With the major launch of its next generation notebook processors already taken care of at CES, Intel wasn’t quite done with the show in Vegas and decided to focus on some other things it has been working on like a full PC running Windows 8.1 that’s barely bigger than a USB 3G dongle.
The Intel Compute Stick is a full PC running on what are essentially tablet specs designed to plug directly into a TV or a monitor using its HDMI port. Depending on which operating system you choose for your Compute Stick, either Windows 8.1 or Linux, the specs will vary slightly. Both models use Intel’s quad core 1.33GHz Atom Z3735F processor and have Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi capabilities to go along with the 1.4a spec HDMI port.
At $149 (around R1 750) the Windows 8.1 version of the Compute Stick pairs the Atom processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB on onboard storage to cater for its operating system and additional programs.
The Linux version will set you back $89 (just over R1 000) more than twice as much as the new Raspberry Pi Model B+ will but gives you twice as much memory (1GB of RAM) and 8GB of onboard storage as well as all of the wireless connectivity options.
The Compute Stick is powered via a microUSB port but future versions may get all of the power then need from the HDMI port itself. The current versions of the Compute Stick will go on sale in the US in March but versions using Intel’s freshly announced Cherry Trail tablet processors and even its low powered Core M Broadwell chips are also potentially on the way.
For more from CES 2015 click on this link.
[Source – Intel, Via – ZDNet]
