It’s one thing to own a smart TV that knows a bit of browsing and a bit of social networking, with a pinch of media playing thrown in the mix, and an entirely different thing to run Windows on it and do almost everything you could do on a fully-fledged computer.
The HDMI media stick market used to be dominated by Android, as far as the operating system goes, but that’s about to change. Since the introduction of the less power-hungry Windows with Bing, HDMI media players (or rather computers-on-a-stick) powered by this OS are emerging. Given the popularity of Microsoft’s operating system (even when trimmed down, as it is the case with Windows with Bing), it shouldn’t surprise anyone if devices such as the MeegoPad T02 become the norm.
T02’s Intel Atom Z3735F Bay Trail CPU runs at 1.33Ghz, and is paired with an Intel HD GPU and 2GB of RAM to ensure that apps run smoothly enough. In terms of internal storage, this Compute Stick-killer has 32GB that can be furthermore expanded via a microSD card of up to 64GB. As far as the software is concerned, MeegoPad T02 runs on Windows 8.1 with Bing, which is precisely the aforementioned trimmed down version of Windows that Microsoft made for low-cost devices. In other words, users don’t have to worry about running a pirated version of the OS, as this really isn’t the case.
A microUSB port was also included for connecting peripherals. For wireless connections, the stick features a Wi-Fi antenna compatible with the 802.11b/n/g standards. While there definitely could have been more connectivity options, this is still not bad at all, especially considering the price of this device.
MeegoPad T02 is currently available on GearBest for $109, but you can slice off $10 by applying the coupon code GBMT02 during the checkout procedure. Considering that Intel offers its own computer on a stick for $150, MeegoPad will undoubtedly force the chip maker and other companies wanting to enter this field to reconsider their pricing strategies. Ironically, MeegoPad’s HDMI stick is powered by an Intel chipset, but I assume that a reason for the price difference is the Chinese company’s lower profit. And just in case Windows is not your kind of thing, this reseller also has an Ubuntu version of the MeegoPad T02, priced at $90.13.
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