ASUS Launches The Chromebit CS10 HDMI Stick
by Brandon Chester on November 17, 2015 7:05 PM EST_1000_678x452.png)
Earlier this year ASUS launched a pair of Chromebooks, and they also teased another product that would be launching later in the year. It was the Chromebit HDMI stick, and it's essentially a Chrome OS computer that you plug into the HDMI port on your monitor or television. ASUS thinks the Chromebit will be great for applications like digital signage, but pairing it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse allows it to be used as a consumer Chrome OS computer as well. You can check out the Chromebit CS10's specs below.
| ASUS Chromebit CS10 | |
| SoC | Rockchip RK3288-C 4 x Cortex A17 + Mali T764 |
| RAM | 2 GB LPDDR3 |
| NAND | 16GB NAND |
| Dimensions / Mass | 123 x 31 x 17mm, 75g |
| OS | Chrome OS |
| Other Connectivity | 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.0, HDMI 1.4, USB 2.0, DC-in |
| Price | $85 |
A combination of size and price means we're not going to be seeing something like an Intel Core i5 in an HDMI stick any time soon. Thankfully, Chrome OS tends to run pretty well even with minimal hardware power. At $85, the Chromebit CS10 comes with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of eMMC NAND, dual-band 802.11ac, and a Rockchip RK3288-C SoC. RK3288-C is a quad core Cortex A17 part paired with a Mali T764 GPU. The same SoC has actually shown up in some of ASUS's actual Chromebooks as well, so it's not surprising to see it in the Chromebit.
As with all HDMI sticks, you still need a separate power adapter because HDMI 1.4 can't supply nearly enough power for even such a smaller computer. Even with that, the Chromebit could still make for an interesting computer of sorts that can be taken anywhere in your pocket.
The ASUS Chromebit CS10 will cost $85, and it comes with a year of 100GB Google Drive space. It'll begin shipping today.
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testbug00 - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Eh. Given 2GB of RAM and 16GB of flash $85 seems reasonable.It is one of the more "expensive" rockchip SoCs also. Maybe it's $6 instead of $5.
Morawka - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
wireless ac, that is expensiveShadow7037932 - Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - link
When can we expect a review of this, esp. compared against the Intel Compute Stick?rangerdavid - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Any way to pair this with a touch-screen display?p1esk - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Kangaroo Mobile Desktop Computer costs just $15 more, has double the storage, and runs Windows 10.Marc GP - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
And is ten times bigger.PsychoPif - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
It's true that he could have compared it to an Intel stick for similar dimensions.Squeezed between the Chromecast and an 100$ Windows stick, you really need to fancy Chrome OS to get this instead of one of the other.
p1esk - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
It's the size of an iPhone 6+. Not exactly a problem to carry it around in a pocket, if needed.Bob Todd - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
And has a new Atom X5 quad, a fingerprint reader, microSDXC, a battery, a full Windows 10 Home license, etc. I have no idea what I'm going to use mine for. I bought it because if was so weird (especially using an iOS tablet as a display). As for this thing, it does feel "expensive" for the hardware you get and what it can do.spinportal - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - link
Need to confirm this can work with touch displays as android TV sticks and Intel's Compute Stick with Win10 will. Plus, this needs to be powered via USB. And useless without a bt kbm if touch doesn't work. Why not just embed this is a kbm w/ battery that can be charged and go for 8 hours with a retractable HDMI cord or better yet - miracast / wifi display beaming so it can be a real self contained portable device. I am not fond of HDMI dongles with USB power cords sticking out of them. If you break the HDMI port, it's more of a mess than breaking a cord or adapter plug.