A few friends and I once had imagined a keyboard with an attached mousepad and a mouse that was magnetically (or otherwise) attached to the pad, that prevented from falling off, so that you could rest it on your lap while sitting on the couch.
I always wondered if something like that would be possible.. So you'd have all your precision mouse movement without the akward balancing of loose things while sitting on the couch, or getting up and sitting down.
This was the planned input peripheral for the ill-fated "Phantom" gaming console.
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2007/12/phantom-keyboar/
Aaaand looks like the keyboard actually made it to market, there's even one on ebay. I had no idea.
Re:Steam Controller
by DEinspanjer on Friday September 27, 2013 @06:06PM
(#6459862)
diamagnetic levitation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNRDvDIqD1M
hoverfield: http://www.correlatedmagnetics.com/products/hoverfield-non-c...
I suppose my "complaint" is that they could do a better job of bridging the gap, but perhaps I am wrong. You do make a good point that the mouse+kb may be too cumbersome for some (most?) consoler switchers.
I do wish that I could see what sort of solution Valve could come up with if forced to keep the primary mouse+kb, though. Some sort of streamlined solution which you partly imagine in your post.