Coming in 2015 from Intel: thumb-sized 'compute sticks'
Coming in 2015 from Intel: thumb-sized 'compute sticks'
The devices will plug into smart TVs and monitors
By Agam Shah
IDG News Service | Nov 20, 2014 1:40 PM PT
Intel is shrinking PCs to thumb-sized "compute
sticks" that will be out next year.
The stick will plug into the back of a smart TV or
monitor "and bring intelligence to that," said Kirk Skaugen, senior
vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel, during the
Intel investor conference in Santa Clara, Calif., which was webcast.
A device the size of a USB stick was shown on stage, but
its capabilities were not demonstrated. Skaugen said the devices will be an
extension to laptops and mini-desktops, which have Core desktop processors in
small PCs that can be handheld.
Skaugen likened the compute stick to similar thumb PCs
offered by PC makers with the Android OS and ARM processor. Dell's $129.99 Wyse
Cloud Connect -- which plugs into an HDMI port -- can turn a screen or display
into a PC, gaming machine or streaming media player.
Such devices typically don't have internal storage, but
can be used to access files and services in the cloud. The Wyse Cloud Connect
has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The market for such devices is in the tens of millions of
units, Skaugen said. The compute stick will bring x86 computing to fanless
designs, he said.
Intel makes low-power Atom processors for mobile devices,
which could fit into thumb-sized PCs.
It's also likely that Intel is looking to put its
processors into TV sticks like Google Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV stick,
which are growing in popularity.
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