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Apple is exploring the possibility of integrating a fully functioning Mac within a keyboard, reminiscent of home computers of the 80s, such as the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
The concept was revealed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in a new Apple patent application called “Computer in an input device,” which describes a thicker Magic Keyboard-style chassis with “all the components of a high performance computer” integrated under the hood.
The patent describes the premise for such a device, which could be plugged into a separate external display via a single I/O port designed to receive both data and power, and wirelessly paired with a trackpad or mouse for additional input.
Although portable computing devices, such as laptops and tablets, can be docked at an office or home-office station that includes a secondary display to provide a computing experience that is similar to a desktop computing experience, these devices still require an additional set of input devices to imitate a desktop computing device. Further, the primary display of devices such as laptops and tablets often may not be used when the device is docked to a station that includes a secondary display, adding potentially unnecessary size and cost to such portable computing devices.
The computing devices described herein can incorporate or otherwise house one or more computing components within an input device to provide a portable desktop computing experience at any location having one or more computer monitors. For example, a user can transport a keyboard that houses a computer, as opposed to carrying an entire laptop or a tower and keyboard. As some form of an input device is often required for interacting or interfacing with a computing device, including computing components within the housing or enclosure of an input device can eliminate the need for redundant sets of input devices and reduces the number of co
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