Getting A Handle On Razer's Project Fiona
Razer have taken the lid off the simmering mystery that was 'Project Fiona', and everyone who said mouse/keyboard/gamepad or whatever was wrong. So wrong that they should run into the street, take off all their clothes and scream "I AM WRONG IN EVERY POSSIBLE SENSE."
The truth about Fiona? It's an Intel Core i7-powered gaming PC built to be a tablet, with a pair of gamepad-y handles affixed to the sides. Um. To be honest, it puts me in mind of one of those machines you used to find in bars that measure made-up signals from your hands to tell you how much of a sex bomb or how strong you were/weren't.
Here's a noisy trailer to start off with:
Here are the tech specs Graphics aren't mentioned, which may mean it's using the Intel Sandy Bridge integrated graphics. Which can cope with most games at lowest settings, but I wouldn't say they're up to the OMGGGGGGGGG levels the video suggests. Alternatively, maybe it's using something from the upcoming NVIDIA 600 series and they're not allowed to say what it is as NVIDIA haven't taken the wraps off that yet. I'm guessing wildly, of course.
Intel® Core™ i7
10.1" 1280x800 display
Full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch
3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer
Force feedback
Dolby® 7.1 surround sound
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth® 3.0
There surely must be USB ports too. If this thing can't be used with a standard keyboard if you want to, I despair.
Update - yep, USB support, so you can use it like a PC of sorts:
And here's the official line on the controls:
"Adapted from a full featured PC gamepad, Project Fiona's integrated dual controllers coupled with its advanced multi-touch screen are designed to make complex game navigation ergonomic and intuitive without compromising on the portability of the tablet. You'll be able to carry out headshots and command troops in-game with ease."
My thoughts? Well, it's all jolly clever and I'd love to try one out, but it looks a bit silly and I'm not convinced I need one in my life instead of a laptop. I guess it's more rivalrous to consoles (or specifically consoles in homes with only one TV and family members/housemates who don't want to let you hog it) than a gaming PC or laptop. Interesting! Odd. And probably very expensive. And I worry it'd make my arms ache. Maybe it's only aimed at very muscly PC gamers?
A few more details and piccies here. I'm also reminded of Razer's last mad project. Where are they getting the money for these crazy things? Do they ever get released?