Optimus Keyboard Pre-Orders In Mere Hours 319
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 (Score:5, Insightful)
This thing has sounded, looked, and felt like another Phantom since the start...
*Yawn* (Score:5, Insightful)
A bit pricey (Score:4, Insightful)
Advertising (Score:4, Insightful)
This isn't a story. This is an ad.
If it's a real, successful product, it will be available tomorrow, the next day, probably next week, and at a lower price in a few months. If not, well...
Re:Wow... that's cool (Score:2, Insightful)
I won't. I fail to understand the attraction of these dubious bells and whistles when the whole idea is that we shouldn't need to look at the keyboard when we use it...
What would be more practical... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A bit pricey (Score:3, Insightful)
Why for Odin's sake... (Score:4, Insightful)
Why should I give a damn? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What would be more practical... (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:*Yawn* (Score:5, 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:More details (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Advertising (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wow... that's cool (Score:3, Insightful)
Keyboards are about far more than typing, though. Just think about games--I don't usually get too far into games anymore because I don't want to spend half an hour memorizing the keys. A game is supposed to be fun. If I can look down and see what each key does, I can start playing immediately. The keyboard could be switched out of text mode to allow me to eliminate on screen palettes and toolbars in Photoshop. It can show users what keys do in iTunes or GarageBand. Hell, it can act (with an A/B typing/interface switch instead of a scroll lock, for example) as a complete replacement for most kinds of toolbars in most any application.
Lots of people didn't think the mouse served a purpose. They could do it all with the keyboard. That's still true, but I for one am glad I was given the choice.
Re:Why not... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What is this thing? (Score:2, Insightful)
FUCKING
WHAT.
I never actually look at the keyboard when I am typing, so I can see absolutely no advantage whatsoever to having bling keys.
For example if I want to draw a rectangle in gimp I type ctrl-r without thinking about it. I don't need to look at the keyboard for a stupid rectangle icon.
This keyboard is either for people who are cerebrally challenged or people who masturbate over their computer 24 hours a day because it has gold-plated heatsinks and neon underglow.
LAME.
Re:*Yawn* (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:More details (Score:4, Insightful)
I probably wouldn't spend $1500 for it, anyway. But once it hit the $600 to $800, I absolutely would - as long as it was in a ergo/wave form.
Re:More details (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:More details (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:More details (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't see them being sold at an sort of rate that is going to drive down prices.
I have to agree, I think my G15 is going to work fine for me.
RonB
Re:More details (Score:5, Insightful)
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:Wow... that's cool (Score:1, Insightful)
So if what you're telling it's true you probably didn't learn to really touch-type, which is why a real touch-typist shall write faster than you.