Nearly every television, every spare computer monitor, or even projectors with HDMI inputs can now be transformed into an instant Windows 10 desktop computer, all with a little sleight of hand. The trick is to palm one of the new generation of micro-desktops, such as Intel's $159 Compute Stick -- no larger than an oversized USB key -- and plug it into a spare HDMI input.
And these micro-size computers have certainly put a new meaning to to the idea of handheld computing. Starting with the original Computer Stick, a surprise hit at CES 2015 and now modestly updated for 2016, you could finally squeeze a full-featured Windows-powered desktop computer into something small enough to slip into a pocket or simply carry in one hand from room to room as needed. The new Compute Stick has a suggested retail price of $159 in the US (roughly) , although real-world prices may be lower.
It's all part of a surprising device design trend of the moment, embracing the humble stick shape. Roku and Amazon Fire TV boxes have been shrunk down to stick form, and the same slim profile can also get you a desktop computer -- as long as you're willing to accept a few compromises.
The Compute Stick and its copycats are not going to be mistaken for high-end machines, in fact, they struggle to keep up with even the least-expensive $200 clamshell laptops, pairing a low-power Intel Atom processor with a mere 2GB of RAM and a tiny 32GB of flash storage (much of which is taken up by operating system files).
But for transforming a television or monitor into a quick desktop PC, you might not need more than simple Web surfing, video streaming, social media and other online-based tasks, all of which work reasonably well on a simple stick PC like this.
The HDMI plug is the only thing on the bottom, but the Compute Stick is so wide that you might not be able to plug it directly into a TV or monitor without obstructing other ports, which is why a short extension cable is provided in the box. You'll find an exposed microSD card slot and another vent on the right, while the sole USB port, microUSB power connector, power button and yet another vent are on the left. There's also an eyelet for a security tether, which makes a lot of sense. The back of the Compute Stick is taken up entirely by printed barcodes and regulatory information
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Build quality seemed alright but the overall fit and finish isn't what we've come to expect from Intel. The biggest problem with the Compute Stick is that it will stick out the side of most TVs. Depending on the HDMI port placement, either the bright blue LED will be shining in your face and distracting from the picture, or you'll have an eyeful of bar codes (and the LED casting a halo on your wall instead). You might be better off if you have a free HDMI port on the back of your TV, but you'll then need at least 15cm of clearance between your TV and wall.
The version of the Compute Stick we received was preloaded with Windows 8.1 (32-bit) and had 2GB of RAM and 32GB of integrated storage. A less expensive version with Ubuntu Linux 14.04, 1GB of RAM and only 8GB of storage will be available later. Needless to say, neither the RAM nor the onboard storage can be upgraded or swapped. Both models have integrated Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and both support microSD cards of between 8GB and 128GB. The only way to get audio out is through the HDMI 1.4a port or using a USB audio device. The sole USB port runs at USB 2.0 speed.
Intel bundles a USB power adapter with four international plug headers, a USB cable, and the aforementioned HDMI extension. You'll definitely need a USB hub or a wireless keyboard and mouse set with a common receiver in order to set up the Compute Stick. It's unclear how you're meant to pair Bluetooth peripherals or set up Wi-Fi without going through the Windows interface - hardware buttons for these things would have been appreciated.
We also quickly established that the Compute Stick was limited to 1920x1080 output, even when used with high-end desktop monitors such as a 1440p Dell U2711 and a 4K Asus PB279Q. More significantly, the edges of the desktop stretched off screen on our test TVs, one Samsung and one LG, both roughly five years old. We didn't have that problem on our desktop monitors, but even assuming the cropping was due to the TVs and not the Compute Stick, there should have been some way to correct for it.
And these micro-size computers have certainly put a new meaning to to the idea of handheld computing. Starting with the original Computer Stick, a surprise hit at CES 2015 and now modestly updated for 2016, you could finally squeeze a full-featured Windows-powered desktop computer into something small enough to slip into a pocket or simply carry in one hand from room to room as needed. The new Compute Stick has a suggested retail price of $159 in the US (roughly) , although real-world prices may be lower.
The Compute Stick and its copycats are not going to be mistaken for high-end machines, in fact, they struggle to keep up with even the least-expensive $200 clamshell laptops, pairing a low-power Intel Atom processor with a mere 2GB of RAM and a tiny 32GB of flash storage (much of which is taken up by operating system files).
But for transforming a television or monitor into a quick desktop PC, you might not need more than simple Web surfing, video streaming, social media and other online-based tasks, all of which work reasonably well on a simple stick PC like this.
Look and feel
The Intel Compute stick is a bit bigger and bulkier than we'd expected it to be, based on what we've seen of other devices. It's made of glossy plastic has two large vents on the front, above and below an oversized Intel Inside logo. There's also a bright blue LED on the top front that lights up when the device is receiving power. On closer inspection, a miniscule fan is visible beneath the lower grille - Intel might be able to make laptops and tablets dissipate heat without fans these days, but there's no surface area to take advantage of here.The vents also mean dust will accumulate, especially behind a TV or monitor.
