SOLVED: What is An Intel Compute Stick & What Can You Do With It?

Netbooks! Remember them?  Well Intel does and they have stripped out the screen, keyboard and miniaturized the balance of parts into a USB sized stick that plugs directly into an HDMI port.  They preloaded Windows 10 onto very slow SSD with a small amount of RAM and are charging between $120 to $300 depending on specs.

Here is a 1 minute video from Intel explaining the first generation sticks:

Compute Sticks are not new.  They have been around since mid-2015 when the first iterations only had USB 2 on them!

However, most Compute Sticks are being branded and sold by other companies:

We just completed a full unboxing, setup benchmarking and review video of the Terryza Intel Compute Stick and we have been asked, if it is so low power what can you do with it?

Well it turns out that if you spend about $100 more than we did you can get an Compute Stick with 128GB SSD, 8GBof RAM and a much more powerful Intel Core M CPU that supports THREE 4K screens:

This means that an Intel Compute Stick can handle lots of minor tasks and that there is a low cost, easy to manage version for:

1. Boardroom Computer: Capable of high end 4K video conferencing and running all standard applications
2. Digital Signage: If you need a PowerPoint or Website to run on a lobby or reception a Compute Stick is your solution
3. Kiosks: If you need to run an app like a digital map at a mall store finder, or a health care application in your dentists office, or a set of presentations at a TradeShow, or you need to run a library system that should only be used for surfing the internet, reading PDF’s, printing and searching, the Compute Stick is your answer
4. Low Demand Staff: If you have a call center, receptionist or courier desk position that needs basic functionality, the compute stick is for you
5. Control Systems: If you need a PC to work in tight spaces and monitor pumps or other systems, a Compute stick is something to look at
6. Secure Remote Access: If you have staff or contractors that need remote access to your networks it may be comforting to hand them an Intel Compute Stick that is on your Active Directory Domain and runs your companies monitoring software before users VPN in
7. Home Theaters: If you want to run a projector or big screen TV with content on your PC home network or hanging off a USB drive, a Compute Stick is the answer
8. Childrens’ PC’s: If you want to give your kids access to a few locally installed applications, potentially the Internet and your home network but don’t want them blowing their brains out on first person shooter games, an Intel Compute Stick may be just the thing

We could go on and create an even longer list, but we hope you get the idea that an Intel Compute Stick is a versatile, tiny, solid state, full computer.