Infinium Phantom Lapboard Coming to PC?

JamesO writes to tell us that Infinium Labs has announced the release of their "Phantom Lapboard" for later this year. From the article: "Infinium Labs' Phantom game service is still to launch, despite claims years ago that it would appear at Christmas 2004, but this hasn't stopped the company from continuing with the system's development. One of the most talked about aspects of the system is its wireless keyboard and mouse combo called the Lapboard. Infinium Labs has decided that the Lapboard is so good that it will be released as a peripheral for PC users in quarter-two 2006. What makes the Lapboard unique is that the keyboard can be angled upwards to create a surface for the mouse to operate on underneath. The device is also wireless and can operate at a distance of up to 30 feet."

Comments

What's the point

[vectorian798]

If I am sitting away from my computer I can't see my interface as well and that matters a lot in most games.

Hmm

[thesnarky1]

I don't know about you, but I don't like hitting my hand every time I bring it up to type. My roommate has a desk with the mouse lower like this and boy does it suck. If anyone here has ever played a game where you have to switch between the mouse and the keyboard (say for chatting between you and teammates) this not only kills the time it takes to get up to the keyboard, but you DO hit your hand a lot.

Not to mention the fact that you arms are going to cross in this case with the mouse directly below the keyboard.

If this is any indication of their console, they shoulda just launched years ago with two paper-cups and some string... their launch title? Telephone. Multiplayer, you just have to pass the controller between each pair of players. But look, no limit on amount of players!

So...

[faloi]

Instead of a console that doesn't technically exist, they're shipping a keyboard that has no possible value whatsoever. I know that their VC's must be chomping at the bit to get something out of 'em, but c'mon.

How did this land on /.?

[mmell]

Are these guys paying for advertising? This isn't some new technology, nor even an emerging piece of standard hardware. This is just a wireless keyboard/mouse combo with what (to my eye) looks to be a cheap plastic lapboard.

I'd be more inclined to pick up a cheaper wireless keyboard/mouse set and grab one of those ancient Sun mousepads (remember Sun's optical mouse, the one which required a metal mousepad with a grid painted on?).

Don't have an antique Sun mouse pad? I suspect any old clipboard or other flat surface will do nicely.

Few Ideas

[everphilski]

Uh, big screen TV or projector. Had a LCD projector back in college, I had a computer wired to it and friends would bring over consoles all the time for gaming sessions. You could easily sit 15-20 feet away and still have a good view...

-everphilski-

Angled Keyboard?

[XMilkProject]

So I looked at the picture and the first thing I think to myself is "How the f*ck am I supposed to type efficiently with my keyboard at a huge angle"

So I sat for a moment, puzzled as to how they thought this thing would be useful...

Then I decided to try it myself, So i've propped my keyboard up at a comparable angle, and I'm typing on it right now... I've got to admit it hasn't slowed my typing down at all, or decreased my accuracy (Although it does obviously take longer to make the keyboard->mouse->keyboard transition with the right hand)

While I'm still able to type quite well, I can't help but get the feeling that this could be a near-instant cuase of a significant repetitive stress injury, with all the odd angles and such.

Also, if the keyboard is in your lap, how do you get to your ........

Okay...

[Irvu]

I'll Beleieve it when I see it on the shelves.

As a side note, and this is nothing personal about Infinium but why is it that pre-produce launches have become so necessary. I mean I know that announcing new airplanes in advance of ground tests and so on is necessary to drum up funding, or just spit in the eyes of those who said you would never "make it" but why is it that every company has to tell the world about its products before they exist just to keep shareholders happy. First the shareholders demanded regular updates and yearly profits. Now they expect quarterly profit gains. Before you had to have a new product on the market each year. Now it seems you have to have a new pre-product announcement each quarter (just look at Apple).

I can't help but think that the focus on short-term gains and announcements bodes ill in the long run for any company.

Ergonomics

[EEBaum]

Dang, that thing looks like such a nightmare I can't even decide on what sort of snide ergonomics-related comment to make. Therefore:

[Insert snide comment on the horrific ergonomics of that device here]

After what they did to HardOCP, I don't think so.

[sc0ttyb]

I'm not giving those bastards a dime of my money. That whole lawsuit thing showed what kind of tools those people really are.

Re:The jokes write themselves

[SatanicPuppy]

I think by "Informative" they meant "Too much information"

Re:It's a really nice design

[falcon5768]

I think its more people are more cynical because this is coming from a company who for years has promised us vapor.