November 21, 2014

PC on a Stick

Filed under: News — admin @ 8:41 am

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Hot dog on a stick. Corn on the cob on a stick. Even Twinkie on a stick. Now comes the computer on a stick, although it’s not something you’d want to put in your mouth.

Technology keeps making things smaller, so having a teensy PC was inevitable. Intel announced their new gizmo, which is about the size of a USB thumb drive but is, in effect, a complete computer.

The issue with teensiness on a computer is how to connect everything. For example, my Raspberry Pi is really tiny and most of its surface is covered with connectors: Two USB ports, an HDMI port, SD Card slot, Ethernet port, and of course the power connector. It will be interesting to see how Intel deals with all these connections on their stick PC.

The device is planned for release next year. I’m not sure whether my publisher will be doing PC on a Stick For Dummies.

ComputerWorld

2 Comments

  1. Intel? Mmmm, Intel seem to want the market share ARM has but while getting the size down, don’t seem to have cracked the waste power issue, mind you the my Pi runs HOT!.
    An Intel Atom board I used at work could be used for heating cold coffee (I did several times!). The main issue with the portable processors vs the micro controllers is one of power wastage, a controller tends to run a very limited RTOS vs a processor which runs a similar RTOS but has to do many things that are stream lined in controller. ARM were the first to see that a limited (or Reduced instruction set, ((RISC))) would mean less power needed or wasted and would equal longer battery life.
    To be honest I can’t see it taking the Raspberry Pi or Adrino market, unless it comes with Windows XP!
    Glenn

    Comment by glennp — November 21, 2014 @ 4:25 pm

  2. I would have been nuts over this type of thing years ago. I argued for small, portable PCs, ala the Mac Mini. I’m having my doubts now.

    People who need computers need computers. The rest of ’em will use tablets or Chromebooks. This PC on a Stick thing is cute, but I have no idea what their market is. And, yes, that sucker will get hot!

    Comment by admin — November 21, 2014 @ 6:41 pm

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