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If you’re anything like me, you spend 90% of your time using your laptop with it docked and plugged into a monitor (or two). And if you’re at that point, you might be wondering why you even bother having a screen attached to your computer at all. If so, HP’s got your back. Announced at this year’s CES, the HP Eliteboard G1a looks like a normal keyboard on the outside, but on the inside, it’s got a whole Windows PC.
That’s not exactly a new concept, but with the experimental days of Windows XP long behind us, it’s mostly been reserved for less powerful, Linux-based single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi . That’s great if you’re a hacker or tinkerer, but not if you’re just looking for a screenless, keyboard-equipped Mini PC to get you through the workday.
The Eliteboard G1a, instead, comes equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen AI chips, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage, so while you shouldn’t expect to play the latest and greatest games on it, for internet browsers and lightweight productivity programs, it should really be able to hustle.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
It’s also a bit of a sleeper build. I’ve been able to go hands-on with it, and to all outside eyes, it really does look like a regular office keyboard, complete with black, low-profile chiclet keys, a function row, and a numpad. Ranging from 1.5 to 1.7 pounds based on how you spec it out, it’s also pretty lightweight, and the right person might believe you if you said it was just a keyboard, with no computer inside whatsoever.
The catch? This baby is aimed at enterprise customers, rather than your typical consumer. That does come with a few bonuses, like a Kensington lock slot, some extra security software, and an optional fingerprint reader. But it also means you’re not going to find it up for sale anywhere other than the HP store, and while pricing hasn’t been announced yet, it’ll probably be a bit more expensive if bought individually rather than as part of an office fleet. It can also only connect to monitors using DisplayPort, which is fine if you’re an office manager that knows to buy displays that will work with it, but may not fit into everyone’s home set-up.
That’s a shame, because I love unusual form factors, and this keyboard PC could make for a really clean desk in my home office. It’s strong enough, uses a familiar operating system with wide app compatibility, and can even output to two 4K monitors at once. There are also two versions, one that always needs to be plugged in, and one with a battery and a detachable USB power cable for quickly moving between different workstations. That’s great flexibility, since the battery version is a bit more portable, but is also heavier.
Here’s hoping this is just an early experiment for HP, because I’d love to buy a consumer version of this laptop at some point in the future. If you’re willing to take the plunge on the enterprise model, though, HP says it’s expected to launch on HP.com sometime in March.
