July Gadget of the Month: Intel Compute Stick

Nowadays many people haves a “media centre”, an area in their house dedicated to relaxing and viewing media content. And devices like the Google Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Roku are key parts of these areas.

The issue is that the full functionality of these devices requires the use of a computer. For example, the Chromecast streams content from your computer, but without the computer there is no content. The Apple TV can be used to view YouTube content, but entering the video name takes a long time and often you can’t find what you are looking for.

That’s where the Intel Compute Stick shines. It’s compatible with any TV or monitor that supports HDMI and is about the size of a Chromecast. But it packs the punch of a full sized computer. No more getting up to get your computer or tablet. You can do it all from the comfort of your own couch.

The device is not only small and fast, it’s also cheap. For $150 you can have a fully functional Windows 8.1 or Linux operating system. The Compute Stick makes it possible to have a true “media center” in the sense that all the media you want to consume is centralized. You no longer need a tablet or a laptop handy, and you don’t need an expensive media PC. It’s as simple as plug and play, or more accurately, plug and browse.