Intel’s super portable Compute Card could be your real pocket PC

Smartphones are already computers in our pockets, but Intel’s new Compute Card turns an actual PC into something you can take with you wherever you go. Equipped with a range of processor options, including an ultra-efficient Celeron, and notebook-class Core i5s, this slab that looks like a USB backup battery is attracting a range of interest from Intel OEM partners hoping to use it for everything from smart signage to modular notebooks.

The Intel Compute Card, which was originally revealed at CES earlier this year, will come in a range of configurations revealed at Computex today that include up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage, as well as built-in AC 8265 wireless networking and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Intel also announced availability of the Compute Card Device Design Kit today, which will let OEM partners create devices that work with the modular computing core.

Already, partners including LG Display, Sharp, Dell, HP and Lenovo are working on accessory solutions for Compute Card – for now, though, Intel’s showing off a reference design that is basically a small desktop PC shell, complete with USB ports, mini DisplayPort, HDMI and Ethernet connectivity, which becomes a full-fledged computer when you pop in the Compute Card.

You can imagine how solutions like this might work together with similar notebook-style shells or even home theater equipment to make for a PC computing experience that remains at once tailored to you, but also becomes flexible for various different uses.