HP stuffed a PC into a keyboard. We took it for a spin

"HP has a new spin on this decades-old idea. It embeds a full-fledged AI PC inside a 101-key keyboard you can carry with you from the office to home. Unlike '80s microcomputers or hobbyist-oriented products like the Raspberry Pi 500, the EliteBoard G1a is squarely targeted at business. The system is part of HP's commercial lineup, alongside its EliteBook laptops, and, for better or worse, it comes with HP Wolf Security preinstalled."

"The EliteBoard G1a is trying to create a new niche. When we talked with product managers at HP, they suggested IT departments would buy these computers for two types of workers. The first group is so-called "dual deskers" - knowledge workers who have a desk with a monitor at work and another at home. The second group includes deep-pocketed call centers or environments where desk space is at a premium."

"With the EliteBoard, they could simply schlep the keyboard, which weighs a mere 1.49 pounds - about half the weight of a lightweight laptop. To make this situation work in companies with managed systems, we have to assume that either the IT department would give out monitors to use at home or offer some reason (a subsidy? a mandate?) for employees to buy their own for home."

"The EliteBoard connects to monitors using its USB4 port, so its ideal monitor is one that has Thunderbolt or USB video connectivity built in. Less-expensive a"

HP introduces the EliteBoard G1a, a business-focused AI PC built into a 101-key keyboard that can be carried between office and home. The design shifts the computer from the keyboard era by making the keyboard the main portable device while the AI PC is embedded inside it. The system targets “dual deskers” who use separate work and home monitors, and also call centers where desk space is limited. HP positions the product within its commercial lineup and includes HP Wolf Security preinstalled. The keyboard weighs 1.49 pounds and connects to monitors via a USB4 port, favoring monitors with Thunderbolt or USB video connectivity.

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