Gizmodo
Apple might be working on a dynamic keyboard with OLEDs behind each movable key. Apple's patent application for this OLED keyboard hid in the background since March of last year, and the exciting thing is it looks a whole lot like Art Lebedev's as-yet-unreleased Optimus keyboard. While this kind of flexibility is right in line with Apple's latest keyboard exploits, we're wondering how the company will be able to make the price anywhere near reasonable, since Lebedev has continuously tried to get us used to the idea of spending over a thousand dollars on such a keyboard. Apple could pull off a cheap OLED keyboard, and here's how:
Lebedev's manufacturing cost is said to be astromical for each keyboard, so maybe Apple could bring that price down with economies of scale. Heck, Robert Krakoff, CEO of peripheral company Razer, told us he thinks his company could do the same thing and sell it for under $500, so it can't be impossible.
One important advantage Apple has is that it has control of the operating system software, and according to the patent application, the software applications would talk to circuitry inside each key that could control what was displayed on its OLED. Here's the language used in the application, whose drawings are dated 1/3/08:
"Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing a computer peripheral including one or more keys. Each key has several light emitting diodes disposed on a face of the key. Each of the light emitting diodes can switch on or off in response to a data signal received from an application specific integrated circuit dedicated to the key. A corresponding key and manufacturing method, as well as a computer system including one or more such keys are also described."Unless Jobs is somehow in cahoots with Lebedev, there might be "see you in court" missives flying around, right about now. [Hrmf]
Comments
BUM
BUM
BUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!
That kind of sucks for Lebedev but at the same time, that company STILL hasn't given us a solid purchase price thats worth dropping. Apple can most likely cut the price significantly if they were to implement this technology into their keyboards.
Flamebait:
And for a second act, Apple fans will claim that Lebedev stole the idea.
Scary thoughts.
i don't understand how apple could have filed 2 patents for this, one last march and one today...wtf? that doesn't seem like they can get away with that, especially since the optimus was in review way before today.
@OMG!!! Ponies!!!: Lol, so true. Apple and Art.Leb take very different technical approaches however: One sells vapour, the other sues over it....
Apple has almost filed every possible patent. Soon, nothing can be made unless it is made by Apple.
@OMG!!! Ponies!!!: Apple invented the finger. And all subsequent finger motion.
Apple invented the finglonger too!
Apple: Think Creative
@bana: Apple's Patentathon is probably:
a. A smokescreen so that we'll lose track of the real gold hidden inside.
b. Real Steve still smarting after someone forgot to file certain iPod patents.
Throwing a few sleeping patent lawyers at spurious applications is surely a damned sight cheaper than going to court later and having to pay an entirely different set of suits to negotiate their way out of a financial and PR arse kicking.
has anyone else notice that on the homepage every article has 0 views but some comments on them?
and the keyboard seems cool?
@ImTheKing: Apple wouldn't have to cut the price, and people would still line up to plunk down cash for it on launch day.
@EMoShunz: They're not getting away with anything. if Lebedev didn't patent their idea, then they're left to sue Apple and prove that they came up with it first. That's how the game is played. During the time that it's awaiting trial (and sucking massive $$$ from Lebedev), Apple will bring it to market and then settle the suit for an undisclosed sum.
@Elvisisdead: I don't think thats true at all. Apple would be able to mass produce these, and this would cut down on the cost of the technology. The current keyboard out with that technology costs a ton because of those factors. If things can be mass produced, they will cost less.
Probably a few lawyers were snoring way too loud and HRS decided to give them something to do...
@OMG!!! Ponies!!!: Actually, Apple invented Lebedev.
To implement a dynamic keyboard, e-ink is way better than OLED.
@Gatonegro: Just in case, I'll throw in the tags for that comment. You know how things can get...
Either way, the idea is still pretty cool.
@Elvisisdead: but how could they file last march, and today, does that not imply that the original application was not sufficient?
@Elvisisdead: Which is likely exactly what Lebedev wants. They get a nice chunk of cash, and the burden of product release no longer falls on them.
Apple is much better suited to handle this sort of thing, if any thing because if the product fails they can absorb it with minimal loss.
Hey if this was in Nigeria Lebedev could sue for future damages right?
@OMG!!! Ponies!!!: You beat me to it... Wasn't the first time, and won't be the last.
maybe if Apple makes one it will actually be released
@ImTheKing: Cost less for them... They will still charge us a but load.. They want 300% profit.
