A
zulle is a newcomer to our
labs – it’s a US-based
company, and one of the
hundreds of smaller outfits dotted
around the world that exist to fill
niches left open by the big
manufacturers (Lenovo, Dell, Acer,
Apple, HP, Toshiba and so on).
One of its products, the Access3,
delivers an entire PC in a form
factor smaller than your average
smartphone. That form factor,
commonly known as an HDMI stick
or PC stick, has been around for a
few years, but demands for better
performance mean it’s evolved.Price and availability
The Azulle Access3 is available with
system memory capacities ranging
from 2GB to 6GB, with either 32GB
or 64GB of on-board storage. Intel
processor options include the
N3350, N3450, N4100 and J3455 –
although our review sample came
with a J4105. Aftersales support,
shipping costs, delivery time, plussales and import taxes will vary
depending on where you live.
Always check with the vendor
before committing to a purchase.
The N4100 model with 4GB RAM
and 32GB storage is available for
just over $227 (£176) from Amazon
Marketplace. At the time of writing,
not all SKUs were available but an
extra 32GB storage is likely to set
you back around $100 (£78).Design
Intel pioneered this form of
miniature PC four years ago with
the launch of the Compute Stick.
others, like Archos, Hannspree
and Dell have followed suit, but
with mixed results to say the least.
The format simply hasn’t caught on
for a number of reasons, but the
form factor of Azulle’s Access3
doesn’t solve the outstanding
issues; it only mitigates them.
At 128x49x18mm (at its thickest),
this is a pocketable computer, but
bear in mind it’s useless without its15W (5V, 3A) power adapter, and of
little use without the HDMI cable
that connects it to a display. A
foldable antenna and an HDMI
male plug add slightly to its girth.
The Access3 weighs 133g while
its accessories (a power supply unit
and a 13-inch HDMI cable) add
another 167g for a total weight of
300g. Remember, you need these
accessories for the Access3 to work.
The first thing you notice about
this product is the concentric,
ribbed design of the top and
bottom of the black metal
enclosure. This helps dissipate heat
generated by the components
inside. Unlike most HDMI PC sticks,
this one doesn’t have an active fan
and is therefore completely silent.
On its underbelly is a removable
sticker that warns the device might
get warm when running CPU-
intensive applications, and that
users should “exercise caution
when handling the device after
prolonged use”.AzulleAccess3
$140-$399 https://azulletech.com/
A device in search of an audience, or a truly ground-breaking product?
84 |^ |^ June 2019
Image credit: Azulle