It’s CES time, and we’re not expecting anything short of extraordinary at the event. The other day, we saw the Pentagram x Caligra c100 keyboard, which houses computing hardware inside. Now, HP has announced its own version of a keyboard PC, and it looks even better, with practicality at the forefront. At first glance, you might not realize the desktop keyboard has computing power inside, but that’s where the surprise lies.
According to HP, the Eliteboard G1a is “the first and only AI keyboard PC,” and is capable of doing most of the day-to-day tasks you desire while being mobile. Rather than going the AIO route (slamming a PC into the screen), HP chooses a piece of hardware that goes portable with you. The screen PC idea is novel, but it restricts you to one place. A keyboard PC is a more practical idea, and I’m glad it’s here.
The EliteBoard G1a keyboard is a tad thicker than normal peripherals, and it’s completely understandable as computing hardware requires space. Measuring 58 x 118 x 17 mm and weighing just 726 grams (with the battery included), the keyboard is ideal for tasks like browsing the internet, opening the odd survey form for input, listening to music, and more. The spill-proof peripheral has 93 keys, including the number pad. In retrospect, it makes the Bapco mechanical keyboard that houses a working PC inside look bulky.
If you’ve used the HP Elitebook range, the keyboard has the same tactile typing experience, with the key travel (2mm) fine-tuned for desktop space. The keyboard PC comes with the choice of AMD Ryzen AI 300 Pro mobile processors, capable of a maximum of 50 NPU TOPS, making it a Copilot+ equivalent PC. You can connect up to two 4K monitors (running at 60Hz) since it has an integrated Radeon iGPU. Memory capacity is capped at 64GB DDR5-6400, which should be enough to handle sizeable tasks on the fly. The user can install up to 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD, while the Ryzen AI 7 350 SKU variant can be configured for 32GB of eMMC storage.
The Windows 11-powered EliteBoard G1a has a built-in 32 Wh battery that can be charged at speeds of up to 65 Watts. You can connect monitors via the USB4 and USB-C ports on the back, or any other compatible hardware. The keyboard has a claimed 3.5 hours of battery run time on a single charge, but that’ll vary depending on usage and connected devices. There are vents to channel airflow, and the keyboard even comes with stereo speakers for a holistic setup. The keyboard comes in two models, with the high-end version having an optional fingerprint reader and a detachable USB-C cable.
HP is slated to release the keyboard PC in March 2026, and there’s no word on the pricing yet.
There’s something oddly nostalgic about Caligra’s c100 Developer Terminal, yet it feels completely modern at the same time. At first glance, it looks like someone took a pristine keyboard from the early computing era, polished it up, and reimagined it for 2026. But this isn’t just a keyboard. It’s an entire computer, cleverly disguised as the thing you type on.
Designed by Pentagram’s Jon Marshall in collaboration with London startup Caligra, the c100 is what happens when you strip away everything unnecessary and focus on what actually matters for people who build things. It’s described as a “computer for experts,” which is a refreshingly honest way of saying this isn’t meant for scrolling through social media or binge-watching Netflix. This machine is built for developers, designers, engineers, and anyone whose work involves deep focus and technical precision.
The design itself is absolutely gorgeous in its restraint. The entire body is CNC-milled from a solid block of aluminum, giving it a weight and solidity that modern tech rarely has anymore. That bead-blasted metal finish manages to evoke both sleek consumer electronics and industrial tools simultaneously, walking a line between approachable and professional. There’s something satisfying about a device that doesn’t try to hide what it is. No glossy plastics, no unnecessary curves. Just clean geometry and honest materials.
What makes the c100 truly clever is how it solves the problem of desk space. The keyboard sits at an angle, with the computing hardware tucked into the thicker rear section, creating a wedge shape that echoes those chunky terminals from the ’70s and ’80s. But here’s the genius part: there’s a central magnetic pivot structure that lets you detach and fold the keyboard without any visible external hinges. It’s the kind of detail that seems simple until you realize how much engineering went into making it look effortless.
Open the removable lid and you’ll find tool storage built right in. It’s such a practical touch that it almost feels subversive in an era where most tech companies would rather you never open your device at all. The message is clear: this computer expects you to tinker, to maintain it, to actually use your tools. One photo even shows calipers and a pen tucked inside, the kinds of things you’d need if you’re working on something physical alongside your digital projects.
