I’m not sure who needs this, but if you’d like a USB-C hub with a QWERTY keyboard and a good variety of ports, you’ll be glad QGeeM Keyboard and USB-C hub/dock station exists.
The device comes with one HDMI port, one VGA D-Sub connector, 3x USB 3.0 ports, a memory card reader, an RJ45 port for Ethernet, an audio jack, and USB-C port with USB-C PD 3.0 support up to 100W. This may look like a keyboard PC, but nope, it’s just a USB-C hub that happens to have a built-in keyboard.
QGeeM Keyboard and USB-C hub key features:
- Storage – MicroSD and full-size SD/SDXC card readers (multiplexed) up to 2TB
- Video Output
- HDMI 1.4 port up to 4Kp30, VGA D-Sub connector up to 1920×1080 @ 60 Hz
- Dual display setups up to 1080p60 per display
- Mirroring and extended display modes supported
- Audio -3.5mm audio AUX jack
- Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
- USB
- 3x USB 3.0 ports for data transfer (5Gbps)
- 1x USB-C port
- 1x 100W capable USB-C PD port
- User input – QWERTY keyboard
- Power – Note external power may be needed to be able to use all the ports.
- Dimensions – 287 x 151 x 18mm (aluminum allow enclosure)
- Weight – 459 grams
The USB-C hub keyboard ships with a user manual and a USB-C cable suitable for 100W power input. The accessories will be compatible with laptops and other devices with a Thunderbolt 3.0 or USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode.
I just found it on Banggood for around $100, but the keyboard has been around for a while, and there are also some reviews on Amazon where I can see who may need this. Some people carry around multiple USB adapters for networks, for extra USB ports, video output, and/or card readers. So it’s a more compact solution, albeit still a bit heavy. Reviews are rather positive with one downside being the keyboard does not feel that great to type on, the arrow keys are quite close to each other.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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Cool!
> it’s just a USB-C hub that happens to have a built-in keyboard
This type of device is usually called an USB-C ‘dock’ though this time with an integrated (crappy) keyboard which kind of makes the whole thing useless 🙂
It’s missing the SoC to become and a refreshed old computer. Quite frankly these days one needs to be able to move the keyboard around or even put it on any surface, and with all those cables it’s hardly possible. Thus it’ll be used as a fixed mini-computer, in which case removing the need for a central unit would have made sense (like in the rpi400). And the keyboard looks crappy with flat keys and little distance in between, suggesting lots of typos all along.
Agree. Not being able to move the keyboard (easily) to a comfortable position makes this pointless in my eyes. About the only thing I can see being useful attached to a keyboard is the mouse (but then it needs a much shorter cable than usual, otherwise it still has to be run somewhere.)
Edit: Actually, I suppose that a port for a flash drive and/or uSD card could also be useful, but not anything that has long or thick cables.
I agree. I suspect it started like this during the design phase (port for mouse, flash drive, SD, maybe even audio for a headphone), and when the creators thought about the negligible extra cost of adding a few more ports, they turned it into a full-featured dock, missing the initial point.
I have this usb-c keyboard dock on my aliexpress watchlist for quite a while.
I think it is awesome combined with a Motorola G100 with it desktop mode (or any other smartphone supporting this).
Maybe not for daily work but for example for my mom it would fit all her needs.
What holding me back from ordering it is the price and they keyboard layout. As mentioned in the text, it looks all to close together in my opinion
I hope the keycaps are removable so that one stuck key doesn’t just turn it into just an inconveniently shaped dock.
Samsung DeX just got better and easily attainable. Now people like you gotta support the cause. I’m buying 1.
Probably the most interesting, but ultimately useless, idea I have seen manifested in quite some time.
Why? The keyboard component is identically highly limited just like the adjacent actual laptop keyboard! What is the point? At least make the keyboard reasonably sized and with a decent layout so users who do not want to be cramped into a laptop keyboard any longer than necessary (whilst on the road, for example) can actually benefit from this sensible combination of components.