First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome - Gizmodo Comments

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

ZaredKhayos — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:49:01 EDT

OLED Display Keyboard The Display Keyboarfd may be on the way in the near future. There's a U.S. patent for the Display Keyboard held by Mr. Elkin Acevedo. The invention is much much older than Levedev's invention and Elkin's keyboard is exactly the same as the Optimus Keyboard. Lebedev's U.S. patents are non-existent. As far as I know the Display Keyboard is being developed here in the United States. This is the Website of the Display Keyboard if you have any questions: http://www.displaykeyboard.com Maverick

ZaredKhayos

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

auctionsgeek — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:08:57 EST

We are an authorized Dealer by Art Lebedev, We have many products already in New York ready to ship. We have the Optimus Maximus keyboard in White and Black, Also we have the Mini Three 2.0 (Silver and Black), Ridibundus Smiley cushions, and the Atmark Mug 2.0 in all color s. When you buy from us, you get tech support and 1 year warranty. [www.auctionsgeek.com]

auctionsgeek

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

jerrt — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:31:30 EST

god, i want one. why must you be so expensive optimus...

jerrt

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

PaleRider — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 10:16:02 EST

this would come in handy for gamers, so you can quick swap the button configurations as you play different games. Hopefully the price will go down

PaleRider

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

D_Zarster — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 05:51:51 EST

or maybe have a small .gif like animation on each key with a sexposition and have the computer start up a video with a simelar position involved.. :P

hell yea.! I would buy one.. (not for $1500, im no such cunt)

D_Zarster

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

psalmplasma — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:25:00 EST

i'd never buy such a thing.. well..maybe if it were somewhere in the 300& range - but i know my keayboard shortcuts pretty well (and i take pride into it), which makes it useless. For me.

it would be nice tho if someone could hack it and enable it to display single, sync'd images allover the keys (like a video wall). Watching movies on your keyboard could be fun.

psalmplasma

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Zoot — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:21:08 EST

You can't backlight e-ink.

Zoot

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

strider_mt2k — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:14:08 EST

Well I have to admit, it's pretty cool.

I just put too much wear on the things for it to be worthwhile for me to own one.
If there was a way to maintain 'em and maybe swap out the key units then I might consider it in the future when it's cheaper to buy.

strider_mt2k

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

RedBeard — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:10:10 EST

i don't know much about eInk but it seems to me that it'd be cheaper to make individual backlit eInk keys....aren't they working on color eInk?...but really i want one of these....badly

RedBeard

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

davers — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:51:10 EST

@tchangtx: No, because LCDs don't suffer from burn-in, silly buns. This is only a problem for older CRT monitors and plasma TVs (which suffer from it really terribly). The worst you'll get with LCD screens is a bit of image persistence, which is nowhere near as noticeable as burn-in and is very easily fixed - for example you can just set the monitor to display a solid colour for a few minutes, and the crystals will reset.

davers

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

tchangtx — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:20:09 EST

won't the letters cause burn in to these mini LCD screens since that will what will be on the 99% of the time?

tchangtx

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

bu11etman — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:52:14 EST

Welcome future keyboard! :D

bu11etman

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

valis — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:48:49 EST

If it was to cost 50$ nobody would care about the distracion from the screen and all of that, everybody will ask for one, just because it has little, programmable, color screens.... y punto pelota!

valis

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

D_Zarster — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:06:57 EST

and:
ZXCVBNM,.-

(it somehow deleted it from above post)

D_Zarster

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

D_Zarster — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:06:07 EST

@Soundman1402:

ive got a European keybord (a Danish one) and thats setup like this:
QWERTYUIOPÅ¨
ASDFGHJKLÆØ'

D_Zarster

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

D_Zarster — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:01:20 EST

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?

D_Zarster

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

SpaceLumpy — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:19:21 EST

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.

SpaceLumpy

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Tommasta — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:12:11 EST

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.

Tommasta

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

liquidsoapdispenser — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:14:21 EST

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!

liquidsoapdispenser

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

AndersonBMX — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:37:23 EST

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.

AndersonBMX

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

strider_mt2k — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:07:50 EST

This might be a way to get that "Kitten" button some of us have been waiting for.

strider_mt2k

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:07:29 EST

@Keebler: Oh yes it was, people around here are paying attention!

