Intel Compute Stick Updated With Cherry Trail Atom, Tested (hothardware.com)

MojoKid writes: The original Intel Compute Stick wasn't without issues. Last year's model featured dated 802.11n wireless connectivity and had only a single USB port, which meant using a hub and/or dongles, should you want to connect multiple peripherals to the device or boost its wireless capabilities. The new updated Intel Compute Stick, however, features Intel's newer Cherry Trail Atom platform, with 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi, and USB 3.0. There's still just 2GB of RAM in the device, along with 32GB of storage, but Windows 10 Home also now comes pre-installed. The result is a fully functional PC that won't burn up any benchmarks but offers utility for mainstream computing tasks and is even capable of streaming up to 4K video content. The little device can essentially turn any HDMI-equipped display into a basic PC.

Comments

Re: So much for smart devices..

[xiando]

I completely agree with those who say that a (big) display with a lot of connectors (no "smart" crap, no speakers, no nothing but a display) is preferable. I never bought a television and enjoy not having one. I have been saying that some big corporation should simple and affordable 40" or even bigger computer monitors/"TV" for years since there obviously is a market. But what do they do? Add more crap to their propaganda devices.

Putting OSes which wont be supported in a few years and apps which are there just for advertising the current generation of TVs into a device which easily lasts 5-10 years in nothing but planned obsolescence.

I tell you: Utterly Stupid and Easily Compromised Things is just the beginning of a long line of horrible problems. This is a fitting way to describe any "smart TV" older than 2 years and it even applies to new ones: They are not smart as Android or Entertainment devices and they never really were: The hardware they put into TVs to make them "smart" is usually worse than a $30 android tv box off e-pray.

My main concern with this is not televisions. It's the cars and other things like that. I've noticed that new cars now come with all sort of "smart" technology which can not be easily replaced. Cars used to have this standard hole where you'd put your car stereo. This had the interesting side-effect of car stereos becoming a very popular thing to steal. That aside, it was a good thing: There was a time where you could just buy basically any stereo and put it in any car. THIS is what I want for the "smart televisions" and the "smart refrigerators" and cars and everything. If you car/tv/whatever is 3 years old and your "smart" thing is slow then just rip it out and put a new one in and done. Will they give us such a standard? No way, not unless the big corporations are forced to buy some bigger over-national corporation like the EU.