“The new Compute plug from Quanta is a mini PC and power adapter in one that can be plugged into any outlet and connected to a TV to turn it into a smart computer that can be controlled using Cortana via a Bluetooth remote or headset,” Microsoft said while announcing Quanta Compute Plug. It is not the first such device. US chipmaker Marvell has promoted a range of similarly formed PCs since 2009. But they are designed to work with the less processor-intensive Ubuntu OS. Devices like this are part of an emerging trend of ultra-compact PCs that don’t look anything like the desktops and laptops we’ve used for the past 20 years. Other examples include the low-cost bare-bones Raspberry Pi computer and Dell’s USB stick-sized PCs that can run multiple different platforms. The software-maker also showed off another unusual device made by Foxconn – a Taiwanese company which is best known for assembling other company’s products.
“The Foxconn Kangaroo is an ultra-portable desktop PC powered by the latest Intel Cherry Trail processor, featuring a six-hour battery and a fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello. It can turn a TV into a full Windows 10 PC, and be used as a set top box or streaming device.” These products are the latest attempts to put PC hardware inside tiny form-factors, similar to the recently unveiled Intel Compute Stick, which put a Windows 8.1 PC inside a HDMI dongle. There’s no commitment on the specific hardware inside the Quanta Compute Plug or the Foxconn Kangaroo, nor there is any information about the launch date or prices for these PCs.
