Gizmodo: art lebedev studios

Justify Your Gadget: Optimus Maximus Keyboard

Mark Wilson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:12:47 EST

Kotaku readers will already recognize our Justify series, but we give people 15 seconds to pitch us their product or answer a question. If they make it, great. If they miss it...you don't want to know.

For our inaugural Justify Your Gadget, we talked to Art.Lebedev's very own Art Lebedev. So can he justify all the Optimus Maximus Keyboard's delays? And can he do it in 15 seconds?

Finger Folder USB

Mark Wilson — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:30:02 EDT

What happens when Art Lebedev Studios puts a real folder on a device that holds virtual folders?

You get a grade A Gizmodo post, that's what. Well, that, and you get our minds started on philosophical topics like the nature of existence, the authenticity of a copied product and the relative timespan in which we will maintain interest in USB storage when compared to the age of the Universe.

No word on pricing yet, but hopefully it's cheaper than their Optimus Maximus Keyboard.

Designer Page [via newlaunches]

Optimus Maximus Keyboard, Pre-order Now

Mark Wilson — Sun, 20 May 2007 19:06:11 EDT

The Optimus Maximus Keyboard can officially be pre-ordered! Be the first guy on your block to ~~have~~ order this new, exciting keyboard with 113 OLED displays. Shipments are anticipated by Dec 1st.

If I had an extra $1564—and a less sensible wife—I'd be on this like something that's really on something else. Really on it. – Mark Wilson

Preorder Here

Optimus Maximus Keyboard Pre-Order Countdown Begins (Get Yours Saturday)

Charlie White — Wed, 16 May 2007 10:35:57 EDT

As tired as we're getting of this on-again, off-again story, we might as well give you an update on that ambitious Optimus Maximus keyboard, the $1564 piece of vaporware that aims to have an OLED display underneath every key.

Now its Russian makers at Art Lebedev Studio have posted a countdown clock, showing how much time is left until you can pre-order one of the pricey input devices. So when will this bauble really ship?

The company set a ship date for the first 200 keyboards at November 31st of this year, with 200 more rolling out in December, and 400 more in January 2008. The designers are attempting to be completely transparent about their development schedule, but that countdown is also to the time when we can finally see a description and detailed specifications of this expensive keyboard.

Check out the development schedule:

At these low volumes, perhaps Lebedev should sign and number each one, because they're more like performance-art objects than keyboards. – Charlie White

Optimus Maximus Keyboard [Art.Lebedev]
Optimus Maximus Development Schedule [Art.Lebedev Blog]