Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick

Hi guys,

So yeah, after getting to know the Intel Compute Stick at work where we are starting to use them for digital signage, I decided to get one of my own.

Anybody here got one? I really think they’re very cool. I connected it to the TV where my Xbox One is connected, and it’s nice to use every once in a while when I want to use a nice big screen and just browse the web or watch YouTube or whatever. Or stream music.

Okay, it would be nice if performance-wise it could do better, but honestly for $120 I can’t complain. General app usage and simple games are no problem.

It just amazes me they can cram an entire PC in that thing.

Conversation 10 comments

  • skane2600

    13 September, 2018 - 9:11 pm

    <p>They strike me as a kind of "cool to have" item, but not powerful enough to replace a PC even for non-professional use. If you think about what's actually inside them and what was left out, it's not that surprising how small they are IMO. </p>

    • ErichK

      Premium Member
      18 September, 2018 - 10:22 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#322692">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>I probably wouldn't recommend them to someone as a main PC, but as a backup or secondary PC I think they're nice.</p>

  • Daekar

    18 September, 2018 - 9:40 am

    <p>These are really neat but I was never able to come up with a use case sufficient to justify the purchase. I can't think of a situation where I would want to have an in-place computing device where I wouldn't want more power and be able to accommodate one of the NUCs or something. PCs have gotten very small these days.</p>

    • ErichK

      Premium Member
      18 September, 2018 - 10:21 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#324755">In reply to Daekar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Understandable. I think it was the immediacy of just literally being able to plug it directly into a spare HDMI port that made me pull the trigger.</p>

      • Daekar

        18 September, 2018 - 11:02 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#324763">In reply to ErichK:</a></em></blockquote><p>I really liked that idea too.</p>

  • Orin

    18 September, 2018 - 12:15 pm

    <p>I used Lenovo's version as my home theater PC for a good year or so. Performance got me down frequently, but it served it's purpose. I eventually upgraded to an Alienware Alpha as my home theater PC (about a year ago). So glad I did. But the Lenovo stick was definitely a cool little device that I got a lot of work done on and much entertainment out of.</p>

  • evox81

    Premium Member
    19 September, 2018 - 9:58 am

    <p>Currently using a few for digital signage as well. What kind of digital signage software are you using? Our solution (due to my software budget of exactly $0) is functional, but lacking.</p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Although it crossed my mind, I could never justify getting one for home. Have too many other, more powerful, PCs to justify the admittedly small price tag. </span></p>

    • ErichK

      Premium Member
      19 September, 2018 - 12:28 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#325341">In reply to evox81:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's called Rise Vision. We're a community college. I got to walk through the setup process of watching one of our electronic technicians set up a screen here remotely (he was at a different campus). Pretty cool stuff, and seems to work well.</p>

  • john.boufford

    19 September, 2018 - 4:30 pm

    <p> I use an Asus Chromebit ($85 – $105) with Screen.cloud ($20 per month). Does the job.</p>

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