The keyboard layout itself is unusual and deliberate. Keys are grouped into separate clusters rather than the standard continuous layout most of us are used to. There’s a numeric pad on the left, arrow keys grouped together, function keys in their own section. It takes a moment to understand, but the logic becomes clear when you think about workflow efficiency. The design uses Fitts’ law to accelerate task management, meaning every key placement has been optimized for speed and minimal hand movement.
Even the mouse is thoughtfully designed, with that same geometric clarity as the rest of the system. And yes, it’s wired, which might seem retro until you consider that wireless connections mean batteries, charging, and occasional lag. For someone writing code or working on time-sensitive projects, that reliability matters more than the convenience of going wireless.
The c100 runs Workbench OS, a Linux-based operating system that Caligra built specifically for technical work. It has no decorative elements, no pop-ups, no need for “do not disturb,” which honestly sounds like a dream compared to the constant notifications and distractions modern operating systems throw at us. The whole philosophy behind Workbench is to create a clear space for deep thought, getting out of your way so you can actually focus on making things.
Under that elegant exterior, the specs are serious: an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 processor, 96GB of DDR5 memory, and 1TB of storage. The terminal includes two USB4 ports, two HDMI outputs, ethernet, and all the connectivity a professional setup needs. The aluminum body isn’t just for looks either; it helps with thermal performance, keeping things cool without noisy fans disrupting your concentration.
At $1,999, the c100 isn’t cheap, but it’s also not trying to compete with mass-market laptops. This is a statement about what computing could be when it’s designed for creation rather than consumption. In a world where most tech products feel disposable and designed for obsolescence, there’s something genuinely refreshing about a computer that’s built like a tool, looks like an artifact, and functions like it’s been optimized for the way professionals actually work.
We have come a long way from the computers the size of entire rooms to the sleek personal computers that sit comfortably on our desks. The evolution of computing has consistently pushed toward smaller form factors and greater efficiency. The Mac mini, for example, illustrates how compact modern PCs have become. Yet the question persists: how miniature can a powerful computing device truly be? A recent Guinness World Records certification offers a striking answer.
Tiiny AI, a US-based deep-tech startup, has unveiled the Pocket Lab, officially verified as the “world’s smallest personal AI supercomputer.” This palm-sized device, no larger than a typical power bank, is capable of running large language models (LLMs) with up to 120 billion parameters entirely on-device, without relying on cloud servers or external GPUs.
At its core, the Pocket Lab aims to make advanced artificial intelligence both personal and private. Traditional AI systems often depend on cloud infrastructure, which can raise concerns around data privacy, latency, and carbon emissions associated with large server farms. The Pocket Lab addresses these issues by enabling fully offline AI computation. All processing, data storage, and inference happen locally on the device, reducing dependence on internet connectivity or cloud resources.
Despite its compact size, measuring 14.2 × 8 × 2.53 centimeters and weighing roughly 300 grams, this mini supercomputer delivers noteworthy computing power. The system operates within a typical 65-watt energy envelope, comparable to a conventional desktop PC, yet manages to support extensive AI workloads. The hardware architecture combines a 12-core ARMv9.2 CPU with a custom heterogeneous module that includes a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), together achieving approximately 190 TOPS (tera-operations per second) of AI compute performance. This configuration is backed by 80 GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 1 TB solid-state drive, allowing large AI models to run efficiently without external accelerators.
Two key technologies underpin the Pocket Lab’s ability to run large models so efficiently in such a small package. TurboSparse improves inference efficiency through neuron-level sparse activation, reducing computational overhead while preserving model intelligence. PowerInfer, an open-source heterogeneous inference engine with a significant developer following, dynamically distributes workloads across the CPU and NPU, delivering server-grade performance at far lower power and cost than traditional GPU-based solutions.
In practical terms, the Pocket Lab supports a wide ecosystem of open-source AI models and tools. Users can deploy popular LLMs such as GPT-OSS, Llama, Qwen, DeepSeek, Mistral, and Phi, alongside agent frameworks and automation tools, all with one-click installation. This broad software compatibility extends the device’s usefulness beyond enthusiasts and hobbyists to developers, researchers, professionals, and students.
By storing all user data and interactions locally with bank-level encryption, the Pocket Lab also emphasizes privacy and long-term personal memory. This feature contrasts with many cloud-based AI services that retain data on remote servers. Tiiny AI plans to showcase the Pocket Lab at CES 2026, but has not yet disclosed full details on pricing or release dates.
PC case mods hold merit both for beefing up the computing power and showing off the computer’s internal hardware. While the ordinary might stop at that, a few go beyond the normal to craft case mods that turn eyeballs. The Sentinel Cypher PC case mod by AK Mod for Klevv is the latest example.
