Have you tried a MicroPC-on-a-Stick?

Do you call it a Miniature PC, MiniPC, MicroPC, Matchbox PC, NetTop PC, or what? My favorite is MicroPC-on-a-Stick. Whatever popular name finally sticks, the MicroPC is starting to slowly make its mark.

A MicroPC is an inexpensive, low-power miniature computer designed for basic tasks such as surfing the Internet, accessing data in the Cloud, running web-based applications, and audio/video (AV) playback on a television or other devices.

Many MicroPC  devices use some form of open source Linux or open source Android operating systems. They also generally come with Bluetooth and are also WiFi enabledBluetooth and WiFi enabled.  MicroPC devices are now being manufactured by a number of vendors and usually sell for under $100.

Some examples of MicroPC –on-a-Stick devices currently on the market include:

Cotton Candy
Ditter MiniPC
Arduino MicroPC
Wyse Cloud Connect
RikoMagic
TronSmart
CuBox
Google ChromeCast

When you first look at these MicroPC devices, one can quickly see how they might be used in for various home and business applications.  The next question, is how do we envision these devices being used in healthcare settings.

Some potential uses include MicroPC devices used for personal health and/or fitness sensors, as portable medical devices, to play Health eGames, run a wide range of clinical apps, to access personal health records (PHR) on the web, and much more. 

Expect to hear a lot more about – what do we call them? A MiniPC, MicroPC, Matchbox PC, NetTop PC, or a MicroPC-on-a-Stick.

If you're using one of these new devices already in a healthcare setting, please tell us about it.