Though Intel has announced forthcoming Skylake Core m versions of the Compute Stick, this particular model is a light refresh of its Atom-based predecessor. the Compute Stick was a complete system like any desktop PC. It even came with an 8-inch HDMI extension cable in case it didn’t easily fit into the ports on your monitor or TV. Even having two ports open after switching to Bluetooth peripherals makes everyday use dramatically better. One can be available for an external hard drive while the other remains free for quick access to files on a USB thumb drive. A USB hub becomes optional, which means one less thing to bring along if you take the Compute Stick on the road. ith the exception of graphics performance, the x5-Z8300 shows only minimal gains over the first-generation Compute Stick’s Z3735F. Really, you won’t be doing much more than basic home or office tasks on this computer: document creation and editing, web browsing, email, watching videos, and light photo editing. You get full-featured browsers, plugin support, and can stream 1080p video from any source. It’s great as a sophisticated streaming device for a TV, since you get the full power of Windows 10 while paying just $40 more than it’d cost for an equivalent standalone Windows license.