Apple’s latest patent details a keyboard with a built-in Mac

A newly found patent from Apple suggests the company may be working on a keyboard computer similar to the Raspberry Pi 400. Simply put, this device would be like a laptop without a monitor.

The patent shared by Tom's Hardware includes various images where we see the keyboard Mac with either a wireless mouse or a device similar to Apple's Magic Trackpad. Regardless of which may come, a tracking device looks like a must, considering macOS isn't as touch-friendly as iOS is.

As usual, the patented product specifications are not listed in the document, but Apple promises unexpected performance levels despite its size and form factor. This would suggest the company may be thinking about using its M-series chips, most likely a higher-grade M1 or the M2, as Apple raises the possibility of using a fan and a keyboard baseplate to cool it.

The patent also shows that display, power, and data would pass through a single cable, which looks neat but isn't as practical as it may seem. For example, it's common for users to connect multiple devices to a system through physical connections, like portable drives, phones, headsets and so on. With such a design, users would be forced to use dongles for that purpose, resulting in extra cabling that could be avoided if the device had more ports.

Despite the patent, it's not guaranteed that Apple will launch such a device. Like many other patents, this could be just another one that doesn't result in anything. Who knows? Maybe Apple will unveil its keyboard Mac at its next event, expected for March/April.

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KitGuru says: Would you consider getting a keyboard Mac like the one shown in Apple's patent? How would you use it?

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