What Is An Android Stick Computer, And How Can You Use It?

Miniaturization has been a computing trend for decades, but it seems to have accelerated over the past five years. Even Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing), a hockey-puck sized PC, looks large compared to ARM powered “stick computers” that are literally the size of a USB flash drive. A computer this small is not just portable. It’s pocketable. Users could theoretically attach it to a keychain and have it available anywhere they go. Which begs the question â€" can a computer this small be useful? Or is it just a novelty item? What Is A Stick Computer? “Stick computer” obviously isn’t a technical term. In truth, there’s no agreed term for the small computers starting to trickle out from various manufacturers. The most likely candidate, in my opinion, is microcomputer. But that’s yet to catch on. Whatever you call them, these small PCs are different from normal desktops both in size and hardware. Because they are small they can’t fit a powerful x86 processor. Instead they use low-power ARM processors like those found in most smartphones and tablets. This means they can’t run Windows 8, so they run Android or Ubuntu’s ARM variant instead. Most stick computers connect to a display via HDMI and also offer at least one USB port. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are featured on some, particularly those priced at $100 or more. Though nearly as small as a flash drive, stick computers sometimes require an external power adapter. Stay Secure While Traveling Having a compute