Amazon turns its Fire TV Cube into an Enterprise PC
Amazon's Fire TV Cube is the company's top of the line hardware streaming product. Unlike its Fire TV cousins, it is packed with an Ethernet connection, the ability to control Alexa by voice, and the option to connect and manage other devices from the device.
The last update dates back to 2022. At the time, Fire TV Cube offered features such as 16GB of storage and Wi-Fi 6E support, which no Fire TV device supported. This changed with this year's release of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2. Gen).
The Fire TV Cube has yet to receive an upgrade that adds new features and capabilities to it. Amazon has not been idle in the meantime, as it turned the device into Enterprise hardware.
The new Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client looks and feels like a Fire TV Cube. The new product is designed for enterprise workers specifically according to Amazon. Enterprise customers may use the device to reduce technology costs and "provide enhanced security" according to Amazon's press release.
It is the first time that Amazon adapted a consumer device into a hardware product for AWS customers according to Amazon. The device is optimized for the AWS Cloud. Most of the computing happens in the cloud, which allows the actual device of the user to be a low performance device.
Amazon notes that the new Enterprise hardware is more than an exact copy of the Fire TV Cube. It comes with ports, Amazon mentions USB and HDMI ports, on the outside. These are used to connect peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, monitors or headsets to the WorkSpaces Thin Client device.
The inside is different, according to Amazon. The device is equipped with "purpose-built firmware and software", and "an operating system engineered for employees who need fast, simple, and secure access to applications in the cloud". IT gets access to software to manage the devices remotely.
Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Clients start at $195 according to the announcement. There is just one additional model, the Amazon WorkSpaces Thin Client with Dual Screen Extension Hub. It is listed for a price of $279.99 on Amazon's website.
The devices are sold through Amazon Business. Simplicity was key during development and Amazon claims that employees can start using the devices for the first time in less than 5 minutes.
Additional information about the new device is available on Amazon's AWS blog.
Closing Words
The new Enterprise device competes with Google Chromebooks, low-cost laptops and also Mini PCs. All devices start at around the same $200 price mark. Devices that are more expensive come with additional capabilities, e.g., a full version of Windows and thus the ability to run desktop programs using the device.
AWS customers may find the new device interesting, as it is optimized for Amazon's cloud service.
Now You: do you use mini-PCs or low-cost devices?
Too bad it’s optimized for use with Amazon’s cloud service. It might have made a decent mini-pc without that focus.