HP’s president of personal systems Alex Cho made the comments in a podcast interview with the technology website Pocket-lint.
"We find that that hybrid work is clearly going to drive an opportunity for a lot of new types of form factors," Cho told Pocket-lint. "And, the ability to move, work from anywhere, connect with anywhere, collaborate from anywhere, is really driving a lot of that.”
In computers the form factor refers to the motherboard specification – the dimensions, power supply type, the location of mounting holes and the number of ports on the back panel.
"We fully expect that there will be a lot more innovation in form factors,” said Cho. “We're already starting to see that beyond just a screen and a keyboard. We're seeing form factors like 360s [convertible laptops] - those that have the ability for you to not just type but also watch videos. The ability to transition into something that's easier for consumption."
According to Cho these fundamental changes to computer design have been ushered in by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis which brought computers in to even more aspects of our lives.
"PCs used to be something that were tools that were used somewhat on the side, but are now becoming the centre of how people get life and work and schooling done," he said.