Cheapest "PC on a stick"?

[riahc3]

Hello

Ive been seeing more and more of PCs on a stick such as this: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sell-Mini-PC-with-both-Android-Windows-8-system/2044898752.html and I wanted to know the cheapest one with a couple of needs:

- The smaller the better. I would love to be able to put it on my keychain.
- Self powered. We are talking something like MHL. No USB powered because that would mean carrying a cable around and would kind of ruin the keychain idea
- Bluetooth and Wifi. Wifi for obvious reasons and Bluetooth so I can connect my Android terminal and use it as a keyboard/mouse
- Full x86 compatible processor for....
- ....Windows 8.1 x86 compatible.
- microSD slot

Thank you

 

[vailr]

- The smaller the better. I would love to be able to put it on my keychain.
- Self powered. We are talking something like MHL. No USB powered

AFAIK, such a product does not yet exist. There's the Raspberry Pi, but it's not x86 compatible.
However: it's fairly easy to make a take a normal 8 Gb or larger bootable USB thumb drive that can run Ubuntu; completely independent of whatever operating system is installed on the system hard drive. Windows 8.1 can do similar, but requires at least a 32 Gb thumb drive. And Windows is less tolerant of booting and running on various dissimilar hardware.

 

[mfenn]

MHL 2.0 maxes out at 4.5W, you're not going to get a Windows 8.1 compatible PC into that power envelope. The PCI bus requirement kills you on its own. You could get an x86 part in that budget (Atom Z series, basically phone processors), but you'd need to run Linux (Android or whatever) or Windows Phone.

 

[riahc3]

AFAIK, such a product does not yet exist. There's the Raspberry Pi, but it's not x86 compatible.
However: it's fairly easy to make a take a normal 8 Gb or larger bootable USB thumb drive that can run Ubuntu; completely independent of whatever operating system is installed on the system hard drive. Windows 8.1 can do similar, but requires at least a 32 Gb thumb drive. And Windows is less tolerant of booting and running on various dissimilar hardware.

Um what?

That link I just gave shows a PC on a stick. Keychain is basically making it a hole and the power thing is by USB (that's the only reason I haven't bought it). But besides that? It does exist.

 

[riahc3]

MHL 2.0 maxes out at 4.5W, you're not going to get a Windows 8.1 compatible PC into that power envelope. The PCI bus requirement kills you on its own. You could get an x86 part in that budget (Atom Z series, basically phone processors), but you'd need to run Linux (Android or whatever) or Windows Phone.

MHL 3.0 goes up to 10W. A quick search shows a 2010 Intel Atom sucks 10W. It is perfectly doable.

Hell, did you even look at the link? That Intel Atom Z3735F only does 2.2W, even LESS than your MHL 2.0 4.5W.

 

[sm625]

The cheapest pc on a stick type device would be an older android phone. You can probably find one for $5 at a garage sale. There's also "cracked screen" option, plenty of them still work just fine sans the crack and can be had for dirt cheap. And chances are it has way more power than a raspberry pi.

 

[ultimatebob]

The cheapest pc on a stick type device would be an older android phone. You can probably find one for $5 at a garage sale. There's also "cracked screen" option, plenty of them still work just fine sans the crack and can be had for dirt cheap. And chances are it has way more power than a raspberry pi.

He wants something with an x86 processor, that can run Windows 8 though. Unfortunately, you're not going to find something that will fit on a keychain that can handle that kind of load.

He might be better off getting an Intel NUC for now.

 

[vailr]

Um what?

That link I just gave shows a PC on a stick. Keychain is basically making it a hole and the power thing is by USB (that's the only reason I haven't bought it). But besides that? It does exist.

OK, but you forgot your quoted stipulation of "No USB powered". And: what good would such a device do, without a display? Are you looking for a cell phone sized x86 compatible Windows 8.1 device, with a built-in screen projector, so that a blank wall could serve as a monitor? AFAIK, does not yet exist. There are small USB wall plug adapters that would be suitable to provide power to such as the device you linked to, but what about: keyboard, mouse, monitor & internet connection?
And if your usage scenario already has a suitable monitor/mouse/keyboard/internet connection available, why not simply forget what you saw at the AliBaba web site, and use a bootable USB thumb drive?
Or even a bootable external SSD + this adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Speed-dr.../dp/B00JLIW65Y
Should be capable of booting & running Ubuntu and on multiple variations of recent models of x86 hardware, regardless of what's installed on the internal hard drive.

 

[riahc3]

OK, but you forgot your quoted stipulation of "No USB powered". And: what good would such a device do, without a display?

I actually mentioned MHL for that reason. Power input and display output...

Are you looking for a cell phone sized x86 compatible Windows 8.1 device, with a built-in screen projector, so that a blank wall could serve as a monitor?

I posted a clear link of a device that is similar. Did you click on it or just ignored it like a buffoon?

There are small USB wall plug adapters that would be suitable to provide power to such as the device you linked to, but what about: keyboard, mouse, monitor & internet connection?

Yup, confirmed: You are a buffoon.

The only person acting like a buffoon in this thread is you. You're on thin ice here.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

And if your usage scenario already has a suitable monitor/mouse/keyboard/internet connection available, why not simply forget what you saw at the AliBaba web site, and use a bootable USB thumb drive?
Or even a bootable external SSD + this adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Speed-dr.../dp/B00JLIW65Y
Should be capable of booting & running Ubuntu and on multiple variations of recent models of x86 hardware, regardless of what's installed on the internal hard drive.

Because that stick needs USB power to work and I would have perfered if it didnt. Thats the only reason I didnt buy that stick.

 

[LoveMachine]

Yup, confirmed: You are a buffoon.

Not a good way to solicit more people to contribute to your question.

 

[riahc3]

Not a good way to solicit more people to contribute to your question.

It just ticks me off to post something and have noone read it and start mumbling random words.

 

[riahc3]

I noticed there is a SFF section here. Maybe it goes there?