This PC case mod showcased at Computex, Taipei has a retrofuturistic vibe, themed on the Fallout world. That rustic look with the old-school PC housing is made for a post-apocalyptic bunker or an advanced space station in some other galaxy, safe from the scavengers outside.
The rugged look of the PC case with exposed wires, dirty panels and the jarred software interface is something straight out of a space wreck. The rustic mouse and the huge GPU fans complement the look well. This is intentional to represent the dystopian grim theme but don’t let that chalkiness fool you. Concealed hardware on the inside is as potent as it can get. It makes sense since Klevv (known for its high-end RAM and SSDs) displayed the mod at the high-tech annual event.
The water-cooled PC houses an intel 17-14700K processor, ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi motherboard, 6 TB KLEVV Genuine G650 and KLEVV Cras C925 SSD, Noctua NF A625 PWM fan, and 96 GB DDR5 KLEVV CRAS V and Urbane memory. Peripherals include a ROG Azoth keyboard and Lofree Tri-Mode Wireless mouse. As for potent cooling, the mod gets EKWB EK-Quantum Velocity² DDC 4.2 PWM D-RGB, EKWB EK-CryoFuel Clear, and EKWB EK-Quantum Torque Fittings.
The steampunk-ish monitor completely lifts like a car’s boot to reveal the motherboard for an even more industrial look, if you as a user want to show off when not using all that computing power. Sentinel Cypher PC case mod is a work of sci-fi art that packs a lot of punch in its measly abandoned computer in a space station form!
While laptops and tablets are the most convenient and most mobile for those who want to work outside, it’s not always the most powerful. But having those bulky computers at home or at the office may also not be that ideal even if they can sometimes be more powerful. So a mini PC can be the best thing to have if you’re looking for something compact but still powerful enough to let you do what you need to do if you’re a content creator, gamer, or a professional.
Designer: Minisforum
The UH125 Pro from Minisforum seems to be a pretty powerful mini computer that is packaged into a tiny body. It has the Intel Core Ultra 5 processor with intel 4 technology and a 3D high-performance hybrid architecture. Since it has 2x iGPU performance, you will be able to improve the running speed when it comes to tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and live streaming. It’s also perfect for watching videos and playing games as it has the Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) technology that is able to support high-performance and high-fidelity visual effects.
Even thought it is smaller than most computers, it has high-efficiency large storage for your multimedia entertainment and massive data storage needs. And in case that isn’t enough, there’s a storage expansion method as well. You can also connect up to four 4K screens at the same time since it has two full-speed USB4 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and one DP 2.0 port. And in case your concern is overheating since it’s small, it has a compact phase-change heat dissipation design with a large-diameter silent cooling fan and three heat dissipation copper pipes.
The UH125 Pro is small enough that you can place it on your workspace even if you have a small one. It actually looks like the old-school hard drive boxes that we used back when we needed high storage external drives. There’s a barebone version and a more expensive one that has 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Both are now available for pre-order on the Minisforum website.
Small-form computers are becoming quite the fad these days, and not just the mini PCs that sit on our desks or hidden behind monitors. There are, of course, handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally X that are full-fledged computers in their own right. Even the latter, however, might have some trouble being called portable because of their large sizes, at least compared to the sleek and thin Nintendo Switch. There are compromises to be made, however, the smaller you want the device to become, but this rather intriguing design eschews the part that you least expect. Masquerading as a thick and hefty foldable keyboard, this literal pocket PC will let you work or even play anywhere, as long as you have a monitor with you as well.
Designer: Linglong
It’s pretty amazing how far computing technology has gone when it comes to minimizing the space taken up by components. Handheld gaming PCs, for example, have hardware that you’d normally only find in gaming laptops from a few years back. Despite that, there’s no escaping the laws of physics, especially if you have to make room for things like a small display and controls. But if all you really want is a computer you can take with you anywhere, then this foldable keyboard PC is probably the way to go.
It’s small enough to fit in your back pocket, presuming you have very large pockets or don’t mind having a large bulge on your behind. It looks like and behaves like those typical single-fold foldable keyboards, except it’s quite thick and heavy in comparison. There’s a reason for that, of course, and that’s because it’s hiding an almost complete PC package, processor, memory, and even battery. All that’s missing is a screen.
It runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, the very same chip used by powerful gaming handhelds, with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. These pieces fit inside one half of the keyboard, along with a fan and cooling system to keep the tiny computer running smoothly without burning up. The other half houses a 60W battery, advertised to run for up to 10 hours of light computing, presuming you don’t have a screen attached.
Unless you’re some kind of technomancer, you will, of course, want to connect it to a display, but that’s where the fun starts as well. That display doesn’t have to be a traditional traditional monitor after all. It could be a portable monitor, a pen display, or, better yet, smart glasses like the Xreal Airs. With a tiny touchpad and the built-in battery, this could very well be the perfect setup for these XR glasses, though the limited availability of this China-only device will have some probably just dreaming of better days.
If you’ve been keeping tabs on the tech industry in the past year or so, you’re bound to come across a new and probably alien breed of computers making rounds over the Internet. Whether or not you’re a gamer, it’s almost impossible not to at least see a glimpse of the likes of the hulking Steam Deck or the shapeshifting Lenovo Legion GO. These portable computers that are larger than smartphones but significantly smaller than laptops are popping up in places you least expect, and sometimes in designs you never imagined. They might sound like a passing fad, especially given how few there are from the major PC manufacturers, but these handheld gaming PCs actually play a crucial role in promoting a healthy and exciting future for an ailing PC market.
It might come as a surprise to some, but Valve’s Steam Deck is, technically speaking, not the first handheld gaming computer to launch in modern times. Even before Nintendo launched its monumental Switch console, a small manufacturer from China was already testing the waters of this very niche market. Game Pocket Devices or GPD started out with Android gaming handhelds but it took a big gamble with its first Windows product, the GPD WIN, in 2015. The clamshell design and mediocre specs of the literally pocketable computer made it feel more like a toy than an actual gaming device, but it laid the groundwork for that brand’s future foray into this nascent space.
And then the Nintendo Switch was born, rekindling the dreams of many gamers to be able to play anywhere they want and, more importantly, in any mode they desire. Unlike the Nintendo DS or the PlayStation Vita, the Switch supported multiple ways of playing thanks to its detachable Joy-Cons and docked mode, virtually combining handheld and home consoles in a single device. That said, the appeal only worked if you had Nintendo-exclusive titles you actually wanted to play, and so the desire to bring that same design and experience to other gaming platforms, particularly PCs, was born.
Although smaller manufacturers like GPD, AYANEO, and ONE Netbook, just to name a few, quickly jumped on the Nintendo Switch fever, it wouldn’t be until Valve joined the fray that people would start to take the idea of a handheld gaming PC more seriously. For gamers, especially PC gamers, the promise of being able to sit down (or stay standing up) anywhere and launch their favorite title was almost too good to be true. Truth be told, the Steam Deck’s success and popularity was almost like a miracle. The hardware was almost too mediocre, the design was large and chunky, and the Linux-based Steam OS was unfamiliar to the majority of Windows PC gamers. And yet two years later, the Steam Deck is still a household name that has many fans clamoring for a 2nd-gen upgrade.
Now we have a handful of handheld gaming PCs from different brands and different designs, with more coming in the months ahead. Their compact forms and relatively lightweight designs definitely endear them to gamers, but these users aren’t the only ones who benefit from this budding device category. In fact, the entire PC industry could stand to benefit from this wave, presuming other key players join the game long enough to make it matter.
Pushing the Boundaries
The most immediate impact that these handheld computers had on the rest of the PC industry was an increased focus on mobile processors, that is, the processors used for laptops. Of course, gaming laptops have existed for years now, but these portable yet bulky computers have always had the advantage of better and equally large cooling systems. Gaming handhelds, however, don’t have that luxury, so both silicon manufacturers and hardware designers have had to come up with ways to optimize performance while keeping thermals low. And what’s good for handhelds is naturally good for laptops that need to be slim and petite. The result: extra thin gaming laptops that almost don’t look like they’re gaming laptops.
A bit indirectly, it is also pushing competitors to further outdo each other. The Steam Deck uses a custom AMD processor which placed the chipmaker on the map, making it the preferred brand for all these gaming handhelds. It is only with the announcement of the MSI Claw A1M that Intel’s name even popped up, daring to enter a field where it has generally lagged behind without the help of graphics chips from AMD or NVIDIA. Early reviews don’t seem to favor Intel’s first attempt, but the pressure will help rouse the giant to pick up the slack and push its Arc graphics to the limits.
Whatever the brand or even the hardware, handheld gaming PCs are really challenging the status quo when it comes to balancing performance, power consumption, and heat generation. The compact form factor imposes many limitations while also focusing on the essentials. Any innovation born from this space will also help drive the development of larger computers like laptops and tablets, paving the way for slim, light, and efficient computers in the future.
