ragging both a tablet and a laptop around just to use two different operating systems is a questionable pleasure, especially when you just want normal software rather than a second screen eating up space in your backpack. The startup Hero Devices solved this problem radically: they threw away the laptop lid and packed a fully functioning Windows 11 computer directly into an aluminum keyboard with a built-in trackpad and battery, calling the whole thing the Hero Keyboard.
Inside a dark burgundy aluminum chassis measuring 25.5 by 19 centimeters and just 1.16 cm thick (featuring neat rounded corners and black keys), Hero's engineers managed to fit a fresh Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a fast 512 GB solid-state drive (SSD). According to the creators, this hybrid delivers a full desktop system for travel, sparing you from carrying an extra display panel.
Cables and companion apps
The device doesn't have its own screen, so the picture outputs to a compatible tablet or monitor. To cobble together a makeshift workstation on your lap, the proprietary Hero Port app transmits the video signal over a standard USB-C cable, while touch screen and stylus signals travel separately via a wireless Bluetooth Low Energy connection.
«The idea is to carry a full-fledged computer with you without being permanently chained to a built-in screen».
Their software is designed for iPadOS 17 (and newer) and Android 7 (and newer), although on the pre-order page the app is still listed as being under development. At a desk, things are simpler: you plug in a compatible USB-C monitor, and it handles both the video feed and power delivery over a single wire. But what if you don't actually need Windows right this second?
Role-playing and endless battery juggling
If you shut down the built-in PC, the gadget turns into a regular Bluetooth keyboard with a wide trackpad for your tablet. For an extra $50, you can buy the Sidekick case: it snaps the keyboard to an 11-inch iPad and doubles as a stand.
However, ditching the screen didn't save the design from extra weight and charging hell. The keyboard itself weighs around 720 grams — and that's before you toss the tablet, stand, and power brick into your bag. The creators promise up to nine hours of battery life and throw a 100-watt USB-C adapter in the box, but the tablet acting as your screen will drain its own battery twice as fast in the process.
For the Founders Edition, they are asking $999 on pre-order in the US and Canada, with the first shipments promised no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2026. Shelling out a thousand bucks for a computer where you still have to buy a tablet separately, wrangle cables, and pray for the stability of third-party software is an insanely expensive and weird compromise compared to literally any sensible laptop.
If you have a thousand dollars to spare and a burning desire to solve puzzles with drivers and external screen connections on a train, go right ahead. For everyone else, this is an expensive toy for tech enthusiasts who love suffering for the sake of an unusual form factor.
What it means
Instead of lightening the load, buyers face the prospect of juggling extra cables and an indispensable second device just to get an active screen. A thousand-dollar computer lacking its own display relies entirely on third-party tablet support and the unproven stability of the Hero Port app. Bundling a 720-gram keyboard, a separate tablet, and a stand neatly cancels out the whole premise of portable minimalism. A $999 computer somehow still requires you to bring along a fully functional second computer just to look at the desktop.