Vendors have long toyed with the idea of integrating keyboards with desktop PCs - after all, this is how the first mainstream computers were presented to budding hobbyists back in the 1970s.
Fast forward to today and a Chinese company with an unorthodox name (QGeeM) has released a keyboard with plenty of ports, but sadly no computer inside - and that’s a massive disappointment.
The Hubboard, as it is called, squeezes 11 ports into a minuscule keyboard; you get all the essentials and then some. There’s a legacy VGA port, three USB ports, two USB-Type-C (one with power delivery), a Gigabit Ethernet port, microSD card slot, SD card slot, audio port and an HDMI connector that can output to 4K.
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There are a number of obvious issues with the device, though. There’s no numeric keypad - let alone a touchpad) - so while it's great for drafting a quick email, you'll long for an input peripheral before long.
For some reason, QGeeM also opted for a super cramped chassis with barely any space between the keys, plus the function and cursor keys are also squashed.
We would have loved to see a computer (Android or Windows-based) built in, which would have made this piece of kit even more useful. Add in a battery and you’d find yourself looking at a headless laptop.
For those interested in seeing what a Windows-based keyboard PC might look like, here’s one from 2008, one from 2016 (which is also rubberised), another from the same year and, last but not least, Asus’ exquisite Eee PC keyboard from 2010.
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Bear in mind
- If this product is unavailable in your region, you may need to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal.
- If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
