Zotac PC Stick Ups Power Over Intel’s Compute Stick

January 4, 2016 by Dave Haynes

zotacpcstickthingie

Teeny PC maker Zotac has announced a PC on a stick to compete with Intel’s own Compute Stick, and arguably other devices like the Asus Chromebit and countless Android-ARM HDMI sticks.

The Zotac PC Stick’s main difference from the Intel gadget released last year is its Intel Atom z5-Z8300 Cherry Trail processor, as opposed to the older and (I’m told) slower Intel Atom Z3735F Bay Trail quad-core processor in the Intel pocket-PC.

The Zotac unit comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, and it supports 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. It also has an Ethernet jack, a micro USB port for power and a microSD card reader for removable storage. It can connect straight into a display panel using the HDMI connector. No indication of whether it ships with a cheap, lean version fo Windows 1o.

No price that I can find, but assume $150 USD or so, given that’s the MSRP price tag for the Compute Stick. The company – based in Macau – does not have the stick up on its website, as yet.

The 2GB of RAM, based again on what I have been told and also what I’ve read, is pretty skimpy to do much more than streaming. That limit may have something to do with cheap Windows licensing, if the comments on this Liliputing post are accurate.

Is it, like other sticks, an option for signage networks. Well, maybe. But probably only for small business jobs. Putting out 100s or 1,000s of stick PCs – given their short history on the market – would be more than a little risky in terms of reliability, performance and the simple fact that they’re small enough to yank out and disappear.

 

Leave a comment