14 DAY TRIAL // There are mini PCs, there are micro PCs, and then there are things like the Tango PC, which look more like portable HDDs than anything else. Nonetheless, they are full-fledged systems, albeit not overly powerful ones.
Then again, when the package measures 4.9 x 3.15 x 0.5 inches / 125 x 80 x 13.5 mm, there's hardly any room to complain.
Especially when, despite the small package, you can still upgrade the storage and memory and still be able to carry it in a pocket, like you would a wallet.
Obviously, the performance won't match that of laptops or desktops. The size demanded sacrifices after all, not the least of which was the CPU.
Since it's a fanless computer, the chip needed to make do with a low TDP and, thus, a low performance as well.
Nonetheless, the AMD A6-5200 is still quite capable, a quad-core APU (accelerated processing unit) with a core frequency of 2 GHz and integrated GCN-based graphics, the HD 8400. 2-8 GB Ram back it, data is stored on an mSATA SSD (SATA III 6.0 Gbps).
High-end PC games won't run on it, but Call of Duty 4 (a shooter from 2007) should run fine, and Battlefield 4 might manage 20 FPS. Not that it'll be playable.
But you could play the ever so enduring Counter Strike, or pretty much any title from up to five years ago. Just mind the gameplay and video settings.
That said, video will run just fine of course, so if you happen to carry a projector with you, as well as a foldable white sheet of some sort, you can even project movies when camping on some peak or another, or in a forest clearing. It should scare animals away quite nicely, if nothing else.
Keep in mind, though, that the reason the Tango PC (that's the name of the device) is so small is because it has a separate docking system, which provides USB, HDMI, Ethernet, AV and power powers. You'll need to plug the PC in the dock for anything to work.
So, I suppose this is, in the end, a PC cartridge. Fortunately, it can be used with multiple docks, and it's not like the dock itself is all that big: 5.3 x 5.3 x 1.06 inches / 135 x 135 x 27 mm.
