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Comment by dstein | Hacker News Reader

Yeah this isn't gonna fly. They're basically just adding OLED keys to a netbook, and the result looks like an ugly netbook.

I know exactly how to make the best mobile gaming device. You need something more along the lines of a wide Playstation controller with dual-analog sticks on the thumbs. I never understood why they think the buttons need to be facing upward and used only by your thumbs, that's wrong. Your thumbs are the most dexterous and should only be used for analog joysticks. Buttons should be on the backside of the device under each finger so you can press them while gripping the device.

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To the average person, being able to see the buttons is hugely important. I've seen plenty of otherwise capable people struggle with the B (trigger) button on the Wii. I can't imagine if there were more than one.

And that's besides trying to name the damn things (PS2/3's L1 L2 L3 is horrible)

The Xbox has 2 buttons (one analog trigger, one digital) that are not visible, so it's not a totally alien concept. I'm just saying to use that idea, and move a few more buttons to the backside and leave the thumbs for analog input. Imagine using a thumbstick and a trackball at the same time, while your other fingers are available for other button presses at the same time. Desktops can't even do this type of input correctly because they're stuck with that ancient mouse-thing from the 1980's.

It's been done, people hated it:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i53.tinypic.com/e...

The XBox controller has a much larger difference between the buttons than the PS2/3 does. The PS1 one was absolutely terrible. I could never remember which bumper was 1 and which was 2, and I used the damn thing all the time.

Xbox's LB and LT make more sense, even if it isn't perfect.

Of course, I know plenty of people who could never remember that the Z button existed on the GameCube controller.

Of course, I was talking about average folks, and this product is clearly not aimed for them.

Check again - this isn't independent OLED key screens like the Optimus was/is. It's a single, plain LCD underneath some hard plastic keys with a window in the right place.

Netbooks have reduced keyboard space due to the need for a trackpad. This thing apparently does away with it and just uses a touchscreen, leaving more room for the keyboard (partly mitigating the gorilla-finger problem too).

Still, I wonder if it's really possible to have long gaming sessions with the arm stretched out like that, it can't be that comfortable.

>I know exactly how to make the best mobile gaming device. You need something more along the lines of a wide Playstation controller with dual-analog sticks on the thumbs.

Good luck playing something like WoW with a gamepad.

Most gamers I know game in a dark bedroom and not in brightly lit coffee shops as the press photos suggest; The big, easily read illuminated keys are sort of a big deal.

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