Build quality seemed alright but the overall fit and finish isn't what we've come to expect from Intel. The biggest problem with the Compute Stick is that it will stick out the side of most TVs. Depending on the HDMI port placement, either the bright blue LED will be shining in your face and distracting from the picture, or you'll have an eyeful of bar codes (and the LED casting a halo on your wall instead). You might be better off if you have a free HDMI port on the back of your TV, but you'll then need at least 15cm of clearance between your TV and wall.
Specifications
The Intel Compute Stick is yet another incarnation of the Atom Z3735 processor that has been popping up in all kinds of devices this year, from large convertible 2-in-1s such as the Notion Ink Cain (Review) and Micromax Canvas Laptab LT666 (Review) to small, ridiculously inexpensive tablets such as the iBall Slide i701 (Review). The processor runs at a base speed of 1.33GHz and can burst up to 1.83GHz when needed.
Intel bundles a USB power adapter with four international plug headers, a USB cable, and the aforementioned HDMI extension. You'll definitely need a USB hub or a wireless keyboard and mouse set with a common receiver in order to set up the Compute Stick. It's unclear how you're meant to pair Bluetooth peripherals or set up Wi-Fi without going through the Windows interface - hardware buttons for these things would have been appreciated.
Usage and performance
Other than the unusually awkward setup process and the time spent hunting for suitable peripherals, we didn't have much trouble with the Intel Compute Stick. It booted flawlessly into Windows 8.1, but we immediately noticed something was off - everything on screen looked like it had been forced through some kind of filter. The Windows desktop and everything else we brought up on screen appeared grainy, dull, and lifeless. Text was difficult to focus on and smaller details such as toolbar icons in programs were hard to discern.We also quickly established that the Compute Stick was limited to 1920x1080 output, even when used with high-end desktop monitors such as a 1440p Dell U2711 and a 4K Asus PB279Q. More significantly, the edges of the desktop stretched off screen on our test TVs, one Samsung and one LG, both roughly five years old. We didn't have that problem on our desktop monitors, but even assuming the cropping was due to the TVs and not the Compute Stick, there should have been some way to correct for it.
I'm not going to get hung up on the performance of Intel's Compute Stick, and neither should you. That doesn't mean I ignored it. I ran an entire suite of benchmarks to measure the Compute Stick's performance in everything from CPU to graphics to storage. The verdict is that for the most part, performance is similar, although slightly slower, than what you'd get on the typical Windows 8.1 tablet with a Bay Trail Atom inside.
Despite this, I know you want to know what kind of performance you can squeeze out of a stick computer. Does it give up a lot to get into a case the size of a fat USB stick? Not really. I compared it to a Lenovo Yoga tablet 2 10-inch packing the Atom Z3745 inside, and performance was close. The quad-core Atom in the Compute Stick also outpaced the HP Streambook with its dual-core Atom Celeron N2840. Where the Compute Stick loses most ground to its contemporaries is in graphics performance. Running 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited, I saw the Compute Stick about 25 percent slower than a typical Atom Z3745 tablet. I attributed this to the memory bandwidth on the unit. Rather than dual-channel mode, the Atom Z3735F runs in single-channel, which means memory bandwidth gets the short stick. Intel helps ameliorate this using DDR3/1333, though. The Yoga Tablet 10 actually operates at 1066MHz and is fairly anemic in synthetic memory tests. The warning to you is, don't expect to run any games outside of rudimentary Flash games on the Compute Stick without having a frowny face.
For comparison, we ran a couple of basic browser benchmarks on the Raspberry Pi 2 unit using the Epiphany browser. The Chrome browser was not available on Ubuntu. The Raspberry Pi 2 scored 318 in the Google Octane V2 test and 14,582.8 in SunSpider 1.02. The Compute Stick hit 6,015 in Octane V2 and 831.2 in SunSpider. So yeah, we're looking at a world of difference in browsing performance, at least, between the Rasberry Pi and the Compute Stick. Computing on the Raspberry Pi can be done, just rather painfully.
Wrap up
Well, Intel did it. The Compute Stick bundles just about everything you'd need for a basic computer into a compact, inexpensive package, and unlike its predecessor, it works. It's no wonder we named it one of our Best of CES finalists this year. If you have a spare monitor laying around, you could easily turn that into a machine for your kids or some sort of household kiosk. And no matter how you use it, it'll make you rethink your notion of what a PC can be.
Had it not been for the reliance on HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, this would have been a fantastic way to replace old desktops and extend the lives of their peripherals. We hope to see Intel innovate in this regard with something sized between the Compute Stick and the NUC series, offering a balance of cost and the features that users need.
Home users would probably be happier with a product such as the Micromax Canvas Laptab LT666 which has its own screen, keyboard, trackpad and battery. The 2-in-1 is just as powerful, but is also portable, and would even work out cheaper, unless you already have a monitor and peripherals lying around.
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