The latest mini computers make your tower PC look like the Empire State Building
What are they?
Mini PCs entirely contained within a case the size of a power adapter. They plug into and are powered by an electrical socket. They’ve been around since 2009, but mostly only for Ubuntu, the Linux distribution that requires less processor power than Windows, and is therefore better suited to such a small machine. They’ve only had niche appeal so far, but that may soon change.
Why's that?
Because the first plug computer running Windows 10 has arrived. Made by Taiwanese company Quanta, the Compute Plug has an HDMI port and two USB sockets. Like other mini PCs, such as the Raspberry Pi, it connects to a TV, keyboard and other peripherals to operate as a full system. But the most significant feature is that it works with Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-controlled assistant. Using a headset, you’ll be able to control the PC by speaking to it. Quanta has previously released plug computers that run Windows 8.1.
Aren't there even smaller computers available?
Yes, so-called ‘PCs on a stick’, the best-known being Intel’s Compute Stick, which is no bigger than a pack of chewing gum. It runs Windows 8.1, contains 32GB of internal storage and can read microSD cards. When plugged into an HDMI port it turns a TV into a computer.
Why would I want a 'stick' PC or plug computer?
Certainly not to use as your main PC - they lack the processing power and storage space you need for many intensive computer tasks. Companies that make mini PCs don’t boast about their power, because that’s not their main appeal. Instead, they market them as clever, compact ways to turn your TV or spare monitor into a computer for simple web browsing or streaming music and videos. Microsoft likes the idea of mini PCs, calling them “really innovative devices” in a recent blog post (www.snipca.com/16850).
Why is Microsoft interested in them?
Because it wants to make sure that, as PCs get ever smaller, Windows 10 will be able to run on all of them. It wants the new operating system (out on 29 July) to be flexible enough to work on any PC of any shape and size. To that end, Microsoft has teamed up with another Taiwanese firm, Foxconn, on the Kangaroo (see photo below). Resembling an external hard drive, the Kangaroo is a Windows 10 mini PC with a built-in fingerprint reader that works with Microsoft’s new Windows Hello biometric software. It has a six-hour battery and can turn a TV into a Windows 10 PC.
How much do these new mini computers cost?
We don’t yet know, nor whether they will be even launched in the UK. But we think it’s likely because the overwhelming success of the Raspberry Pi in the UK has shown that we like our PCs small. The technology involved in shrinking PCs is very clever, but we should warn you that it has led to yet another crime against the English language.
Oh no. What is it?
The grotesque word ‘plugputer’, which has been used online by people who should know better. It’s the ugliest new word we’ve come across since ‘phablet’. Hopefully this will be the only time we’ll ever need to use it.