Just a few months ago, Intel launched a new desktop computer in the form of a dongle that you can connect to any screen with an HDMI port. Canonical has announced that the Intel Compute Stick with Ubuntu will be ready to ship next week.
Update: The Intel Compute Stick with Ubuntu is now available for $100.
The Intel Compute Stick with 64-bit Ubuntu 14.04 LTS houses an Intel Atom quad-core processor. It only has 1 GB of memory and 8 GB of flash storage as compared to the Windows 8.1 model, which has 2 GB of memory and 32 GB of storage. But the rest of the specs are the same.
In addition to the Intel Atom processor, it supports 802.11n WiFi, has a USB 2.0 port, runs Bluetooth 4.0, and includes a microSD card slot so you can add more storage.
The Intel Compute Stick allows users to connect to any screen with an HDMI port, turning it into a computer of sorts. You can play games, connect to another computer remotely, and perform other computer-based tasks.
The Intel Compute Stick with Ubuntu goes on sale next week at major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy for $110.
Want to run Ubuntu on your Compute Stick, but want a model that has more than 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage? You can install Ubuntu (or other operating systems) on the Windows model. You can pick one up for around $149 and you can install Ubuntu by either preparing a bootable microSD card or a USB flash drive (although you’ll need a USB hub in order to use a flash drive and a keyboard since you can’t use a Bluetooth keyboard to enter the boot settings menu.
When Brad tried installing Ubuntu on the Windows Compute Stick, most things worked out of the box… but WiFi did not. Ian Morrison has prepared a version of Ubuntu 14.04 for the Compute Stick with working WiFi, although we’ve had mixed results getting it to work (We also haven’t had a lot of time to test it).
Intel also plans to launch a second-generation Compute Stick later in 2015 with a Core M processor and better specs. In early 2016, the company will also launch a more advanced model running the upcoming “Broxton” architecture. You may have to pay quite a bit for the added specs, but it might be worth waiting for if you want the extra power.
via The Next Web
Why is Intel anti-Linux? That;s why I’m running Linux Mint on an HP laptop with an AMD A8 quad core processor, 16gb of RAM, a 128gb SSD and NO WinTel Inside!
It will make a fine graphical X terminal. Anyone want to write a script
that will strip away all of the unnecessary software and processes
which are not needed for this device to be used as a graphical X
terminal? I’ve got $200 for anyone who will do this.
I’ve used Ubuntu and monitored the RAM usage while using it. Just to boot up it uses 1GB RAM. This stick will be useless with only that much RAM, even 2GB is dicey for internet use. Maybe someone could wipe the SSD and install Lubuntu on it and get away with these specs (although RAM hog sites such as SFGate will still not work properly) but for the full Ubuntu OS this is asinine. Whoever came up with this design at Intel needs to be drawn and quartered!
Puppy would work with these specs assuming the proper drivers are in the OS to do so.
not useful specs – a real rip off
1GB of RAM ???? that’s totally stupid, it will be unusable for common tasks as dekstop. At least a headless server could work, but arm solutions are far better for this case
Well perhaps doing that, Intel will sell twice device, the first unusable version and the second one with 4GB of RAM, the usable one few month later, as most people doesn’t know this kind of technical detail. Is this still legal to sell unusable products even 3 to 4 years old ubuntu version was merely unusable for other things than really basic web browsing with 2GB and 16GB disk…
There are lighter GNU/Linux distros and most work fine with just 1GB of RAM… Something like Puppy Linux can even run the entire OS from RAM and only use the drive to boot…
Though, this reminds me of another commentator in another PC Stick article debate that tried to argue how spoiled people are these days as you could work with much less and still get things done… which is technically true…
But I pointed out people like you are the norm now and they need multiple times the amount of resources just like a gas guzzling luxury sports car needs a lot more fuel than fuel efficient compact to get from point A to point B… Basically, the quality of the experience and the lesser need to have special skills and training to accomplish your goals better meets the needs of the average lay person that make up the majority of users…
That said, his point wasn’t totally without merit as you can get away with a lot less and 2GB isn’t unusable by any means…
Even Windows, which is still more bloated than pretty much any GNU/Linux distro needs less than 1GB to run the OS… and most apps also need less than 1GB of RAM to run…
Having more than 2GB is mainly for expanding multitasking or to better enable a more powerful processor to run productivity apps for real work rather than casual usages…
Keep in mind this ATOM processor is still 50% less processor efficient than a modern Core processor at the same clock speed… So, even a lower clocked Core based Celeron can outperform a modern ATOM and adding more RAM won’t change this performance disparity… So this is mainly a casual usage product…
This is not to say you won’t still get a better experience with 4GB of RAM but the difference won’t be huge!
Also, keep in mind these low end PC sticks are still using Bay Trail SoCs and that’s over two years old… The only thing is the next gen ATOMs had been delayed and we may still have to wait 6 months to a year before everything is sorted but if you wait awhile you’ll be finally offered something much more to your liking…
First up will be a Core M version, which may be pricey at first but should offer much more performance and offer better specs, albeit it may be much bigger version of the PC stick…
Next, we’ll either get a Cherry Trail update or they may skip ahead to next year’s release for Broxton (Goldmont), which should finally provide a ATOM that may compete with the Core M but still be low cost… Basically, 2-3 times the CPU performance of this Bay Trail SoC with a Gen 9 GPU that may be over 5 times better than the Bay Trail GMA…
The updates also bring with them a support update to LP-DDR4 RAM, which is more energy efficient than the present LP-DDR3 RAM, and is more easier to offer higher capacities up to 16GB (Bay Trail only supports up to 8GB and this particular SoC is limited to a max of 2GB)…
While the real bottleneck for these mobile SoCs is the slow eMMC storage chips they use… They’re faster than HDDs but significantly slower than modern SSDs and even with 4GB of RAM they will impede max performance but the updates will update support to eMMC 5.0 specification that should help alleviate that bottleneck enough to make the RAM the main concern again…
Anyway, I’d suggest waiting if this product seems really too low end for you… at worst you’re just a little over a year away before they can offer you something you would like better…
Only 8GB for the root filesystem!? How will anyone manage with that? My Chromebox even has 16GB, and that is pushing the limit when I put a full Linux on it, I don’t know how Intel thinks 8GB is enough, unless they figure people will boot it up and just stare at the desktop without installing any programs or doing anything.
Intel please include a model with 2 GB for the Ubuntu stick. Thx.
Sell the 2gb/32gb version withtout the windows tax.