Apple Imagines Mac-Inside-a-Keyboard Device Evocative of 80s Home Computers

Apple appears to be 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.