Design Exploration
Handheld PCs also redefine the image of what a computer looks like. Most people can only imagine desktop towers, laptops, or even tablets, taking for granted that the term “computer” actually refers to a very wide range of devices and designs. In this particular case, it is introducing the idea of a computer that you can hold in your hand and use even without sitting down, pretty much like the pocketable computers we call “smartphones.”
But even within the handheld gaming PC market, we’re also seeing a variety of designs being explored as companies try to search for the perfect answer if one does exist. The design sported by the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally is, of course, the most known, but the Switch-inspired Lenovo Legion GO and OneXPlayer X1 are also pushing the envelope of that form factor. And then there’s AYANEO’s numerous designs that are seemingly throwing everything at the wall to see which one sticks. It’s definitely an exciting time for designers to envision different ways to deliver a compact and portable computer, and hopefully, that train won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Of course, handheld gaming PCs are being made with gamers in mind, but they aren’t the only ones that can benefit from this form factor, at least not in the long run. Just like with gaming laptops, they have enough power to support almost any other computing need, from office work to system administration to even content creation. There is even a subclass of these handheld computers that are specifically designed to quickly connect to servers and other computers via ports that may seem archaic by today’s consumer standards.
Yes, you will probably need to connect some peripherals if you need to get some serious work done, but there are already people doing that anyway with their tablets and even their phones. These handheld PCs offer almost the same flexibility as laptops but with the added advantage of being able to use them in cramped spaces, including while standing up (if the design includes a more or less convenient keyboard). There’s definitely a lot of room and opportunity for innovation in this space to address more use cases beyond gaming, and handheld gaming PCs could very well be the start of a new design revolution in the PC industry.
Missed Opportunities
All that potential will be for naught if this handheld gaming PC trend fizzles out quickly. Although they’re still making a big splash, it’s not yet a stable market, much less a profitable one. PC manufacturers are also extremely cautious about jumping into the fray. It took two years after the Steam Deck before the first major PC brand jumped on board, and even then we’re still missing the likes of the Acer Predator, Dell Alienware, and Razer. Admittedly, it’s a risky business proposition and not as easy as, say, producing a smartphone, but without the presence of these big brands, the young market will die out sooner rather than later. That would definitely be a tragedy given how these handheld PCs have the potential to reinvigorate a PC market that has long been regarded to be dwindling, especially as desktops become almost as niche as these portable gaming computers.
Mini PCs are becoming quite the trend these days, but despite their small and seemingly portable sizes, they’re not exactly meant or easy to carry around. Their boxy shapes, while space-efficient, aren’t conducive for carrying around, not to mention they need to be plugged into a power source, monitor, keyboard, and mouse to even be usable. There are exceptions to this formula, of course, and one manufacturer had the rather unconventional and somewhat outlandish idea of a portable mini PC that you can carry with you without a bag because the PC itself becomes something like a glamorous purse or handbag just by adding a shoulder strap to its sides.
You can already tell at a glance that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill mini PC. It has a retro-futuristic vibe going with its round rectangle shape, glossy plastic finish, front grille, and chromed levers and feet. The lever at the top is a rather physical volume control that adds a little fun to the act of adjusting the volume. The design is both simple and elegant but actually hides a few tricks that set it further apart from other mini computers.
For starters, the design has two chrome buttons at the sides where you can attach a matching strap to carry it on your shoulders. You’ll probably still want to put it inside a large carrying bag for protection, but you can still carry it directly if you’re just transferring locations quickly, like moving from one room to another in the same building. That said, the SOONNOOZ Mini is not exactly that small, so it might look awkward carrying it like that. And at 1.5kg, it’s not lightweight either.
You’d still need to connect it to some peripherals to use it, of course, but you might not need to have it always plugged in. It has a built-in battery, not unlike a laptop, which could allow you a few hours of use before you need to recharge it. This makes it convenient as a portable entertainment system when paired with a portable projector, though you’ll still need a way to navigate the computer, like with a portable keyboard and mouse.
Its last trick is that its fascia is actually a detachable Bluetooth speaker that can be used on its own. As far as specs go, it’s a pretty standard mini PC that won’t really stand out in terms of performance, though certain configurations could definitely support some light gaming. Interesting as it might be, the SOONNOOZ Mini isn’t something you can acquire outside of China, so its novelty will probably never reach global renown.
