I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the proof using universal nets. (It can be found, e.g., in Pedersen's 'Analysis NOW' and in Bredon's 'Topology and geometry'.)
A universal net in a set X is a net which, for every $Y\subset X$, ultimately lives in $Y$ or $X\backslash Y$. One easily sees that composition of a universal net in X with a function $f:X\rightarrow Y$ gives a universal net in $Y$. Using the ultrafiler lemma, one proves that every net has a universal subnet. All this involves no topology.
Combining the above with standard facts, the proof of Tychonov is extremely short. All one needs is: - a space is compact if and only if every net has a limit point (equiv., a convergent subnet), - a net in $\prod_iX_i$ converges if and only if it converges coordinate-wise.
