Looking for a Gaming Oriented Convertible Tablet PC

[transitionality]

I am looking for a convertible tablet PC that has a d-pad and fire buttons on two sides of the screen, so it can be used as a notebook (with screen facing keyboard), as a tablet pc (with screen folded onto keyboard, using stylus) and as a portable gaming device (with screen folded onto keyboard, using the d-pad and fire buttons as gaming controls).

I am aware of two devices that fulfill this definition, but neither of them are workable solutions.

First, in 2004-2005, there was a product announcement by a startup called SL-Interphase for a gaming tablet PC called the Rogue. It fulfilled the specifications perfectly. Unfortunately, the company ran out of money and the product was never released.

http://www.weblogsinc.com/comm...JPG?0.8577419451485001

Secondly, the OLPC fits the bill somewhat. It's not a tablet pc (the screen isn't touch-sensitive) but the form factor is as described. The only problem is that, with its 256 Mb of RAM and 400 Mhz of CPU, gaming on it would be a no-go.

http://fhornain.files.wordpres.../2009/04/olpc-xo-4.jpg

If anyone has suggestions, I'd like to hear about them.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Neither of the above mentioned pruducts can handle any kind of gaming. Sure they look like what you want but are way under powered for most everything. There is no such product availible that has what your looking for. All tablet laptops are busness oriented only and do not have more then the most basic video hardware so they won't support gaming. Tablet PC are quite small and don't have the room to support the hardware needed for ecent gaming. Even if the the hardware was scalled down small enough it would still generate allot of heat requiring more room to be taken up to help keep things cooled.

 

[transitionality]

Perhaps I should clarify what I mean by gaming. I'm not interested in running Crysis at the highest settings. In fact, I'm mostly intetested in classic emulation, but some reasonable 3D games (GTA3 etc) would also be fun. The main challenge is finding a tablet PC with d-pad and fire buttons. Any ideas?

 

[mpilchfamily]

There still isn't anything that meets your requierments. Tablets are not made for gaming and don't come with a D pad and fire buttons. Not sure what games you want to play with just the D pad and a couple of fire buttons. Soundls like you just need to get yourself a DS or PSP.

 

[IlllI]

yeah i think psp would almost suite what you are looking for. you can run an emulator and some old, non-pc games on that. or maybe a pandora.. but i'm not sure its out yet http://openpandora.org/

 

[transitionality]

Maybe I could find something along these lines in the UMPC or convertible netbook form factor?

 

[heymrdj]

Again, not games, including emulations, will work on small notebooks. Emulators require some hefty processing power, something which the Atom can't easily fulfill. Even my 2.8 P4 with HT had issues emulating low end N64 games. Get you a notebook with a separate USB game pad. You'll be fine.

 

[transitionality]

After checking out the link, the Pandora seems like the closest to what I want. It has a touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, and both digital and analog gaming controls, plus it's pretty attractive at $330. The only problem is the relatively small screen size at 4.3" 800x480, so it won't be much good for hardcore productivity, but it can apparently do Firefox 3 which beats DS and PSP. The first batch of beta units is out and they'll start serial production in a few months.

Thanks everyone for the input and keep it coming.