Optimus Keyboard Pre-Orders In Mere Hours

godzillopiteco sends timely word that Art. Lebedev Studio is finally going to accept pre-orders for the Optimus Maximus Keyboard — in just under 11 hours at the time this story posts, according to the countdown timer on the site. (Late last year we were primed to pre-order in December 2006.) Read the project's blog for some recent developments.

More details

[Southpaw018 (793465)]

I'm less interested in the pre orders and more interested in the "description and detailed specifications," to be released at the same time.

This thing has sounded, looked, and felt like another Phantom since the start...

Re:More details

[LiquidCoooled (634315)]

The phantom was just another games console.
People actually want to do this, but the only thing stopping them is technology.

I guess at some point or other we have cursed keyboards for having fixed symbols and wished for something better, I remember the cards you used to place above your Fn keys for word processing and graphics programs, we all get freaked out remembering the keys to games and I would love to see my keys change fonts to match what I am typing.

This keyboard will give you all that, its not just another console - its new.

Having said all that, you can probably currently just keep a few customised boards [fentek-ind.com] and switch as needed for less than the current expected price.

Re:More details

[AKAImBatman (238306)]

This thing has sounded, looked, and felt like another Phantom since the start...

I don't think that's really fair. The Phantom was constantly promoted as "coming soon!" The Optimus OTOH, started life as a conceptual design. Optimus never promised a product from the design, and in fact stated that it would be too expensive with current OLED prices.

The only reason why they're making this keyboard is because there has been unprecidented demand for it.

Re:More details

[ThePeices (635180)]

You have to remember that if the keyboard turns out as well as we expect, then the high price is not a problem. There are a very large number of rich people around the world, and having something as useful and good looking as we hope the Maximus turns out to be, it would become a status symbol. All the rich geeks can get to have one and brag about it...Thats all assuming the reviews are positive, but this is such a great and good looking idea its a guaranteed sell. Gamers would love it, Photoshop users would love it, hell i would love it. With the demand the price will come down as production scales, its just a matter of time until it becomes affordable. Ipods cost alot but plenty of people still buy them, one of these could be as must have as the ipod.

Re:More details

[admactanium (670209)]

Thats all assuming the reviews are positive, but this is such a great and good looking idea its a guaranteed sell. Gamers would love it, Photoshop users would love it, hell i would love it.

being a photoshop user (retoucher) i woudn't use this keyboard for that kind of work. there's no point and it's needlessly expensive. i can remember the keys that i need. also, many of the tools in photoshop require multiple presses of the same key to invoke. for instance, you can toggle between the many types of lasso tool (freeform, rubber band, magnetic) by pressing the "L" key.

this keyboard wouldn't really offer any benefit to a user since, at best, it can either display the current tool, or the next tool in the heirarchy of that button. in either case, i already know how to toggle to that next tool and i don't need the keyboard to tell me what the next tool is.

for $250 i might buy it. but for $1500, i'd recommend any photoshop user buy more ram, a bigger monitor (or a secondary or tertiary monitor) and a wacom tablet and still have some money left over.

Re:More details

[Hal_Porter (817932)]

I don't care if it comes with a "summon the slave girls to come orally satisfy me" button -- if it ain't ergo, it ain't worth it

It doesn't, but you could program it to have one.

Slave girls not included. Slavery maybe illegal in your country

*Yawn*

[Giolon (1006069)]

I was really excited about this keyboard back when they first announced it and they posited that it would cost approxmiately $100. Now that it's finally becoming a reality several years behind schedule, and is going to cost approximately $1500, I don't know how anybody can really still be looking foward to it.

Re:*Yawn*

[networkBoy (774728)]

Oh, I'm looking forward to it. I'm not too sure I'll ever own one at $1500, but if they pave the way then knockoffs should be available within another decade.
-nB

Re:*Yawn*

[DAtkins (768457)]

How is this modded insightful?

The exciting thing is going to be if there are enough pre-orders for them to start fabrication. If they can stay in business passed this point, and OLED manufacturers start ramping up, it's only a matter of time before the price comes down. I remember when plasmas came out priced around $20000 for a 42" (if it was that big). Now you can get them for much less. We don't know how their planning on fabrication at this level. With such a small production schedule, it would suggest hand assembly. If they managed to sell out that production run, whats to stop them from licensing it to a foreign manufacturer? You know, like we do...

Re:*Yawn*

[enharmonix (988983)]

I don't remember them ever saying it would cost $100, I knew it was going to be cheap, and was sure they mentioned the price would be around $200-$300, which I admit is is still not cheap, but no where near the extortionate price they are charging for it.

According to the last /. story, it was "a little less than a good cellphone," I think the editors guessed under $400, but I'm not sure. But if you think about it, people spending even $100 for a keyboard is pretty unusual. The idea of a keyboard in the $200-300 range probably does not sit well with anybody with the ability to invest in the manufacture and packaging of something like this, which is no doubt what these guys are looking for (I doubt they have their own factory). The few that can be pre-ordered are probably all hand-built at this point, in which case a $1500 price tag is not bad for what is essentially a prototype. But if they post their count-down, it hits /. and of those readers, 200 geeks pay $1500 each for one of these, that's probably a pretty big indicator that something like this just might do well at $200-300 on Best Buy's shelves, and this outfit can probably convince somebody to invest in mass-producing them for the rest of us. Just a thought, tho. Cheers.

