The future of tiny PC technology is here, and we love it!
The Intel Compute Stick got everyone excited at this year’s CES, but while all that was going on, Hannspree launched its own version of the PC on a stick, the Micro PC.
This is an extraordinary palmsized device, complete with a quad-core 1.83GHz Intel Atom Z3735F, 2GB of DDR RAM, Intel HD Bay Trail graphics and 32GB of Samsung eMMC NAND storage. Furthermore, there’s Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi, a micro-USB port for power, a full-sized USB 2.0 port, and a micro-SD card reader to further expand the storage. Ingeniously, all this manages to fit into a shell measuring just 110 x 38 x 9.8mm and weighing 38 grams.
The Micro PC consists of a hard, piano-black glassy shell, with the aforementioned ports dotted either side, in between some slight heat exhaust vents. It terminates at one end with a protruding HDMI connector, next to which is located the tiny power button.
The Micro PC comes with a copy of Windows 8.1 Bing Edition pre-installed. All you need to do is simply plug the HDMI section of the device into a relevant socket in your TV or monitor (there’s even a HDMI extension cable provided in the box if you’re struggling to fit the wider than normal Micro PC) and provide power through the micro-USB port with the supplied 5V 2A power adapter and, to begin with, a USB keyboard and mouse. Once connected, you press the power button, and you can begin the initial setup of Windows 8.1.
Due to the processor inside the Micro PC being of the x86 variety, everything you would normally install on a standard desktop PC can be installed on this device without any perceivable problems. That means you’ll be on familiar ground to begin with and can happily install VLC, Office and even the likes of Steam. There’s also the potential for more niche project work, perhaps in the form of a retro emulator machine or some kind of presentation or game server.
The Micro PC is also surprisingly quick, considering its diminutive dimensions. Booting the OS takes a tad less than 16 seconds, and once in the desktop, the UI is extremely smooth and perfectly operable. Furthermore, when connected to our network, browsing our video collection on the NAS drive worked a treat, as did normal internet duties.
We tested the Hannspree Micro PC with a selection of HD content films, all of which played perfectly well, thanks to the good hardware h.264 video decoding built into the Atom processor. At full 1080p there wasn’t any hint of a struggle from the tiny PC, and thanks to the HD audio through the HDMI port, a connected soundbar to the TV provided the ultimate in ultra-small home theatre PCs.
Gaming was reasonably good too. Although the Micro PC won’t be able to play the likes of Evolve or Elite: Dangerous at the highest possible graphical detail, some older titles from the last couple of years (we’re taking about Bioshock: Infinite, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and even Tomb Raider) managed to play at slightly lower detail level well enough. There’s even the possibility of streaming games from Steam across your network; we actually managed to connect a couple of Bluetooth game controllers and play some multiplayer Steam choices easily enough.
The Micro PC did get a little warm to the touch after we had finished putting it through its paces. Obviously there isn’t a fan hidden somewhere in the case, so all heat has to be pushed through the tiny ventilation holes on the sides of the device. This isn’t too much of a problem, though, despite how it sounds. Although it was warm to the touch, the Micro PC never overheated, even when left dangling around the generally poorly ventilated back of the TV.
Naturally the appeal here is the fact that this is a PC on a stick, and more accurately an x86 PC on a stick. We’ve tested lots of Android and ARM-based tiny PCs in the past, from the Raspberry Pi onward, and although good, they’ve often left us wanting something more familiar in the form of a true Windows PC.
At £160 or thereabouts depending on where you shop, the Micro PC may seem a little expensive; especially when compared to the recently announced Raspberry Pi 2. But there’s a lot more power here with the Micro PC, and ultimately a lot more potential from the point of view of familiarity. As a result, the Micro PC stands out from the crowd and delivers a better PC experience to all types of user, which makes it worth every penny.
To conclude, if you’re thinking of setting up a new HTPC or you have a need for an ultrasmall PC that can cope with nearly anything you would normally throw at a desktop, then the Hannspree Micro PC is certainly the right tool for the job. It’s an excellent performer that’s well designed and more than capable of a multiplicity of tasks and potential projects. David Hayward
A superb tiny PC, with more than enough performance
Features:
• Quad-dore Intel processor up to 1.83 GHz.
• Pocket-sized Micro PC experience.
• Transform any HDMI display into a computer.
• 2GB RAM and 32GB storage.
• Super sim design.
• Windows 8.1 pre-installed.
• Preloaded languages: English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.