True portable computing in a tiny form factor is something that has eluded us for some time. While we have laptops and smartphones, and more recently tablets, the ability to condense a powerful desktop into a tiny box often seems far off.
Intel has broken through this barrier, with the release of the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) devices. These are small form factor PCs that come packed with specifications suitable for a large range of tasks. Massive power coupled with portability is now a reality.
A closer look
NUC devices come with a range of options, but aesthetically they're mostly the same - small silver and black boxes with a few ports. Many come with Intel i5 processors, around 8GB of RAM, ports for HDMI, USB, ethernet and audio, Bluetooth and WiFi. This isn't to mention the 120GB of solid state storage.
All of this functionality fits into a tiny box you can hold in the palm of your hand - and it's easy to see just how unlimited the applications are. If you need a few ideas of how to actually use this thing, however, we've got you covered.
Taking advantage of a portable powerhouse
Media centre
One of the best uses for these PCs, they can be slotted right into an entertainment unit and used to store movies, TV shows and other content for local playback, or even stream content from a local media server or on-demand services like Netflix, Lightbox or Neon.
In-home game streaming
NUCs aren't the best for playing much more than Minecraft (as they have no dedicated graphics card), but they're great for streaming games over your local network from a larger gaming desktop in another room. This has the added benefit of saving you from buying a console or another desktop.
Powering your business
If you've got staff that need computers, look no further than NUCs. These tiny PCs take up no space at all, run extremely well and operate office and web applications really smoothly.
Come into PB Tech today, or check out our online store, if you're interested in learning more about these capable future computers.
