14 DAY TRIAL // Most miniature desktop personal computers aren't all that small, not to the extent where you can pick them up and lug them around like you would a random accessory or small bag. Intel's NUC is one of the few that do qualify as compact enough.
The next unit of computing is a sort of forerunner to the Internet of Things, in a way. Even though it probably won't be used that much in advanced households, a decade or so from now.
Then again, it and similar mini PCs might end up being the only PCs used in a home, since all other appliances and electronics will be somewhat smart themselves. Also, the hard work will be done by a server, either a home-based one or a cloud.
That's what Intel and many like-minded companies envision at least. Fortunately, we don't need to get into a debate about odds, since the situation won't arise for another few years.
In the meantime, mini PCs are gaining more and more power. The NUC itself was just spotted with a new processor.
The Broadwell NUC
The NUC mini PC uses a Haswell central processing unit at the moment, like a Core i5-4250U with 2.6 GHz clock.
The new NUC spotted on the official Intel website utilizes a Broadwell chip, probably the Core m since that's the only Broadwell processor available right now.
The Core m is normally utilized in 2-in-1 devices (laptop/tablet hybrids in other words), but mobile chips have a history of powering home-theater personal computers (HTPCs) or smaller systems.
That provides four possibilities, as there are four Core m units at present, all dual core: Core M 5Y71 with 1.2 GHz / 2.9 GHz and HD 5300 graphics at 300 MHz / 900 MHz; Core M 5Y51 with 1.1 GHz / 2.6 GHz and the same iGP; Core M 5Y31 with 900 MHz / 2.4 GHz clock and 300 MHz / 850 MHz iGP; and Core M5Y10c with 800 MHz / 2 GHz clocks and 300 MHz / 800 MHz iGP.
Whatever the case may be, the Broadwell NUC also has two DDR3L SO-DIMM memory slots, M.2 slots (for SSD storage), a mini PCI Express slot, and two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports.
Finally, the design appears to have been made more compact, pocketable at last.
Availability and pricing
None have been revealed, but with the Consumer Electronics Show coming in January (CES 2014), we'd be surprised if it's not released there, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The price of the new NUC should not be too much higher than the current $150 / €150, since as always you'll have to buy the memory and storage separately.
