Most hardcore PC enthusiasts love a nice mechanical keyboard. Whether its for gaming or fast typing, it’s hard not to enjoy the feel of some nice switches. A company called Acooo has just launched a new mechanical keyboard with a quad-core Android PC tucked inside, called the oneBoard Pro+. That means it can be hooked up to a traditional PC, or it can work on its own.
The Android PC tucked inside features solid specifications as far as mobile chips go. It has a 1.8GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A17 backed by 2GB of RAM. It also has 16GB of internal storage and an SDHC slot that can support cards with up to 32GB of storage.
The Android portion of the keyboard is removable, which could lead to DIY upgrades when the hardware becomes obsolete. That would likely require support from Acooo, however. Android 4.4 is the operating system of choice, so the oneBoard Pro+ is a bit behind on the latest smartphones when it comes to software.
For connectivity, Acooo has included an HDMI port, multiple USB ports, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. As mentioned previously, users who don’t want to use the Android PC can connect the keyboard to another computer and then use it as a traditional input device. An LED lit headphone port on the side is also available to make it easy to listen privately.
As for the keyboard, it features Cherry MX switches, which is something fans of mechanical keyboards tend to look for. The LED lights on the keyboard illuminate in various colors, providing buyers with a bit of visual interest.
Acooo’s keyboard is available now from multiple retailers including AliExpress. It’s not cheap, though, with a retail price of $299, which is more than one might expect to spend for a standalone Android PC and a mechanical keyboard. Of course, the tradeoff is the convenience of having one device, which could be enough to entice people who are enthusiasts of Android, keyboards, or both.