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

AlanIn4D — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:34:37 EST

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).

AlanIn4D

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Palestina — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:29:42 EST

I was waiting this moment to say: ME WANTS!

Palestina

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BrokenHaiku — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:22:17 EST

About animated buttons, weren't animations cut due to that they had to make the update time longer?

BrokenHaiku

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Hugh Jayness — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:19:20 EST

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.

Hugh Jayness

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Anjow — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:13:26 EST

Doesn't look like a buckling spring mechanism, so I'm sticking with my 20-year-old IBM Model M.

Anjow

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

blockage — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:08:22 EST

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?

blockage

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

DirkusMaximus — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:31:27 EST

@adam12hicks: OK, see, the keyboard gave me wicked wood, but you just destroyed it. Thanks a lot, bud. >:-(

DirkusMaximus

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Soundman1402 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:14:49 EST

@godwhacker: European layout.

Soundman1402

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

adam12hicks — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:59:34 EST

Also, was that an Engadget logo on the video? Ouch!

adam12hicks

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

adam12hicks — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:58:38 EST

The two girls button takes you immediately to the 2 girls 1 cup video. So hot!

adam12hicks

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Sqube — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:55:53 EST

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.

Sqube

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Keebler — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:50:30 EST

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

Keebler

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

slingblade — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:37:57 EST

Ahhh...the keys melted my fingerprints right off I swear!

slingblade

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Bokusatsu_Tenshi — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:28:23 EST

@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.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

ReductiMat — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:28:21 EST

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?

ReductiMat

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

What dreams may come — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:21:05 EST

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.

What dreams may come

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Kyang — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:07:07 EST

Excellent. I can make my own buttons for Puppy, Kitten, Cat, Dog, Leash, Collar, and Toy.

Kyang

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

alin0steglinski — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:58:22 EST

FUCKING EMBED THE VIDEOS SO THEY CAN PLAY ON THE FRONT PAGE

alin0steglinski

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

godwhacker — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:55:28 EST

qwertz?, whats up with that?

godwhacker

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

madlogik — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:39:06 EST

how hard's the thing cpu wise?

madlogik

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

ideaman2020 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:19:54 EST

@Inigo Montoya: You stole my comment!

Prepare to die..

ideaman2020

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

RainyDayInterns — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:03:48 EST

"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?

RainyDayInterns

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

EMoShunz — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:02:10 EST

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.

EMoShunz

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Rusdude — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:55:34 EST

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.

Rusdude

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

dingus — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:54:05 EST

@Inigo Montoya: Is it a two chicks at once button?

dingus

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:52:30 EST

@tin: You bring up a good point, how often do you even look down at your keyboard anyway?

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

tin — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:48:35 EST

@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

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:46:58 EST

Wilson, I'm glad I'm not a blogger, I would never be able to afford it.

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:45:28 EST

@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...

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:42:42 EST

@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.

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

BLAKELEY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:39:48 EST

@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.

BLAKELEY

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

housewarmer — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:38:07 EST

@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.

housewarmer

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Iggy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:36:26 EST

@Inigo Montoya: It's T.A.T.U. a popular Russian music duo...lesbian 17 year-olds...so...mehbeh?

Iggy

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

thebear91 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:32:28 EST

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.

thebear91

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Inigo Montoya — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:29:16 EST

Wait......at 00:17

Is that a p0rn buton?

Inigo Montoya

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

mettleh3d — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:28:28 EST

This thing still looks unbelievably great though. I think I'll wait for the Chinese knockoff v.1.1

mettleh3d

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Illustrious Chin — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:26:49 EST

would be great for games and different languages like japanese or maybe the dvorak layout.

Illustrious Chin

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Hvedhrungr — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:25:35 EST

Actually, what's the energy consumption of that thing?

How long would it take this sucker to turn an eeePC dry as Nevada?

Hvedhrungr

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

Hvedhrungr — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:24:42 EST

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.

Hvedhrungr

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

schrosa — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:22:32 EST

would rather have . . .
www.daskeyboard.com

schrosa

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

eduardjm — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:22:01 EST

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??

eduardjm

First Video of the Optimus Keyboard Actually Working and Looking Awesome

DeadWriter — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:20:39 EST

In 5 years and there will be an affordable version or knockoffs.

DeadWriter