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Is Project Fiona a miss for WoW?
At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Razer unveiled its sexy new tablet/PC hybrid called Project Fiona. The title alone is newsworthy, since Project Fiona's name doesn't really fit in with Razer's usual names like Switchblade, Anansi, Naga, and so on. Much like everything else about Project Fiona, its name is a departure from the norm. While the Razer website still cautions that Project Fiona is a conceptual device and thus the final product specs may vary, the hybrid will run Windows 8, boast Intel Core i7, and communicate with Bluetooth 3.0. That means the tablet could, theoretically, run WoW just fine, maybe pairing with a wireless keyboard to enable typing and social interaction. Right now, Project Fiona is expected to work with game delivery systems like Steam and GameFly, but the tablet seems like a natural fit to take WoW with you on the road. The hybrid uses side-mounted controllers for many game actions, and if the tablet is configurable, you should be able to fit most in-game actions on the buttons fairly easily. Of course, the question is whether Project Fiona makes sense as a WoW gaming system. If the hybrid does come in under $1,000, then it would be a very attractive alternative, mobile platform. The form factor feels a little weird for an MMO, but the 10" screen definitely lends itself to a casual, on-the-go experience. It probably wouldn't replace a full-featured PC as a raiding computer, but Project Fiona is definitely tempting as a second, mobile gaming computer.
Project Fiona raises the stakes for gaming tablets, packs Ivy Bridge, Windows 8 and integrated controllers
We weren't exactly looking for the "Switchblade of CES 2012," but Razer's latest concept, nicknamed "Project Fiona," may take the title anyway. This concept gaming tablet flanks a 10.1-inch multitouch screen with a pair of nunchuk-like four-button controllers, lending the slab a bit of flightstick flair. Its dual-stick wings won't help you fly through ShadowGun however -- this slate is a Windows machine. An Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor hopes to keep Fiona fragging with the desktop kiddies, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told us, giving it the chops to run modern PC games right out of the box. The Prototype was built specifically with mobile PC gamers in mind, said Min-Liang, and will feature a hybrid user interface (a hub activated via a upcoming Windows 8 app) designed to help gamers immediately jump into local multiplayer matches. He described a group of friends seamlessly jumping into a round of Hawx 2, and "dogfighting face to face." It sounds like he wants Fiona to revitalize the Lan party. Although most PC games should be fully playable without any special tweaks or modificaitons, Min-Liang said developers would have the option of adding Fiona specific controls to a game, such as a touch control scheme, or accelerometer joystick emulation. Optimization isn't necessary but exclusive control schemes will be possible. In addition to its Ivy Bridge chops, the concept gaming slate features enhanced audio with Dolby Home Theater v4 and built-in force feedback. Razer wasn't ready to talk battery life, but said that they hope to launch the slab in Q3 or Q4, after Windows 8 launches, for under $1000. How's it play? We'll let you know as soon as we get our hands on it. Until then, feel free to read on for Fiona's official press release. Update: Check out our hands-on!
