The HP EliteBoard G1 looks like it’s just a boring old keyboard that you plug into any PC, but that’s where the surprise is. The EliteBoard is the keyboard AND the computer! Many decades ago alot of computers were like this; having the keyboard built into the box that also held the computer. Even recently, only about 5 years ago, there was the Raspberry Pi 400 which was basically a keyboard case for a Raspberry Pi single board computer. Well, now HP has improved upon the concept even more.
The HP EliteBoard compresses a mobile computer into the form factor of a boring black keyboard where all you have to do is plug it into a monitor and turn it on. It’s often the case where office workers are issued laptops to use as their workstation computers, but they barely ever use it in a laptop mode. The use case is usually just a matter of carrying the computer from one desk with a large monitor in the office, to another desk with a large monitor at home. You don’t really need a full laptop computer for that. You just need one little box to carry between your large desktop displays. It might as well be built into a keyboard.
There are 2 major versions of the HP EliteBoard. One has a battery inside so that it can run while very mobile on an airplane or train for example. The other version is powered by the USB-C cable that you plug into a monitor. So for that one, it’s really only useful when plugged into a desktop display. The one with a battery is a bit more versatile as you could also carry a small portable display to plug it into and set up as a portable workstation just about anywhere there’s a flat surface to set it on.
The EliteBoard also comes with a mouse pre-paired to the system via Bluetooth so that you don’t have to mess around with figuring out how to connect that. Of course, adapters are available as well in case you want to use it with a display that does NOT use USB-C display ports.
The marketing materials are also going to call this an AI PC, but nobody really cares about that, right? Anyway, it will have an AMD Ryzen AI PRO 300 Series processor and up to 860M integrated Radeon graphics with support for up to four 4K 60Hz displays. The back opens up as well, so you can change/repair things like RAM, SSD, WLAN, speakers, fan, battery, and even the keys on the keyboard. There’s a fingerprint scanner in the keyboard’s power button too, plus a Kensington cable lock, and it’s even spill resistant for extra durability. It only weights 1.5lbs, too, so portability-wise, it’s going to be a lot easier to carry between the office and home office while you’re out and about.
Unfortunately, we don’t know the pricing or configuration options on these yet as it was just announced at CES, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for release dates in 2026.