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Forums - PC - New Razer Switchblade holy moly

famousringo on 06 January 2011

Ehhhh. Don't get too excited.

It's a worthy concept, but there are reasons why they're showing a CG concept video instead of actual hardware with a price tag or ship date.

Here's a keyboard which actually shipped with individual displays for keys:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/

Note the pricetag. $1600 just for a keyboard alone. Razer's vapourware won't have as many keys, and OLED prices have dropped since the Optimus shipped, but you're still looking at a huge premium of roughly $500 to build the interface for this device.

Then you run into power concerns, which are always an issue in mobile. OLEDs are fairly efficient, but a keyboard that emits photons will always chew more juice than one that doesn't.



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ameratsu on 07 January 2011
famousringo said:

Ehhhh. Don't get too excited.

It's a worthy concept, but there are reasons why they're showing a CG concept video instead of actual hardware with a price tag or ship date.

Here's a keyboard which actually shipped with individual displays for keys:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/

Note the pricetag. $1600 just for a keyboard alone. Razer's vapourware won't have as many keys, and OLED prices have dropped since the Optimus shipped, but you're still looking at a huge premium of roughly $500 to build the interface for this device.

Then you run into power concerns, which are always an issue in mobile. OLEDs are fairly efficient, but a keyboard that emits photons will always chew more juice than one that doesn't.

The Razer concept doesn't use individual screens though. Only one multitouch display is used for the keyboard.

Engadget said:

Little is known about the device itself, but Razer has imagined it using a pair of 7-inch multitouch displays as well as a layer of tactile, dynamic keys on the lower screen. Much like the Optimus Maximus of yesteryear, this keyboard would enable gamers to place different screens underneath depending on title, and even within a game, you could imagine the keys shifting to account for different POVs, levels, scenarios, etc. 

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/razer-switchblade-7-inch-pocket-gaming-concept-blows-our-minds/



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zarx on 07 January 2011

hmm can't wait to see what some indie devs can do with the tech dynamic controls sounds cool



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Baalzamon on 07 January 2011

I remember reading about keyboards like that, but can't you just use the normal stupid keys instead of paying what will probably be $1499 for the low end one that isn't at all a gaming laptop?



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famousringo on 07 January 2011
ameratsu said:
famousringo said:

Ehhhh. Don't get too excited.

It's a worthy concept, but there are reasons why they're showing a CG concept video instead of actual hardware with a price tag or ship date.

Here's a keyboard which actually shipped with individual displays for keys:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/

Note the pricetag. $1600 just for a keyboard alone. Razer's vapourware won't have as many keys, and OLED prices have dropped since the Optimus shipped, but you're still looking at a huge premium of roughly $500 to build the interface for this device.

Then you run into power concerns, which are always an issue in mobile. OLEDs are fairly efficient, but a keyboard that emits photons will always chew more juice than one that doesn't.

The Razer concept doesn't use individual screens though. Only one multitouch display is used for the keyboard.

Engadget said:

Little is known about the device itself, but Razer has imagined it using a pair of 7-inch multitouch displays as well as a layer of tactile, dynamic keys on the lower screen. Much like the Optimus Maximus of yesteryear, this keyboard would enable gamers to place different screens underneath depending on title, and even within a game, you could imagine the keys shifting to account for different POVs, levels, scenarios, etc. 

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/razer-switchblade-7-inch-pocket-gaming-concept-blows-our-minds/

Thanks for the link. I was definitely too hard on this device. It's not as vapourous as I suggested it was if they actually had a prototype on the show floor, and using a single display will definitely reduce cost. 

It'll still cost $100-200 more and drink more power than a similar netbook with, in Baalzamon's words, "normal stupid keys," but the idea doesn't seem so problematic anymore.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

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SnesTea on 07 January 2011

I could've sworn I saw Unreal Tournament 2004 running on that thing during the video. If it can't play StarCraft II, I'm not interested.



TWRoO on 07 January 2011

After reading your comments... this video wasn't from The Onion?

The filming and the way everyone talked in that video I thought it was a joke.



mchaza on 07 January 2011

hopefully they just bring out the keyboard with changable screens for different tasks. now thats awesome 

It seems to be targeted at WOW players, so how many wow players are going to be that desperate to play wow on an Bus or out side home. not only that risk of getting stabbed, robbed, bullied. 

other than that it seems to be pretty sweet but how does the Intel Atom hang up against the core i5 and core i7 proccessors finding them selves in other gaming laptops like the massive Asus g53jw-a1 or the Alienware M11x etc



Of Course That's Just My Opinion, I Could Be Wrong

mchaza on 07 January 2011
famousringo said:

Ehhhh. Don't get too excited.

It's a worthy concept, but there are reasons why they're showing a CG concept video instead of actual hardware with a price tag or ship date.

Here's a keyboard which actually shipped with individual displays for keys:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/

Note the pricetag. $1600 just for a keyboard alone. Razer's vapourware won't have as many keys, and OLED prices have dropped since the Optimus shipped, but you're still looking at a huge premium of roughly $500 to build the interface for this device.

Then you run into power concerns, which are always an issue in mobile. OLEDs are fairly efficient, but a keyboard that emits photons will always chew more juice than one that doesn't.

wholey hell that really expensive. it would be cheaper to have an keyboard that is an entire touch screen (which they should do if they haven't) 

You can build an really good computer for that much including the latest graphics and an high end Core i7 (not the extreme) for the same price. you have to be very hardcore to pay that much for an keyboard 



Of Course That's Just My Opinion, I Could Be Wrong

iLLmaticV3 on 07 January 2011

Looks great, but, not worth the price IMO.



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