The market appears to be infatuated with HDMI dongles that house entire computers inside and that’s one of the biggest reasons why we’re seeing devices like the Intel Compute Stick. This dongle features a full fledged computer coupled with reasonable hardware specs that make it good for casual use. Initially it was only sold with Windows but starting next week a version of the Intel Compute Stick with Ubuntu preinstalled will go on sale.
You won’t find a major specification difference between the Windows and Ubuntu powered versions of the Compute Stick, it has a 1.3GHz quadcore Intel Atom processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB of onboard storage with microSD card slot for external expansion.
The Windows version has a slightly better hardware package and that’s why it’s a bit more expensive, coming in at around $150 with a genuine copy of Windows that’s eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10.
In order to use this computer just plug it into a TV or display’s HDMI port and then fire it up, it’s as simple as that. Since it doesn’t have high-end specifications you won’t be able to get some serious work done through the Compute Stick but it’s a good option for casual use which may include media streaming as well.
Powered by the 64-bit Ubuntu version 14.04 LTE the Intel Compute Stick will be available from retailers like Best Buy, Amazon and Newegg.com for $110.
Filed in . Read more about Ubuntu.