The improved 2016 Compute Stick is finally here, so the question is: how does it compare to the original from last year? ...short version is, there's not a big difference.
It does have some improvements here and there, such as (finally!!) dual USB ports so you can connect both a mouse and a keyboard at the same time. The Atom x5-Z8300 CPU is built on 14nm, and it has slightly better graphics for 3D and normal Windows usage. Like the 2015 version it has 2GB memory which is a little bit quicker than last years version, but it DOES have better wifi, which some users complained about in the 2015 versions.
Please note that the current version is a little bit "new", for example if you upgrade to Windows 1511 November update it won't recognize your wifi anymore - you must manually install the Wifi drivers afterwards via a USB stick. An annoyance, but not a big problem.
And as with the 2015 version, it's usually a good idea to add a 16GM MicroSD card to it before you ship it somewhere - just in case you need that space later. (And most likely, you will!)
Pros:
- Small!
- Affordable
- Does it's job - the 2015 sticks we've seen deployed are doing well, we expect the same from this model
- Still by far the best Compute Stick out there - don't buy anything else.
- The best solution for generic Digital Signage?
Cons:
- Not really that big a change from last year's version when it comes to performance
- Storage space limited by free Windows 10 license restrictions by Microsoft - should add a MicroSD card
- Small fan? Fans always exposed to dust-issues. When will we see a fan-less version?
Some images of 2016 vs 2015 versions. If you want all the details, you can compare them on Intel Website:
It does have some improvements here and there, such as (finally!!) dual USB ports so you can connect both a mouse and a keyboard at the same time. The Atom x5-Z8300 CPU is built on 14nm, and it has slightly better graphics for 3D and normal Windows usage. Like the 2015 version it has 2GB memory which is a little bit quicker than last years version, but it DOES have better wifi, which some users complained about in the 2015 versions.
Please note that the current version is a little bit "new", for example if you upgrade to Windows 1511 November update it won't recognize your wifi anymore - you must manually install the Wifi drivers afterwards via a USB stick. An annoyance, but not a big problem.
And as with the 2015 version, it's usually a good idea to add a 16GM MicroSD card to it before you ship it somewhere - just in case you need that space later. (And most likely, you will!)
Pros:
- Small!
- Affordable
- Does it's job - the 2015 sticks we've seen deployed are doing well, we expect the same from this model
- Still by far the best Compute Stick out there - don't buy anything else.
- The best solution for generic Digital Signage?
Cons:
- Not really that big a change from last year's version when it comes to performance
- Storage space limited by free Windows 10 license restrictions by Microsoft - should add a MicroSD card
- Small fan? Fans always exposed to dust-issues. When will we see a fan-less version?
Some images of 2016 vs 2015 versions. If you want all the details, you can compare them on Intel Website:
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