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Optimus Keyboard With OLED Display Keys
Posted by
Zonk
on Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:53 PM
from the review-copy-please? dept.
from the review-copy-please? dept.
Koskun writes "What appears to be a Russian design company has on their website a keyboard in which the keys are using OLED to display what function the keys represent. The product is Art. Lebedev Studio's Optimus Keyboard. The uses of this could be amazing. They have pictures of layouts for Photoshop and Quake, as well as a QWERTY and Russian. Here's hoping that this will make it to a production model and not just a design model."
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Optimus OLED Keyboard Pre-Orders Start Dec. 12 289 comments
Jupix writes, "After almost a year and a half of public development, the Optimus OLED keyboard is nearing completion. According to the project blog, pre-orders for the Optimus-103 will start on December 12. The price is unspecified at this time, but Art Lebedev has said the keyboard will cost 'less than a good mobile phone' (probably about $400). Don't expect to see those 10 programmable function keys on the left on this first version, though, as they will not make their debut until the Optimus-113, released later."
[+]
Apple: Apple Files for OLED Keyboard Patent 188 comments
pegdhcp writes to mention that Apple has applied for a patent on a 'dynamically controlled keyboard' with OLED keys. This may seem remarkably familiar, since an OLED keyboard has been bandied about by Art Lebedev studios for quite a while now. "while the Optimus Maximus is a bit expensive, Apple could certainly mass-produce something similar for less money, perhaps bringing the price into reality for most users. Lebedev has, however, apparently applied for several patents for the Optimus, so it's unclear just what Apple is up to, or what would happen if the company were ever to release such a product."
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Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not even a "design model". It's a "rendered model". Sweet concept. You'd spend a bloody fortune on 116 individual color OLED displays - in several sizes - and all the circuitry, interfacing, and drivers to run them. I see that they are Macintosh fans, though.
Re:Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Insightful)
These guys are digital artists
It's a really neat idea, and one that may even some day be created. I'd imagine that it would be prohibitively expensive to do today though.
Re:Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Interesting)
At any rate, I'm pleased to see people catching on that the keyboard isn't real, especially after the 1000 post argument a few days ago over a joke about executing virus writers...
Re:Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually I just thought of another idea, why not use the keyboard as a small console display as well. This could be used as a portable console in administering and fixing rack-mounted servers. The keyboard can have a small screen that will show about 10-20 lines of a terminal and also the keys would dynamically change to reflect various connection and management functions. For example after pressing "F1" the layout of the keyboard changes and now the keys to reflect a new submenu. If the key is not pressed but just slightly touched the console will display a short help message.
This would be one expensive keyboard but people who have the money to blow might be interested...
e-Ink (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good Idea, Bad Price (Score:5, Interesting)
Plus, you can operate OLED in "lit" mode or plain LCD mode, giving you functionality in a wide range of ambient light situations.
Let's go into production, damn it!
Re:Good idea, really? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Good idea, really? (Score:5, Insightful)
Nothing like thinking completely within the box. Free your mind, my friend.
How about an application that changes your keyboard functions as you proceed through steps? For instance, using an IDE, different key functions would show when I'm editing or debugging.
What if you had toggle keys that, when pressed, the keyboard would show you a visual indication of a completely different set of key-functions? So your keyboard is in its normal state most of the time, but gives you alternate setups as you request them.
What if in games, when you get shot, your keyboard pulses red. When you swim, your keyboard looks like water, with bubbles floating past. Keys show pictures of the weapons they would switch you to, and how much ammo they hold. Keys show the spells they would cast.
What if applications and desktops could now eliminate widgets because a key can be set to represent them as needed? No more row of buttons at the top of every web browser, word processor, and email client. Perhaps they could add a row of keys along the top of the keyboard to replace the window taskbar. These buttons would show your apps, and you could press them to minimize windows, restore them, or bring them to the front.
Or, we could just keep thinking in the box, poo-pooing ideas, and leave the innovation to others.
Optimus Keyboard? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Optimus Keyboard? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Optimus Keyboard? (Score:5, Funny)
I wonder if it autobotically transforms the keyboard for whatever application is active.
Get these into our highschools NOW! (Score:5, Funny)
Virtual Keyboards == LCARS? (Score:5, Interesting)
However, soon enough, as with other inventions, it just may be that we get a glass panel in front of us, and the display/input conforms to the user and his/her function, instead of the other way around.
Viruses will have a field day! (Score:5, Funny)
geez... (Score:5, Funny)
Comment + mirror (Score:5, Interesting)
help but wonder just how much a keyboard like this would cost?
Also, OLED's have a short life. 1-2 years.
Mirror here [networkmirror.com]
Lottsa uses for this (Score:5, Interesting)
Not to mention that I'm a shortcut junkie, and a visual kinda guy... This has "productivity increase" written all over it!
But the bad news is that the keyboard appears to be just a prototype at this point. Hopefully demand will quickly bring it to market soon! (preferably at less than $200 - It looks kinda expensive). There's a rather good thread on it over at digg, from earlier today.
Woo-Hoo! (Score:5, Funny)
OLED? (Score:5, Interesting)
If they get these out on the market (using e-paper tech) for under $300 CAN I would buy one asap.
OLED prices (Score:5, Insightful)
If it's feasible to integrate the OLED and the display driver using all organic semiconductors, maybe this isn't as expensive an idea as people think. The first screens don't necessarily have to have super fast refresh rates.
After all, most of the tiny screens are identical, and my best guess is that OLED production costs go as the area of the screen, which isn't really that large in this case. If one manages to combine the push signal, display signal and the OLED power in two wires, the wiring wouldn't be much more complex than a standard keyboard.
Re:a couple of questions before buying (Score:5, Funny)
No. After all, the whole point of a super-expensive keyboard with keys that can dynamically change their labels is to hardwire their function in. It was just cheaper to use an OLED display than to silkscreen them on.
You even rip off the MS menu keys on your work PC? Just
Re:Sorry, poster, editor, and everyone else... (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, every key would change... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Useless (Score:5, Insightful)
When I'm using a new program, I'd love for my keyboard to show me what keys do what. Hold down shift and a new set of functions pop up on the keyboard. Other modifiers and you get more.
Touch typing is useless when you don't know that pressing Ctrl+Shift+Space will do what you're trying to find in Tools->More->Neat->Macro->Experimental->Do not touch.
Or are you just somehow magically able to know just what each and every key combination does in a program you've never used before?