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Intel's Super Portable Compute Card Could Be Your Real Pocket PC (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes (edited and condensed for length): Smartphones are already computers in our pockets, but Intel's new Compute Card turns an actual PC into something you can take with you wherever you go. Equipped with a range of processor options -- including an ultra-efficient Celeron, and notebook-class Core i5s, this slap that looks like a USB backup battery is attracting a range of interest from Intel OEM partners hoping to use it for everything from smart signage to modular notebooks. The Intel Compute Card, which was originally revealed at CES earlier this year, will come in a range of configurations that include up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage, as well as built-in AC 8265 wireless networking and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, the company said today at Computex. Intel also announced availability of the Compute Card Device Design Kit today, which will let OEM partners create devices that work with the modular computing core. LG Display, Sharp, Dell, HP and Lenovo are already working on accessory solutions for Compute Card, Intel said.
I fail to see how this is truly pocket-sized. I have a "Vensmile Win10 Mini PC that isn't much bigger and is already on the market. This one still needs the dock to handle the I/O. I also have USB stick PC's that are powered by my TV USB port. Yes, Intel's is slightly faster, but the Vensmile one is fully capable of streaming HD video and of course, internet stuffs.
I am personally not excited. The RAM and storage capacities are about 8X lower than required for modern computing. But the biggest issue arises when looking at the pictures: the card seems to have a slot interface of some sort. Why not just give this card a thunderbolt 3 port or two. There are already docking stations fort those. Why does Intel want to reinvent its own wheel?