Gadgetory

what do you call a computer small enough to fit in the palm of your hand I call these machines Micro desktops and the best example is Intel's line of compute sticks these look like slightly oversized USB keys but inside is a full Windows powered desktop there's an HDMI port at one end so you just plug it into any TV or monitor add a keyboard a mouse and you've got a working computer the original computer sticks Rant Intel Atom processors and cost around one hundred and fifty dollars they were fine for basic web surfing but nobody really wants to use an atom powered PC all day long this upgraded model looks and feels very similar but cranks the CPU up to a core m3 which is intel's upscale line of processors for super thin super light laptops and desktops kind of like the 12-inch Apple MacBook it plays HD video does photo editing and feels much more like an everyday desktop but that also means it's more expensive currently three hundred and eighty nine dollars that's a big jump from the earlier compute sticks but still hundreds less than most other core M pcs the last computer stick we looked at had two USB ports built into it this one drops that number back to one but adds two more to the kind of hefty power brick so at least you can plug in USB receivers for keyboard and the mouse if you don't want to use bluetooth the biggest advantage of a stick PC has more to do I think with security then price or performance you can keep all your files safely on it take them to a meeting or on a trip and then when you're done just stick the entire thing in your pocket and walk away