Gizmodo
We just got some hangtime with Art.Lebedev's non-vaporous Optimus keyboard at the Wired Store in SoHo, NYC, and it is as shiny, pretty and luxuriously pointless as billed. Enjoy the video, then check out our impressions and a gallery:
As you may know, each key is a mini OLED screen, one that can display any character you want (and even the icon of our worthy competitor). As such keys are slightly oversized, but placed together almost too closely, so that typing might get tricky.
Benny our NYC editorial assistant says the effect is subtle: it doesn't look pixelated from an appropriate distance. That said, they don't look like regular keys on a keyboard either, especially when a single key is showing an entire multicolored picture. Benny prefers the picture keys to the letter keys because they letters on black are almost too striking (though that surely can be fixed with a decrease in brightness). We were all disappointed that there were no animated keys. I mean, if you're gonna put tiny screens on every key, why can't I watch a bunch of teeny tiny movies?
Richard, our video pimp, says it feels big like it was "made for seniors" but admits his own zeal at having touched it: "I want one" is his final verdict. Wait till we tell him it costs $1,564. –Video by Richard Blakeley; photos by Nick McGlynn [Optimus Project]
Comments
In 5 years and there will be an affordable version or knockoffs.
Seems really high on novelty factor for me. Who REALLY needs to have the keys change and dance constantly, save for when working in Photoshop/Final Cut, and such. Wouldn't it just be too distracting from where your attention should be, the monitor??
would rather have . . .
www.daskeyboard.com
Go with a Nostromo, for 50 bucks (none of that backlit stuff).
Programmable keys, more than enough of them, and software for all systems.
This keyboard should've stayed the stuff of legends.
Actually, what's the energy consumption of that thing?
How long would it take this sucker to turn an eeePC dry as Nevada?
would be great for games and different languages like japanese or maybe the dvorak layout.
This thing still looks unbelievably great though. I think I'll wait for the Chinese knockoff v.1.1
Wait......at 00:17
Is that a p0rn buton?
It looks like the user is really having to press hard on the buttons. I wonder how the actual feel to it is.
Of course, I rarely look at my keyboard anyway, so the OLED would be a distraction.
Cool stuff though.
@Inigo Montoya: It's T.A.T.U. a popular Russian music duo...lesbian 17 year-olds...so...mehbeh?
@eduardjm: Well, I would, for instance. Since I do constantly switch between PS, Maya, Illustrator and such. And it would only be distracting if you made all the keys animated.
Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to expense this baby....or not.
@TheBear91: Yeah, it was "gummy", just like the white/clear iMac keyboards, but flat and slightly larger. This keyboard could really be useful in tutorials.
I wanted to see it hooked up to something, I asked the guy if we could demo it and he said that is all they have right now, so when I pressed on the keys nothing would happen.
@Inigo Montoya: It was just a photo of two chicks, I pressed it many times thinking they may animate and take off their clothes but it never happened.
@mettleh3d: It is beautiful, if only it were as flat and sexy as the new Apple keyboards. Seeing it in action and not just stills was very impressive. I would have liked to have seen a TV image on it, moving, just broken into the keys...
Wilson, I'm glad I'm not a blogger, I would never be able to afford it.
@Inigo Montoya: its true!11!!!1!one
Meh, i prefer my normal keyboard, i really cou,dnt see this making $1500 worth of difference to my life.
@tin: You bring up a good point, how often do you even look down at your keyboard anyway?
@Inigo Montoya: Is it a two chicks at once button?
Looks better that I'd expect. Regarding key presses, I read on Art's blog that they're using Cherry switches which are supposed to be very high-quality.
omg, i always just skipped over the posts about this thing because the image always sucks, but this video really makes it look amazing. that said, i'm still jonesin over my new imac keyboard.
"Distracting?" "attention should be at the monitor?"
What are we doing...driving on the highway?
We are talking about this thing actually moving the vaporware to the physical world!!! Maybe it is finally time to wish for the pony!
Instead of trying see why it is stupid, think about why it would cool. With a dynamic keyboard, we can see applications which would light up only the keys that make sense to press depending on context. Some virtual keyboards have this for address entry on GPS.
That is just one example... others?
@Inigo Montoya: You stole my comment!
Prepare to die..
how hard's the thing cpu wise?
qwertz?, whats up with that?
FUCKING EMBED THE VIDEOS SO THEY CAN PLAY ON THE FRONT PAGE
Excellent. I can make my own buttons for Puppy, Kitten, Cat, Dog, Leash, Collar, and Toy.
