Alienware Ordering Phantom Lapboards

Gamasutra reports that Dell-owned Alienware is going to be offering Phantom lapboards with their media center PC line. The product, which against all odds does appear to be shipping, is intended to offer a mouse and keyboard experience to someone not sitting at a desk. From the article: "The Lapboard includes wireless technology, ergonomic design, one-touch features, and a wireless high definition 1200 dpi laser mouse. In addition, the device also rotates for left and right handed users and inclines on a 22 degree angle with a hard surface support for the Phantom mouse. Other features include an interchangeable key-face that is designed for game-specific and business software applications on PC and Mac platforms."

And the results are?

[Thansal]

Nothing for you to see here. Please move along.

So they are now selling overpriced wireless mice/keyboards with a horibly overpriced piece of plastic?

If you want to sell hometheater computers, then set them up to be easily navigated via remote (hint, look at apple), not via a keyboard/mouse set up.

Try playing a video game on a remote

[everphilski]

, then set them up to be easily navigated via remote

Try playing a MMO on a remote.

A media center computer is a powerful computer and is capable of playing any modern video games. A lot of games - MMO's in particular - are still bound to a keyboard. A solution like this allows MMO's to venture into the front room with the plasma screen and the comfy couch without having to juggle the keyboard on your knees and the mouse on whatever textbook you aren't using this semester. (Not me though, I like my offi

Re:

[paitre]

Dammit. NOW I have a reason to buy a card with TVOut.
omygawd....

And a reason to buy the $3000 TVs I've been looking at :D

Re:

[Amouth]

if you plan on buying a 3000$ TV i hope you don't plan on buying a card with TVOut on it to hook up to it.. any tv that is 3g's should have a damn DVI port or atleast a 15pin dsub vga..

TVout is only needed for composit or svid..

(note that i am not counting component out as TVout because it is never labeled as that is is normaly HD out or Component video out)

Re:

[AcidLacedPenguiN]

I thought MCPCs were simply powerful enough to play/record video files from TV/DVD/etc

Re:

[drinkypoo]

I have a Logitech Netplay keyboard/controller. This was designed for PSO or FF-online or something, and it's basically a PS2 dual shock controller with a removable mini-USB keyboard in the middle. This is pretty much the best MMO controller I've seen so far. The only downside is that you need a USB to PS2 adapter to hook it up to your PC (Mine only cost me $10 though, and also lets me put a PS2 controller on Xbox or Gamecube) and then if your game lacks joystick support (as most do) a joymouse driver. Then

Re:

[HTH NE1]

I have a Logitech Netplay keyboard/controller.

Now that's [logitech.com] what you should use to control a giant robot car [wikipedia.org]!

Re:

[joshetc]

Windows MCE interface is already extremely easy to navigate with a remote. I think this may be leaning more toward use for presentations and such.

Awesome!

[Crasty]

The lapboards were easily the best part of the Phantom system. Having tried it at E3, I can say that the system was woefully underpowered, but the lapboard was actually pretty cool. Nice to see this technology isn't going to just fade away into the patent vortex.

As With All Things Phantom-Related

[American AC in Paris]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Are they worth the money?

[gt_mattex]

No one will know for sure since only shills get to review Alienware products.

It's shipping!?

[Orange Crush]

The Phantom [wikipedia.org] is finally shipping!?

Re:

[kfg]

The Phantom is finally shipping!?

No, just the TV tray.

KFG

Sounds good to me

[dami99]

Looks kind of like a lame kb/mouse combo, but kb/mouse are nice to have with a htpc.

For a remote control I use the windows MCE IR receiver and a universal remote.... But a remote control is only good for some things. I use a logitech mx1000 kb/mouse combo for most other things. (Though I do pull out the g5 and usb extension when gaming).

Phantom trolling...

[BrookHarty]

Everyone loves to bash Phantom and I expect a bunch of funny posts about "wow an actual product!"..

But to be fair, the idea of a download service for games is a good idea, Steam, EA, Xbox360 use game download services. Cut out the middle man and you can make a nice profit. Microsoft is pushing this with the media center PC, its not a wierd jump of logic you need games on there.

The idea was pretty good, just real piss poor managment. They should of worked on the content download piece and made it a softwar

Re:

[drinkypoo]

But to be fair, the idea of a download service for games is a good idea

Sure, if you don't want to actually own your games.

Personally I believe in first sale law and the like, so I like to have physical, transferrable media.

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[BrookHarty]

Sure, if you don't want to actually own your games.

Huh? On EA and Steam, you own the games, You can burn them to DVD/CD and play them anytime offline, and reinstall them.

Battlefield 2142 sells online and you dont have to use no-cd cracks. Thats a big plus. You just burn the install directory to DVD, and you can re-install anytime.

The only service you don't own is Gametap. But for a small price you can play unlimited games, might be older but with 100 or so games being released each month for the PC, that

Re:

[Broken scope]

I like having a physical copy too, however eventually sometime in the future you won't be buying much on a physical medium. YOur going to buy most things online and for the most part you won't be able to get a physical copy unless you make one yourself.

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[MBraynard]

Cut out the middleman?

They intend to BE the middleman.