Optimus OLED keyboard pushed to February
updated 08:40 am EST, Wed December 26, 2007
Optimus Keyboard in Feb
Art Lebedev Studios today revealed that its Optimus Maximus keyboard has been delayed until late February. Although the company has nearly filled its capacity for preorders, which began earlier this month, the firmware that controls its unique features needs to be improved before the device can begin shipping in earnest, according to the Russian design house. The firmware flash method to update the keyboard's software also needs improvement before the final release.
The core design remains unchanged from its original concept, which revolves around incorporating OLED-based displays in each key that allow their symbols to change as the user switches languages, opens programs with context-specific shortcuts, and programs shortcuts to favorite apps or websites. An SD card saves information that can be swapped between multiple keyboards. The Optimus Maximus should be priced at $462 US and work with both Mac OS X and Windows systems over USB.
Maybe it's their slogan..
12/26, 08:50am reply
"The Duke Nukem Forever of keyboards!"
... that's holding things up?
jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
very innovative
12/26, 09:34am reply
I wonder if it would be able to display application (ex. AfterEffects) shortcuts right on the keyboard itself. The mini LCD display embedded on every key button is such a cool idea. Just don't spill your coffee over it.
coffeetime
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2006
re: very innovative
12/26, 12:49pm reply
That's the whole idea behind this keyboard. Instead of memorizing keyboard shortcuts, have the images shown on the keys change.
IIRC, it's OLED technology, not LCD though.
PBG4 User
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2001
at least it's real
12/26, 02:52pm reply
This keyboard has been in development for so frikkin' long, that there has been a lot of speculation as to whether it would actually come out. Now, not only is it fairly close to release, the price is down a LOT from what was originally expected. This thing is wicked cool. The keys can even display animations. There are endless possibilities for this, some practical and some purely fun.
notehead
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
That's the POS version
12/26, 04:36pm reply
If you want the lame spacebar-only version you get that price. You have to pay over three times more for the version we were promised "for the price of a high end cell phone".
The liars can cram it sideways up their butts as far as I'm concerned.
Buran
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2000