A new palm-sized Windows 10 PC
Last year, for a while, the media couldn’t get enough of the Intel Compute Stick. This small device connected to the HDMI port of a monitor or TV and booted into a fully working copy of Windows 8.1.
Since then, there have been a number of contenders, each offering a slight advantage in terms of performance, ports available and so on, but the furore has calmed a little since then. Until now, of course.
The latest Windows on a stick to be released is the Archos PC Stick, a device that measures just 113 x 37.6 x 18mm and weighs only 60g, and it's effectively a handheld Windows 10 PC.
Powering the PC Stick is a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor, a 311MHz Intel HD GPU with a burst frequency of 646MHz, 2GB of memory, 32GB of eMMC storage and Windows 10 32-bit Home Edition.
Connectivity consists of 802.11n wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a full-sized USB 2.0 port, a micro-USB port, 5V power, power button and a micro-SD card slot for up to 64GB cards. Naturally, removing the lid from one end of the stick will reveal the HDMI port that plugs into the monitor or TV.
The PC Stick itself comes in a light metallic-blue plastic cover. It’s lightweight enough to not put too much stress on the HDMI input of the display you’re plugging into, but attaching other USB cables to it can cause a bit of a problem if they’re not long enough and add extra weight.
There are plenty of vent holes on both faces as well as the sides to help cool it down. Thankfully, though, the Archos PC Stick doesn’t get too hot, even after being powered up for some time.
While the combination of the Z3735F and 2GB of memory isn’t going to enable you to play The Witcher 3 at full HD resolutions, it’s certainly more than enough for everyday PC duties. Word processing and other productivity works well; even some mild photo and video editing are acceptable provided you don’t try to push the processor too much.
Gaming is limited to very lightweight stuff; you could probably get away with CS:GO or something on very low graphical settings. We had it running as a retro console and home computer, emulating the Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive and so on.
It also works magnificently as a media centre. Full HD video is possible, as is watching something from Netflix, BBC iPlayer and the like.
The Archos PC Stick is a great little device. It’s slightly more powerful than the other models we’ve looked at and, better still, the price is around £85.
Considering you’re getting a Windows PC for less than a hundred quid, the Archos PC Stick is a pretty good deal. David Hayward
A reasonably powered, handy Windows PC on a stick.