The Apple patent looks monochromatic to me vs. the full color keys on the Optimus. That limits it to being a keyboard with dynamically swappable/changeable keys, while the Optimus offers dynamic shortcut buttons (for those who can't click an icon with the cursor).
@sumocat: Because we all know that patent drawings are 100% accurate representations of what a final product will look like...
Who would pay $1000 for a lite brite keyboard anyway?
Kaff Kaff.
@r19578: But then it will only be black and white.
I'm not a tech guy but doesn't this seem like a huge waste of power? And even at 500, that's as much as regular pc nowadays.
Why would you expect Apple to miraculously lower the price? You don't think they're salivating at the pleebs dropping $1500 on an Apple branded keyboard? They probably know that the name alone would command that price much better that Lebedev's....
Um, based on that quote, it's not an OLED keyboard at all- it's an LED one, which is a very important difference. Of course Apple will "get away with" it, because it's a completely different idea.
Would it be the first time apple has "used" some one elses idea and gotten away with it. Until Apple drops their version or optimus arrives I'm not concerned. I would pay 500 for something like this.
If Lebedev doesn't have a patent then they may as well pack up and move on. If anyone can make a keyboard like this affordable, it's Apple.
And frankly, good riddance to Lebedev anyway. I've never seen a company take so long getting a product from hype to a shipping product.
@Ultraorange: *cough* Konfabulator *cough*
It's almost bizarre that we are looking at a product where Apple can offer a *lower* price point ...
@ImTheKing: Oh, there's no disputing that it could be made for less by mass production, but thanks for the high school econ lesson. My comment was more intended to point out that that price expectation has already been set. Why drop the price and cut profit? It's not like they could get it down to $129 and sell tons of them. What price would it have to drop to in order to hit the sweet spot where sales and cost slopes meet? Sales on something like this would be relatively low (like everything else Apple but iPods), so there's no incentive to drop the price too much. Apple has always had premium pricing, and this product wouldn't be an exception.
@Ultraorange: "Would it be the first time apple has "used" some one elses idea and gotten away with it."
Multi-Windowed graphical interface.
Mouse.
Filecabinet/file theme.
Yeah, those didn't exist pre-Apple.
[or did you mean "patented"?]
I'll wait for the $199 Logitech version.
:p
this, i think, falls under the category of prior art. [en.wikipedia.org]
@edmicman: Hellooo, McFly...if one out of 2000 potential customers is going to buy one for $1500 and 5 out of 2000 potential customers are willing to throw down $500 for it, it stands to reason...
@Red Right Hand: ...that they would sell them for $500
unless that was below acceptable profit margins.
@EMoShunz: back to the point of can the mass production cost of the giant Apple conglomerate make this feasible? I think it can, therefore squashing this "price expectation" crap.
Personally I am the inventor and manufacturer of something that has leading results in it's field, but my distributor had locked me into a ridiculous msrp that had priced me right out of my market, it does not matter if what you produce is the best of it's kind if nobody is gonna shell out the cash for it.
@Red Right Hand: i agree. i just don't think that (even for $500) the market share would be enough to actually decrease production costs enough.
apple apparently has 7% desktop share. of that, how many would buy this for $500? i personally know well a dozen apple users...not 1 would pay $500 for a keyboard. heck, 3 days ago i went out and bought new windows usb keyboards for my 2 used minis i just bought because the apple ones were more than twice the price.
@EMoShunz: But the point of this keyboard gimmick is aimed more at the pros (video editing, sound mixing and especially 3d programmers) Having spent some time working with 3DStudio Max, I cannot express the convenience of function labeled hotkeying your entire keyboard. It is not designed for people who think "how cool...I can change the look of all my keys..." who are just using their keyboards for typing.
@Red Right Hand: good point.
To hell with Lebedev - I'm rooting for Apple to make it and make it cheap. An idea like this is too good to have it tied up to a company that doesn't deliver and if it ever does, it delivers at an exhorbitant price.
Back in the 90's, I had access to a "secure" numeric keypad that had a button-mounted LCD for each of the digits on the keypad. The numbers would be scrambled around between users, so that even if someone tried to shoulder surf the passcode pattern, it changed for each attempt. This Apple and Lebedev stuff is old news, and I hope neither gets a patent on it.
@cupidpsyche: and you hope neither gets a patent on it because...
a) god forbid something like this gets mass produced and becomes affordable to those who would really benefit from it?
b) god forbid Lebedev and others advance technology by coming up with new shit?
c) you are a complete hater and douchebag
Hmmm How Inovating of Apple to do that.. (Sarcatic.. )