Intel Compute Stick is a HDMI slot PC starting from $89

[HEXUS]

This compact PC for your HDMI equipped screen or TV will be available from March.

Read more.

[crossy]

Hmm, if Intel can do that Linux stick for even £89 then I'd be very interested, although being picky I'd have liked to see two USB ports rather than one. I'm thinking that paired with a mini bluetooth mouse/keyboard combo and a cheap USB disk crate then this would be absolutely perfect as a back-of-set media player. Rip my DVD's to the disk crate and then put the originals safely away in storage.

Unfortunately the page lacks a full specifications list and pricing information so it was good to hear from Intel's John Deatherage directly at the CES.

I read this as Intel's rep name as John Death-rage and thought "wow, that'd be a killer name for a video game character". Must go clean my glasses...

[DanceswithUnix]

Why do these things have an HDMI plug on them? That looks too much to comfortably hang off an HDMI port, I would be happier if they fitted an HDMI socket and dangled it off a short lead.

[shaithis]

Looks very interesting although I am highly sceptical that we will see a quad core, 2GB RAM, Win8.1 version for the equivalent of $89!

[crossy]

Looks very interesting although I am highly sceptical that we will see a quad core, 2GB RAM, Win8.1 version for the equivalent of $89!

They aren't planning that, according to the article:

Linux version costs $89, Windows 8.1 with Bing version costs $149

Given the spread of low cost Windows tablets, I think that the $149 price point might be do-able.

I'm quite happy to save 60 bucks and get a more suitable OS - Windows8 still strikes me as too much like hard work to use.

[cjs150]

I like this. Would prefer it had bluetooth as well as wireless connectivity but I guess I can attach a bluetooth dongle. We all need a review focusing on HTCP capability at HD and maybe even 4K

[probedb]

Why do these things have an HDMI plug on them? That looks too much to comfortably hang off an HDMI port, I would be happier if they fitted an HDMI socket and dangled it off a short lead.

If they provide an HDMI extension lead it'll be OK, but as it stands that will not plug into my TV without damaging the HDMI socket. It'll also stick rather far out of the side

[kingpotnoodle]

I'd have the meatier "Windows 8.1" version. $149 looks like a good spec for that, if they could do it at £119.99 (approx exchange rate + VAT) I'd be all over it. Can think of many potential uses for these, so small and presumably power frugal so I wouldn't mind leaving it on 24/7.

[virtuo]

Does it have a LAN port? Looks too thin. Wouldn't consider it "Business Ready" without one, and I wouldn't want to try streaming 1080p content from my NAS on a less than perfect wireless signal.

[Dooms]

I like this. Would prefer it had bluetooth as well as wireless connectivity but I guess I can attach a bluetooth dongle. We all need a review focusing on HTCP capability at HD and maybe even 4K

Looks like the article has been updated to include Bluetooth

Does it have a LAN port? Looks too thin. Wouldn't consider it "Business Ready" without one, and I wouldn't want to try streaming 1080p content from my NAS on a less than perfect wireless signal.

Hmmm I'm don't agree with this anyone. Latest business ultrabooks are dropping the Ethernet port (or adding them on a dongle - which you could just use a USB one on this) and any decent WiFi can stream 1080p these days without issue.

I would be guessing that these would be even running ac which is more than enough for anything you would want to do with a device like this (may require access points upgrades to take advantage )

[DanceswithUnix]

Hmmm I'm don't agree with this anyone. Latest business ultrabooks are dropping the Ethernet port (or adding them on a dongle - which you could just use a USB one on this) and any decent WiFi can stream 1080p these days without issue.

I would be guessing that these would be even running ac which is more than enough for anything you would want to do with a device like this (may require access points upgrades to take advantage )

I would expect a business laptop to have a docking station, even if one of the USB ones, and the ethernet port will go on that.

We often have 2 Netflix streams going in the house, thankfully only one at a time over WiFi. I have 6 access points showing up at home, if the neighbours are streaming lots of stuff as well then there will be some cluttered airwaves out there.

[s_kinton]

Hmmm I'm don't agree with this anyone. Latest business ultrabooks are dropping the Ethernet port (or adding them on a dongle - which you could just use a USB one on this) and any decent WiFi can stream 1080p these days without issue.

I would be guessing that these would be even running ac which is more than enough for anything you would want to do with a device like this (may require access points upgrades to take advantage )

I would expect a business laptop to have a docking station, even if one of the USB ones, and the ethernet port will go on that.

We often have 2 Netflix streams going in the house, thankfully only one at a time over WiFi. I have 6 access points showing up at home, if the neighbours are streaming lots of stuff as well then there will be some cluttered airwaves out there.

My work laptop is a Lenovo X1 Carbon ultrabook - no ethernet built in or a traditional dock, just a USB port replicator which stands nearby and has DVI, LAN etc

[jackt246]

Why do these things have an HDMI plug on them? That looks too much to comfortably hang off an HDMI port, I would be happier if they fitted an HDMI socket and dangled it off a short lead.

You can get a HDMI cable extender for like £2 on amazon...

[CampGareth]

*edit* @danceswithunix, derped on the quote there

I live in a tower block with fibre to the apartments, so each apartment has a modem/router/AP combo we can't turn off, you can see about 20 of the things from anywhere in the place. It's noisy to say the least, yet I can still get 9MB/s on 2.4GHz and if I switch over to the near empty 5GHz band I get 16MB/s, which given it's a 300mbit link isn't bad. Don't knock wifi, a decent AP can cope under some pretty bad circumstances.