In an age where everyone is security conscious, there’s no better way of keeping your data secure than to carry it with you.  For a long time there have been options such as PortableApps which allows you to install your software onto a USB stick, and then take it with you.  The theory being that if you don’t actually install anything on the computer itself, you can use any computer without risking your data being appropriated by anyone else who may use that computer (or, in a worse case scenario, a thief who steels that computer.  The idea behind PortableApps is a neat one, but it does rely on you having a computer into which you can plug your USB stick.  It’s also limited by the software that can be installed on a USB stick and, for most people, it means you can’t actually carry your full Windows install with you.  Unless you’re a Linux whiz, that can be a sticking point.

History is replete with examples of carrying your full Windows install with you, which evolved with the Asus netbook eeePC range.  Small 7-10″ laptops with Windows XP installed allowed you to carry your whole computer with you and work anywhere, with battery life up to 8 hours.  These little laptops are still ideal in some instances today, as you could be doing your essential computer work in the middle of a field.  Their only downside is that they’re not exactly pocket-sized.  There have been mobile/handheld devices in the past, but these haven’t been full Windows computers.  Today you can do much on your mobile phone, but that still isn’t a full Windows install.

The netbook morphed into small format tablets – such as the 7″ Linx tablet – which enabled you to carry your full Windows computer in a wide pocket/handbag.  Like the netbook, these tablets weren’t going to trouble any powerhouse computer, or even a regular laptop, but they would do the job.  They can be used as portable “Office” solutions.  But what if you don’t have a wide pocket, or if you want to obscure the fact that you’re carrying your computer with you?

Enter the Intel Compute Stick, introduced in 2015.  Often described as looking like a “fat USB stick”, this stick plugs into any monitor/screen/TV through HDMI.  The first version came out in two variants – a 1GB RAM/ 8GB SSD version intended for Linux, and a slightly more expensive 1GB / 32GB version that came with Windows 8.1 pre-installed.  This first version had an Intel® Atom™ Z3735F as CPU, just like that Linx tablet.  According to initial reviews, it was what you would expect it to be so long as you’re not too ambitious with it.  It apparently also had some issues with upgrading to Windows 10.

Later, Intel would release Core m3 and m5 versions with 4GB RAM / 64GB SSD.  The trouble with this format is that it pushes the price up.  With the non-Windows m3 version costing around £250, and the pre-installed Windows version increasing that price by £100, it’s a considered purchase.  You really need to have a need for a pocketable full Windows main computer to invest in that.

At the same time as the Core-m Compute Stick, Intel released an upgraded version of their initial stick – this time using the Intel® Atom™ x5-Z8300 CPU and 2GB / 32GB.  Reviews suggest that this addresses some limitations of the first version, but you still need to limit your expectations.

Around this time, Asus entered the “stick” arena with their Asus VivoStick TS10 with the Intel® Atom™ x5-Z8350 and 2GB / 32GB.  According to the Intel specifications, this is a slightly improved processor over the Z8300 but not by much.  Ultimately, you’re going to see the same kind of performance.

Unlike the Intel version, the Asus VivoStick lacks a microSD slot.  It does, however, have two full-size USB ports (one being USB 3, the other is USB 2) – matched by the revised version of the Intel Compute Stick (the original had just the one USB 2 port), but less than the Core-m versions (which have three USB 3 ports).  Having only 32GB SSD does make you wish for a microSD slot, but a minimal USB stick in one of those USB ports can help.

The concept is a great one.  Being able to carry a computer that’s capable of doing the vast majority of your daily tasks, onto which you can install your regular Windows desktop software, is a remarkable example of modern technology.  The only downside really is that we’re not yet at the position of being able to power this “stick” without also carrying a mains adaptor and USB lead with you.  This makes the concept somewhat less portable.  Whilst you can slip your “stick” into the smallest pocket in your jeans or pen pocket, the same can’t be said of the power adapter.  Some TVs can power the stick directly, but what are the chances that you’re going to find one that does?  You’re still going to need to carry the plug with you, just in case.  But, that’s possible the only real stumbling block of the concept.

Being “just a stick” means that these devices are pretty useless without a screen to plug it into, or a keyboard/mouse to operate it.  In any office style environment, however, you would expect to find these.  If you’re using the stick as a media center plugged into your TV, a combined Bluetooth keyboard/trackpad by the side of your chair is an admirable option.  The Asus VivoStick also comes with an app that allows you to interact with it via your mobile phone.  Though it’s good to have that option, you’re not going to be doing a lot of work on the stick using this method.

The original version of the Intel Compute Stick was more proof-of-concept than a realistic replacement for your computer.  It proved that you could put your whole computer into your smallest pocket, and no one would know.  It also asked the question “would you want to?”.  It could do what it said on the tin, but its restrictions made it far from ideal.

The Core-m versions no doubt make it a more workable solution, but do you want to spend that kind of money?  My main computer of choice is the Asus t300 chi, which is a 2-in-1 tablet running a Core M 5Y71 (albeit with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD), and it suits me perfectly, which suggests that a Core m3 or m5 version of the Intel Compute Stick could be a very worthy option as a main computer.

The upgraded version, which includes the Asus VivoStick TS10, is a more practical compromise between price and specification.  You still wouldn’t want to use it as your main computer, and the lack of any practical power option makes it less than ideal, but it’s a step closer towards being able to carry a fully working Windows machine with you.  When the time comes that a Core-m version is as affordable as the Atom version, and when a better solution to the power issue is provided, the “stick” computer really could be the future.  As it stands, it makes for an adequate “ultra-portable” second computer or a full-Windows alternative of a media stick (like the Kindle Fire TV stick).