Intel Compute Stick review

ntel's Compute Stick, an entire PC crammed into an HDMI stick that fits in the palm of your hand, is nothing short of a landmark in computing.

Fifty years of Moore's Law, which states that the number of transistors that can be crammed onto an integrated circuit doubles every two years, has resulted in a little plastic stick that plugs into any HDMI-equipped TV or computer display, transforming it into a full-fledged Windows 8.1 PC.

Just don't get any crazy ideas about gaming on it — or, indeed, doing any intensive amount of multitasking — and the Compute Stick isn't half bad.
I tested out the $150 Windows 8.1 version with a 1.3GHz Intel Atom quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There's a microSD card slot on one side for additional storage expansion, and a full-sized USB 2.0 port and Micro USB port on the other for power.
The Ubuntu 14.04 LTS OS model is physically identical — a black stick with a tiny fan and vents on the top and sides — but with less RAM (1GB) and internal storage (8GB). It's cheaper, too, at about $110.

Setting up

The Compute Stick's selling point is simplicity. Want to browse the Internet on your 65-inch 4K TV in your living room? Go ahead. Staying at a hotel and want to turn the TV into a PC? Sure thing.

Setting up was a little more annoying than I would have liked.

Setting up was a little more annoying than I would have liked. I plugged the Compute Stick's HDMI input into the Asus monitor I have at work, but its thick body prevented it from fitting. Instead, I had to use the HDMI extension dongle included in the box. (The situation was the same at home on my 46-inch HDTV.) My frustrations continued. To power the Compute Stick, it needs to be plugged into a USB port that can supply power, or into an outlet

My Asus monitor is an old one, so it doesn't have any USB ports. Outlet it was, then! The 3-foot-long USB cable that came in the box did the trick, but only because I had a power strip on my desk. My TV comes with a USB port, but if it didn't, the cable definitely wouldn't have reached to the wall socket.
Getting started isn't quite the plug-and-play experience that Intel makes it out to be. Then again, neither is something like the Raspberry Pi.
Getting Windows 8.1 with Bing going was easier. During the setup, it even gives you the option of copying your settings and Windows Store apps from another PC or setting it up as a new.
The Compute Stick has built-in Wi-Fi so getting online is pretty simple. If, however, you prefer an Ethernet connection, you'll need to get a USB-to-Ethernet dongle.

BYOKAM

You probably know that BYOD stands for "bring your own device." But what does BYOKAM mean? I made it up — it stands for "bring your own keyboard and mouse."
Because that's exactly what you have to do to even use the Compute Stick. The device is $150, but

a keyboard and mouse will cost you extra if you don't have the two accessories lying around

a keyboard and mouse will cost you extra if you don't have the two accessories lying around. You can plug in a wired keyboard or mouse through the USB port on the side of the Compute Stick, but here's the thing: There's only one USB port, which means you'll need to get a USB hub to split that into some more — yet another extra cost.

The Compute Stick has built-in Bluetooth 4.0, so it'll work with a wireless mouse like the Logitech MX Master I recently reviewed, but you'll still need to connect it to the USB receiver and a keyboard before you can get at the Bluetooth settings in Windows 8.1.
So we're back to square one. The easiest way to set up the Compute Stick is to get a Logitech Unifying wireless receiver that connects to both a wireless keyboard and mouse through one USB accessory.
I was lucky enough to have a Unifying-compatible wireless keyboard, mouse and the receiver at work, but I would have been totally screwed if I'd tried setting it up at home.
An even easier method would be to buy a keyboard and trackpad combo unit, such as Logitech's $40 Wireless Touch Keyboard K400. It's easier to tote around and works better if you're planning on using the Compute Stick from across your living room.

Computing power in a pinch

So how does a tiny-sized PC perform? Not too bad, but not too great.
The Intel Atom processor and measly 2GB of RAM offer clues to how powerful of a computer the Compute Stick is. Intel Atom is designed for inexpensive PCs with very low power consumption.
That's fine by Intel, because the Compute Stick isn't out to replace your custom-built gaming tower or even your laptop.

The Compute Stick is for casual computing

The Compute Stick is for casual computing — light web browsing, watching videos on YouTube and Netflix, streaming music on Spotify, editing documents, and looking at photos. It's also well-suited for businesses that want a very low-powered computer in a tiny package. Apps take a couple of seconds longer to load than on other computers, and the Wi-Fi can be slow at times, but I'll cut it some slack — because it's only $150.
The Compute Stick works best when it's treated like a Chromebook or Chromebit (Google's own computer-on-stick). Expecting anything more is kind of silly.

Since I do most of my work online these days — I'm mostly in Google Chrome, Gmail and Google Docs — it was pretty easy to use the Compute Stick as a work machine.
As with many sub-$200 Chromebooks, you have to keep your expectations in check. You can't really open more than a dozen tabs and have more than a handful of apps open simultaneously or the 2GB of RAM will fill up quickly and things will slow to a crawl. As I said in my review of the $150 Hisense Chromebook, manage your multitasking well (close browser tabs/windows and apps after you're done) and you're good to go.
The Intel HD Graphics are fine for streaming 1080p HD videos on YouTube, but it sucks for any kind of gaming. A 3D racing game like Asphalt 8: Airbone is so laggy it's unplayable. If you were thinking of carrying a small Steam machine in your pocket, you'd better just toss that thought out the window. It just isn't possible, unless you actually want to play your games in real-time slow-mo.

Better alternatives out there

Just stop and think about it for a second: This little plastic stick can transform any HDMI-equipped screen into a decent PC. It's a marvelous piece of miniaturization on Intel's half.
For $150, the Intel Compute Stick sounds like a steal — you get an entire Windows 8.1 computer that fits into your pocket. But add on the keyboard and mouse, and you're already bumping against $200.
If you're going to go up that ladder, you might as well get the $179 HP Mini Stream — which is more powerful, has four USB ports and then some, and comes with a keyboard and mouse.
It's not quite as small as the Compute Stick. But it weighs only 2.9 lbs, still light enough to toss into your bag.
The Compute Stick would have been a huge bargain as a media center PC a couple of years ago. These days you can get a $35 Chromecast and beam Netflix, YouTube and more to your TV. It would be different if the Compute Stick was powerful enough for 3D gaming, but it isn't.
With Google's $100 Chromebit coming out this summer, there's really no reason to bother with a cheap and tiny-sized Windows 8.1 PC. Not unless there's an essential low-power Windows-only app you absolutely need it for.