It’s common for people to make their standard TVs function like smart TVs with the help of streaming sticks and set-top boxes. Intel seems to have introduced something that remains just as effective and cheap but is rather unsual. Say hello to the new Intel Compute Stick which comes across as a Bay Trail PC sporting Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, micro SD slot and a USB port. It is expected to hit shop shelves in March.
From the looks of it, it seems slightly heavier and bigger than the usual sticks such as Chromecast. The only gripe some people might have with that is the possibility of the stick blocking your view of the screen. However, Intel wants you to rest assured that it will pack a short extension cable to prevent anything as such.
Speaking of the possibilities, it can serve plenty. No matter which business you are in, you can connect this with an HD monitor to turn it into a makeshift PC. If you happen to be at home, you could connect it to the TV instead to achieve pretty much the same results. At this point, the main gripe is that a USB port or power adapter is necessary for the stick to power itself on. Don’t rely on the HDMI port.
The micro SD card slot rests on the right side whereas three components lie on the left including: power button, full size USB port and a micro USB port meant for charging. There are two variants of the same device. One operates Windows 8.1 with 2GB of RAM alongside 32GB of space setting users back by $149. The other is a Linux variant that sports 1GB of RAM along with 8GB of memory for $89.
