commonly used item, but when size and x64/x86 architecture matters, they fit the build perfectly.

  24. Dear Intel, How about put the guts in a tablet and sell an Ubuntu based tablet? Please. Pretty please?!

    1. Unless you want to be a Beta Tester with Ubuntu Touch then Ubuntu isn’t really a option in a tablet… The desktop OS won’t work well in a tablet… While Ubuntu Touch is still very much a separate project with still very limited desktop capabilities and very few apps… The focus is also still very much on getting it to work on phones…

      So wait another year or two before asking for this… by then the hardware should be a lot better too as a Broxton based device should offer 2-3 times the performance of this Bay Trail based device…

      RAM and storage options should be significantly better then too, as Broxton moves over to LP-DDR4 RAM instead of LP-DDR3, which means they can offer higher capacities without increasing power usage and still fit in small size devices… While eMMC should advance enough to offer more between SATA II-III SSD like performance…

      1. I just need it to run Linux (with working X11 and network). All the software from that point on I’ll handle. Don’t need Ubuntu Touch (I’d probably try KDE Plasma Active as the UI anyway).

        I have things almost working on a cheap Intel based tablet from nextbook. But the Intel drivers flake out and I have to run in nomodeset. Which means no rotation, etc.

        1. Then just wait a little longer, they should be shifting newer devices to 64bit FW and that should make it a lot easier to port the distro of your choice…

        2. pb is that kind of tablets would only interest geeks like you and me to some extent. But casual users will pass .. so in the end this will not profit the companies…

          1. This is all silly to me. I have a baytrail motherboard that easily runs every version of Linux I’ve tried (including LTSP), Windows 7, and Windows 8. Why not use the same BIOS and WiFi in a tablet? Same profits (it still runs Android and WIndows 8). It would simply ADD buyers.

          2. That’s actually a rarity, I too would like to know which motherboard this is and which bios version you are running. (also any mods you needed to do to get it working like that if any)

          3. Biostar J1800NH. Plus it was only $55 when I got it in April 2014.

            Looking back, I did use a USB WiFi (forgot it wasn’t built in). After opening the box I updated to the latest BIOS and used legacy mode in the bios to handle 32 bit Linux, Windows 7, and LTSP. 64 bit Linux and WIndows 8 boot fine with EFI.

            That motherboard made me so hopeful for Baytail tablets. But, I’ve had only disappointment with the two tablets I have purchased.

  25. Interesting, but I think for a bit more money a cheap notebook would be better, and give you dual screens (and UPS functionality).

  26. How about plugging some of these devices into an Acer or Planar touchscreen and letting us know if they work well on one of these?

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