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| Lenovo Ideacentre Stick 300 |
The size of a modern PC is changing, most likely due
to competition from devices like tablets and compact media boxes. Coupled
with the explosion of open source and Android-like devices, USB PCs are slowly
but surely creating demand. The Lenovo Ideacentre Stick 300 Signature Edition
Windows 10 PC is categorized as a PC but reads like a tablet. It has 2GB of RAM,
32GB of eMMC and an Intel Atom Z3735F
processor. Reviews are mixed. Some users are excited to have a PC on any TV with
a HDMI slot. However, some users report compatibility and booting issues.
Compared to the RCA Cambio 2-in-1 Tablet 32GB the specs are practically the
same but the RCA is classified as a tablet and $100 more.
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| RCA Cambio 2-in-1 Tablet |
Alternatively
there are many free Linux based operating systems that are bootable on a
standard USB drive. For example Ubuntu can be installed on a USB drive with at
least 2GB of free space. USB PC’s are totally sensible seeing as though
computing today is mostly composed of cloud based apps with minimal add-ons.
Currently I have 2 USB drives running Ubuntu, which I use for guests and travel.
Although Linux is not as point-and-click as Microsoft, I suspect the market
will shift to more compact choices.
For ease of use, I recommend Pendrivelinux.com, which has an app called The Universal USB Installer that allows you to choose various Linux based operating systems to install on an USB drive.
