We live in a wonderful age… technology is moving so wonderfully quickly that it’s almost like being in a sci-fi movie. Every day something new crops up for us to marvel at and, as long as we don’t become jaded to the fast pace of technological advancement, we can remain awed at the scope of human ingenuity.
Who would have thought, just a few years ago, that a PC could fit in a pocket. The idea is pretty much old hat now, but even ten years ago, it was on the wrong side of crazy. These days, though, you have smartphones and tablets and, unsurprisingly, stick PCs.
The thing with mini and stick PCs is that they fill a very important niche in the market which might not blow a gamer’s hair back, but is still very important. The Asus QM1, for example, won’t play games, but it will allow you to turn any HDMI capable TV into a PC by just plugging it in. And as long as you use it for what it is intended, it’s a great proposition.
The intention of the QM1, quite simply is to enable the user to surf the web and social media, check email, play back media and similar activities. It also works wonders for a number of business functions, but we don’t need to go there. Quite simply, it’s a simple computer system that is smaller and more portable than a smartphone.
You will, however, need some added bits – a TV screen, for one thing. Also, you’re probably going to want to invest in Bluetooth input devices to properly utilise the QM1, and you’ll need Wi-Fi access to get online. But all of these don’t impact on the portability of the product all that much, and it makes for an interesting proposition for those that need a quick, easy way to access internet, email and other work on the go.
The QM1 is powered by an Intel Atom processor, supported by 2GB of RAM. It’s not a powerhouse, sure, but lower end applications won’t give it any problems. It comes preloaded with Windows 10, so surfing the ‘net or even working on cloud-based files is a breeze. It also offers 32GB of storage for the things that aren’t in the cloud, with an option for expansion via a MicroSD port. Other ports include the front-mounted HDMI output, as well as a USB 3.0 port.
The unit is also rechargeable, and consumes little power in its standard operation.
So while the QM1 doesn’t fulfil your gaming needs, there is more to life than gaming. And it fits in there quite beautifully. You won’t be running heavy applications on it, but for day to day computing on the move, it’s a great option.
Just add a TV and Bluetooth peripherals… the QM1 will take care of all your basic computing needs, no matter where you are.
SPECS
- Intel Atom CPU
- 2GB RAM
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- 32GB storage
- MicroSD port