Wow... that's cool

[LBArrettAnderson (655246)]

When I first saw the picture of it, I thought that all of the buttons had the icons/letters painted on... and I thought to myself dang... you know what would be cool? If each key had its own display...

Then I kept reading. I will definitely be getting myself one of these!

Re:Wow... that's cool

[LBArrettAnderson (655246)]

oops... I take that back... sorry... didn't see the price tag... maybe later.

Re:Wow... that's cool

[Cyberax (705495)]

Well, you can afford to buy http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/vilcus/ [artlebedev.com] :)

Re:Wow... that's cool

[smbarbour (893880)]

You know what else would be really cool? A "Rolling Stones" button! (3rd key down, 2nd column of icon keys, right below Firefox)

Re:Wow... that's cool

[MichaelSmith (789609)]

we shouldn't need to look at the keyboard when we use it...

You could use one of these [thinkgeek.com]

Re:Wow... that's cool

[Fred Ferrigno (122319)]

Agreed. I have an IBM Model M which features keys that can be removed and switched around to accommodate different keymaps. Once my roommates decided to remap my keyboard to say "FUCK" on the home row. It was weeks before they broke down and finally told me to look at the keyboard.

A bit pricey

[bubbl07 (777082)]

At $1564 USD [theinquirer.net], the price is a bit steep for most of us, but I'm sure it'll find its niche.

Re:A bit pricey

[Chris Mattern (191822)]

At $1564 USD, the price is a bit steep for most of us, but I'm sure it'll find its niche.

At that price, I'd expect to get the Optimus *Prime* keyboard, and it better transform into the leader of the Autobots, too!

Chris Mattern

Re:A bit pricey

[suv4x4 (956391)]

At that price, I'd expect to get the Optimus *Prime* keyboard, and it better transform into the leader of the Autobots, too!

You have it. All Optimus models so far are like this: Optimus 101, Optimus 103, Optimus 113.

All of those are prime numbers, and I doubt it's coincidental.

What would be more practical...

[commlinx (1068272)]

Rather than having every key with an in-built display what would be more practical is leaving the alphanumeric keys as standard and just having the displays on the left block of special function keys and F1-F15. Short of multiple users who want to swap between QWERTY, Dvorak and other languages I can't think of any reason re-programming the standard keys is useful and it must add stacks to the cost. I'd go for one at $200 odd if when I switched applications I could replace the function keys with alternative icons and alternative keystroke codes. No wonder the unit cost is so high though - they don't seem to be planning to manufacture many units so it seems to be aimed at people with a surplus of cash.

Re:What would be more practical...

[Bogtha (906264)]

Short of multiple users who want to swap between QWERTY, Dvorak and other languages I can't think of any reason re-programming the standard keys is useful and it must add stacks to the cost.

Different keyboard modes have a much wider scope than layouts and languages. It's for displaying the right icons for when you are playing Quake, for displaying the effects of shortcuts when you are in Photoshop, for displaying the right functions when you switch modes in vi, for showing the right characters when you hold down Alt Gr when you want curly quotes, em dashes, etc.

I think a keyboard like this could be very useful even to computer novices — perhaps especially to computer novices. I've been using computers for decades, and I haven't memorised a fraction of the keyboard shortcuts I could find useful. It would be a lot easier for me if I could hold down Ctrl and look at my keyboard to see the right key to press. If a power user like me can't learn all the shortcuts, how could a newbie?

The real problem is that they went all out for the full-colour display, the animation, the integrated USB mass storage, etc, when you can get 99% of the value of this thing with a monochrome, high-latency, no-hard-drive version for a fraction of the cost. There's no way I'd pay this much for a keyboard, but I'd certainly jump at the chance if somebody were offering the cheaper version I describe. I've heard of various proof-of-concepts, but nothing for sale to end-users outside of the USA.

Wow, hard to believe

[edwardpickman (965122)]

Then the rumors of it being bundled with Duke Nuke em Forever aren't true? Or are they taking preorders for Duke as well?

Finally! Well, Eventially!

[ScentCone (795499)]

I'm so pleased about this advance warning, giving me a chance to cogitate on the early stages of beginning to anticipate the eventual opening moments of the new dawn of an opportunity to gear up for a period when, soon, there will be a new, imminent development foreshadowing the approaching onset of the start of my chance to, on a first-come, first-served basis, pre-order this thing.

looks nice but does it have...

[bobsalt (575905)]

an "any key"???

Re:Advertising

[Jah-Wren Ryel (80510)]

This isn't a story. This is an ad.

Whether or not it is an advertisement does not preclude it from being a story. The first keyboard with fully software remappable symbols on each and every key is absolutely news for nerds.