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101? What is this, 1999? Everyone knows all those extra keys are really useful.

not a mouse, but i'll put out there that i'm enjoying the ideazon fang gaming keyboard i got a few months ago.

i happened by it when looking for a usb keyboard after i decided i just cannot crouch, strafe diagonally, and change weapons at the same time with my wireless keyboard. i now use that + a usb extender on my living-room set-up (plus the extender enabled a wired mouse and microphone to be near me again too, while still stashing under the couch nicely)

i like that it reaches for ergonomics and don't-have-to-look-at-the-keys-ability while generally maintaining the standard keyboard layout and adding symmetry for leftys/righties. i still like having a full keyboard at-ready for textual-chat or whatnot, but alternatively the makers also have other keyboards whereby you can swap out sections of with specialized sections which can match what the fang provides.

"It's a trigger on the bottom of a controller.

If that's not obvious, what is?

I don't care how you use it, where you put it, whatever. Once a button, always a button."

I don't necessarily agree, there are NON-Obvious placements of certain control mechanisms on a controller.... think for instance the dual analog on the dual shock or the C-stick, or the analog shoulder buttons, etc.

Some designs that make controls more intuitive are not obvious and take a lot of testing to work out. I'd say at least for some controllers, some idea combinations are in no way obvious.

For instance go to http://www.ideazon.com/ca/

Some things are simply *not* obvious and take time to put together, I agree that this lawsuit is frivolous and without merit, but I do not agree that there is no innovation in small ideas (look at how long it took for the scroll wheel, optical laser, and other buttons on the Logitech MX518 to appear for example).

I believe you are talking about this.

Err.. What? This thing has been out for a LONG time. I've actually got one. It's okay, but not fantastic. I've got the World of Warcraft keyset, which is okay, but I eventually went back to the default keyset. It's a cute gimic, but the execution dosen't make up for the convenience of having a normal keyboard. The Pad Lock is pretty cool. It changes your numpad to useful windows shortcut keys.

Where it actually shines is in applications. I have a keyset for Photoshop http://webstore.ideazon.com/product.asp?pf_id=IW0U SE1-X2PHS01 that is increadible! It has cut down my searching for shortcut keys by quite a few minutes.

However, the keys are pretty mushy, it is way to quiet for gaming with surround sound, and the different keysets tend to take a LONG time to get seated correctly so that the keyboard sees them. It's not to bad for speed typing though. (The review says otherwise, but I don't have any problems.) The programable top set of keys is really nice though.

There are also 2 USB ports along the top. I've got my mouse attatched through there, meaning that I've got a longer reach and less cord clutter. I also plug my media card reader in there when I need it.

And if you want a keyboard that offers custom keysets for games and apps that actually works today, and can be bought for less than a house payment, check this out .

... you could always get a Doom3 Z-board.

Which leaves me in a dilemma - which keyboard do I use to play Doom3 on Linux?

But, seems like that's a pretty common phrase in the industry and has been so for years....

Hell, it's even used to refer to [H]ard|OCP's own RatPadz.

A poster above suggested a new section on Slashdot for lawsuits... I think that's a great idea. SCO's newsworthy lawsuits may be dying out finally, but Phantom might keep the section viable for a year by itself. Especially if that "Pre-Order" link starts working and consumers get suckered as well as investors, or if they decide to defend their *cough* "Intellectual Property" *cough* by suing half the gaming industry for trademark infringement.

Wonder if that's where they hope to make a profit?

I plan on getting one of these babies, once they come out with more interfaces for it. especially since I tend to toss my keyboard as soon as it gets a little dirty.