Apple files a lot of patents and it is not necessary that the final product will see daylight. However, it does give us an insight into what the company is planning for the future. According to the latest, Apple is looking into the possibility of incorporating a functional Mac inside the keyboard. This reminds us of computers of the 80s like the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Scroll down to read more details on the subject.
Apple Has Filed a New Patent That Describes a Keyboard With a Functional Mac Inside
Apple’s patent application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is titled “Computer in an input device.” It describes a thicker Magic Keyboard housing all the components of a computer (via PatentlyApple). The patent also mentions that the Mac-within-a-board will connect to an external display through a single port. The port will perform both functions, power delivery as well as data transfer. Moreover, it can be paired with a trackpad or a Magic Mouse wirelessly.
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 components that need to be transported by the user. Further the input device can eliminate additional components such as displays, that are not required when used with a standalone computer monitor, thereby reducing costs and size.
Apple suggests that users can easily carry a single keyboard with them and make use of desktop-class computing anywhere. However, you would require an external display. For instance, you can take the computer from your home to your office and vice versa. Apple also imagines a trackpad “coupled” to the enclosure. In other cases, the device is foldable where the keyboard area features an accessory display for graphics.
The patent also explores detailed configurations of the components housed in the thicker keyboard chassis. As mentioned earlier, Apple files a lot of patents and we are not certain if Apple will launch the product anytime soon. Henceforth, be sure to take the news with a grain of salt. This is all there is to it, folks. Whare your thoughts on the subject? Share your thoughts about the concept in the comments.
The post Apple is Exploring a Functional Mac Within a Keyboard by Ali Salman appeared first on Wccftech.
