Disclaimer: I’ve never actually been to Mars, but I’m pretty sure there’s nobody there creating PCs the size of USB flash drives.

I love the idea of “tiny tech”. I’m looking forward to the day we’ll be able to have laptops that can fold-up into a wallet that you can carry around in your pocket. Although we’re not there yet, Intel are about to release a PC that is no bigger than a USB flash drive.

I’m sure many of you have heard of (or even own) a Google Chromecast. It’s a thumb-sized media streaming device that plugs into the HDMI port of a TV. Intel’s product, the Intel Compute Stick, works in much the same way.

Unlike the Chromecast that requires an Android-based smartphone, the Intel Compute stick comes preinstalled with Windows 8.1 with Bing.

Here’s a breakdown of the specifications:

Quad-core Intel Atom CPU
2GB of RAM
32GB on-board storage
microSD slot supporting cards up to 128GB
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0
HDMI 1.4a port
Micro-USB power
Price: ≈$149

There will also be a Linux version made available with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage for around $89.

Original reports had the launch date in March, but new reports suggest a launch date near end of April or early May.

So why would you want to buy such a device?

  1. Because I’m naughty.
    Say your employer doesn’t allow you to install certain apps on your work computer, but you really want to use those apps while at work, just plug your Compute Stick into your HDMI-enabled monitor and off you go!
  2. Because I don’t need all the bulk and processing power of a desktop PC or laptop.
    Maybe you’ve got some special media streaming or presentation software that only works on Windows, and you want to be able to take it with you wherever you go (no baggage) or place it discretely in your TV or monitor HDMI port.
  3. To be cool.
    Let’s face it, if you rocked up at your friend’s LAN party and pulled a PC out of your pocket, you’d be the centre of attention – at least for a few hours. But yet again, your “street cred” might take a knock when you tell them your new PC can only handle a game of Minesweeper or Solitaire…