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Full Windows PC On A Stick?


RV_

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Windows TV? Mini tablet with giant screen? What is it? It is a full Haswell Atom tablet, crammed into the size of a TV stick.

 

Here's what it is:

 

"a PC-on-a-stick that will ship with either Windows 8.1 or Linux pre-installed.

 

More than just a media stick like the Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Compute Stick essentially squeezes the power of a tablet into the size of a pack of gum. While it can handle media streaming duties via its HDMI 1.4a port, its other specs let you do much more. It is based around the Atom Z3735F Bay Trail processor, but other components depend on which OS you're running. (Intel has apparently hinted that future iterations of the Compute Stick will use newer processors, including Broadwell Core M CPUs.)

 

If you have the Windows version, it will include 2GB of RAM and 32GB of flash storage, but the Linux Computer Stick only has half the RAM and 8GB of built-in storage owing to the operating system's smaller footprint. It does comes with a microSD card slot if you want to squeeze more capacity into the device. Other connectivity includes full-sized and micro USB ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Unlike other sticks, Intel's can't currently be powered through HDMI, relying instead on the micro USB port to charge it.

 

The Windows 8.1 Compute Stick will cost $149 and the Linux version just $89 when they ship in a couple of months."

 

More and links here: http://www.zdnet.com/article/ces-2015-intel-introduces-compute-stick-with-atom-quad-core-cpu/?tag=nl.e539&s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61

 

Oh well, looks like I'll have a cheap Roku for sale soon and move my Fire TV to the desktop, and get one of these for each TV. It has a full size USB port for data, hard drives, keyboards and mice, and a micro USB for charge only, like my Venue tablet.

 

What is attractive to me is that whether Linux or Windows 8.1 we will have the option to opt out of monitoring unlike Google TV, not sure of the others. For those who have a Haswell quad core tablet, this is the same just less SSD, still has micro SD and full size USB that can attach to a hub if needed. I see it as the ultimate streaming device as long as it has 1080 HD. I have a Logitech K-400 keyboard with built in touchpad to the right of the keyboard. It uses a USB receiver that would plug right into this, or an attached USB hub. There is a pic of it in the link. Remember that full Windows 8.1 tablets are mostly screen and battery. This uses an external screen and external power supply.

 

No, it is not powered by the HDMI port as it is a full computer. For some with little more than email and some browsing needs may work as their computer. My spare desktop is in the spare bedroom and uses the 24" flat screen TV in there for its monitor. I could hang this off the back of that TV had I not had a backup desktop already. I can see getting rid of the Blue-ray player in the spare bedroom TV that we use only to stream.

 

We used to keep media here, like DVDs, and Blu-Ray disks, and earlier music CDs. We still have all the disks, but the cases are gone and they are in 220 disk storage wallets with their covers behind them. My CDs were ripped long ago.

 

Today, we realized that if we wanted to "own" our media, we could buy them online from Amazon and never download it or have the physical media. We can just have it in our Amazon Prime playlist of "owned" media. I'm sure you can still get the disks for extra. It used to be five bucks extra for software. Our music is set for life. Few in the country have a bigger collection of CDs ripped to lower loss digital mp3s ripped at 325kbps.

 

We decided that if we did nothing but sit and watch just Netflix and Amazon Prime non-stop 18 hours a day we could never watch it all in one lifetime even were we 18 year olds. I retain my last LPs stored with no scratches, played once to record to tape, first to reel to reel, then cassettes, then cassettes dbx companders, and then to CD, now ripped to digital. I do still buy music CDs at pawnshops and Goodwill for 99 cents each, most from store stock or bought by folks that ripped them then sold them with little to no scratches on them.

 

My point? We no longer collect, buy, store, any video media that is not home/personal videos. We take no film pics or vids.

 

An era has passed. physical media might be valuable two hundred years from now if it survives. But today, no need. RVrs don't have the room, or the bandwidth to do either. But then again, our seven years of fulltiming, we refused to get a cellphone. For some, the silence is golden. However, for part timers, we can easily take along a drive dock and several filled 2TB drives. We have our digital copies that come with the new disks or we bought and downloaded.

 

I used to collect stuff. Now the question became was it the music and movies, or the possession of them to show another? Today I posses anytime and no one can steal them online. Or on hard drives.

 

Today, it's all just 0s and 1s.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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Are you selling this item?

 

Interesting!

 

Safe Travels!

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I'm sorry I am retired all the way and don't sell anything, never have here or elsewhere. I do reviews here and this is a new item shown at CES by Intel, and will be available later sometime. But it is interesting.

 

Why would you think I am selling stuff? Did you go read the full article in the link? Maybe it will give an indicator in one of the related links, I didn't open any of them as I was hustling through my news late today.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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I was interested in the item. Not accusing you of anything. Thanks for sharing your insight.

 

Safe Travels!

SKP #89742 - Lifetime membership - Member of the SKP Class of 2007
Good Sam Club - Lifetime Member
DataStorm #5423
Passport America - Lifetime Member
Sons Of The American Revolution (SAR) - Lifetime Member
American Legion - USAF - Lifetime Member
Rotary Club Member - 30 years

Escapee CARE Supporter

National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer

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YW, thanks for saying so bud! If I see them for sale I'll post about them for sure.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rover, answered in your other thread today.

 

Also see the Windows information thread I posted to day for info on your system when you need it.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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