Apple is running out of ideas and looking into decades-old video game consoles such as the Commodore 64 as a source of inspiration, according to a new patent spotted by Patently Apple, a site that, predictably, spends most of its time looking for Apple patents.
The patent suggests that Apple is interested in creating a Mac-inside-a-keyboard device, a self-explanatory concept in which most of the hardware would be squeezed inside of a Magic Keyboard™, allowing users to brag about space savings and how quickly they can take their systems from room to room, as if laptops don’t exist. It also looks to be a lot of fun for Apple users with anger management issues who are prone to throwing their peripherals against a wall during heated arguments with online trolls.
Some of the more interesting points raised by the patent include the use of a thermally conductive base, presumably a deterrent against unwanted stuff like the processor inside melting. The keyboard could also rely on vents for cooling purposes, potentially allowing the device to double as a hand warmer under more intensive tasks.
There’s no indication of how much something like this would cost, but this is Apple we’re talking about.
COMPUTER IN AN INPUT DEVICE (USPTO)
- A computing device can include an enclosure that defines an internal volume and an external surface. An input component can be positioned at the external surface. A processing unit and a memory can be communicatively coupled and disposed within the internal volume. A singular input/output port can be positioned at an orifice defined by the enclosure. The singular input/output port can be communicatively coupled to the processing unit and the memory. The singular input/output port can be configured to receive data and power and configured to output data from the processing unit. The computing device can include an air-moving apparatus to move air along an airflow pathway. The enclosure can include a thermally conductive base.
Apple Invents a new Mac Computer Device that takes on the form factor of their Magic Keyboard (Patently Apple)
- Apple’s invention reveals a future Magic Keyboard that could incorporate or otherwise house one or more computing components within to provide a portable desktop computing experience at any location having one or more computer monitors. […] The keyboard could include a trackpad to eliminate the need of a mouse when in transport.
- In some examples, the computing device can include an enclosure having a thermally conductive base. The computing device can include a processing unit in thermal communication with the base.
- Two of the inventors of the patent include a Principal Architect of mac computers and a 16-year senior manager of Product Design.