I don't understand why they wouldn't create it (or offer it) in an ergonomic version, say like the goold old MS natural keyboards.
That or it's not really a keyboard meant to type a lot of text on but more of an 'application controller' where all you do with it is press application specific keys.
I learnt to touch type too many years ago. My fingers aren't transparent. Baby Jesus invented keyboard shortcuts for all applications a long time ago.
What the hell am I missing here? Other than an art installation, what is this good for?
@schrosa: LOL. 80 bucks for an unfinished keyboard? laughable.
Thanks god Rothman got a better video than the one on TecheBlog.
Anyways, the keyboard is great and all... but for that price, I'd rather get 5 different keyboards and a laptop instead.
Also, Logitech has cheaper sollutions for alternative keyboards. Nothing filled of OLEDs this way though... but I think not many people needs something like that. As for the ones who needs... hope you got the money for that.
Ahhh...the keys melted my fingerprints right off I swear!
Ummm, was that an Engadget dedicated key?
Guess Giz gave them too much shit for the delays and vaporware-ness to get their own key :P
Amazed to see it being not-vaporware.
I'll find it much cooler when Logitech makes it. Know why? Cuz it'll cost $100, tops.
Umpteen years and $1,600 later, art.lebedev, it just wasn't worth it. Hell of an effort though.
The two girls button takes you immediately to the 2 girls 1 cup video. So hot!
Also, was that an Engadget logo on the video? Ouch!
@godwhacker: European layout.
@adam12hicks: OK, see, the keyboard gave me wicked wood, but you just destroyed it. Thanks a lot, bud. >:-(
Awww the keys don't react when you press them. For that kind of cash I'd at least expect a keyDown state. Actually for that kind of cash, I'd hire a bunch of Polish kids to type for me. Who needs a keyboard when you've got cheap Eastern European labour?
Doesn't look like a buckling spring mechanism, so I'm sticking with my 20-year-old IBM Model M.
I'm just thinking of the cool screen saver like effects you could do with this. Think of how sweet it would be to touch one key and have a ripple go out across the other keys on the board. Or an app that would put little stick figures inside each key and have them interact with the other keys around them? Awesome.
About animated buttons, weren't animations cut due to that they had to make the update time longer?
I was waiting this moment to say: ME WANTS!
why cant they have a cheaper black and white version? idk greyscale? Personally I don't care much for color rather than actual symbols (which can come in black and white for all i care).
@Keebler: Oh yes it was, people around here are paying attention!
This might be a way to get that "Kitten" button some of us have been waiting for.
why not a little LCD in the shape of a keyboard, without the mechanic movements, just a touch sensitive screen with no moving keys, just pads like a keyboard? i think is cheaper.
there is no much sensitive area, just the pads of the keys. should be not so hard to develop something like that.
so instead of building thousands of little LCD screens, just one big touch sensitive.
a) Boy would it suck to spill your soda on this keyboard!
b) This would be helpful when first using something like FCP, to be able to have all the shortcuts listed on the keys, instead of a special keyboard or sticker on your keys. So rich guys learning FCP should buy this!
To everyone who says this is pointless or a toy for rich kids:
Go work a day in a video production studio where you're dealing with multiple products across multiple platforms - all with their own keyboard shortcuts and modifiers. You'll quickly see that the $1500 keyboard in the $120,000 processing rig will pay for itself in productivity increases.
To those saying that they should have just made one screen that's touch sensitive:
Apple has played with your minds just a little too much. Ergonomics and comfortability insist that real live mechanical buttons are INFINITELY superior to touch-screen technology. Try touch-typing on that monitor of yours.
This is not a magical typing keyboard or some glitzy bit of flash for big boys with fat wallets - it is a production tool that will certainly pay for itself in almost any graphic, photo, design, video, or audio studio.
I agree with TOMMASTA. Another point to remember is that the keyboard is always in your peripherial vision, particularly the function keys at the top. Displaying keyboard shortcuts that flash on when available in recognizable colors or patterns while still looking directly at the screen would allow you to easily recognize and use them.
It's one thing to see a hint about a hotkey on a popup or status bar, another to actually see the key itself highlighted when it's available so you can just press it.
lol.. its not only a QWERTY keboard its also a "Yellow, yellow-greenish, yellow-evenmore-greenish, green-yellowish, green-evenmore-yellowish, green-yellowish".. lol.. how do we short that down?
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