Optimus keyboard due out in a month - bit-tech.net Forums

Da Dego · 8th Jan 2008, 07:21

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/01...e_in_a_month/1

CES 2008 - Many who have followed industry news are quite familiar with the Optimus Maximus keyboard. We have good and bad news - it's out next month and we've played with it, but it costs $1500 USD.

AcidJiles · 8th Jan 2008, 07:27

meh

Blademrk · 8th Jan 2008, 07:45

How easy are the keys to swap?

Pricester · 8th Jan 2008, 08:17

If you only buy 1 OLED key, does it come with normal keys for all the other positions, or do you also have to buy a set of normal keys as well?

bilbothebaggins · 8th Jan 2008, 08:55

1500 is ... ouch :-) (even 500,- is for a keyboard)
On the other hand, it seems a great product and you get what you pay for.
I hope it will survive until I'm obscenely rich to buy one :-)

Henry · 8th Jan 2008, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blademrk

How easy are the keys to swap?

They are very easy to swap,

they just pop out and you push it back in, there is a strip header the key presses into.

Couple of problems I saw were that it's WAAAAY to easy to get dirty, the keys are fingerprint magnets. One other more personal issue was that the keys were too smooth, so it really felt strange pressing on them. It was like they needed some roughness like normal keyboards have.

Bauul · 8th Jan 2008, 10:27

Of course it costs a lot, it's like having a few dozen mini monitors all lined up infront of you. You could probably use them like normal monitors too with the right software, have all pretty patterns and even watch movies on your keyboard. Lol, pointless, but cool.

Jamie · 8th Jan 2008, 10:36

The only reason I would want that keyboard is so to make ripples of colour spread from each keypress. That would look awesome. I generally don't ever look at my keyboard so displaying meaningful things on them would only be a gimmick.

C-Sniper · 8th Jan 2008, 12:00

Well I'm glad to see that the keyboard comes with a key lock to prevent people from taking it, on a another note the other keyboard that is in development on their site seems pretty cool as well. Also, is it just me or does the plastic on the keys look incredibly smudged?

M1CUZ · 8th Jan 2008, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by C-Sniper

Well I'm glad to see that the keyboard comes with a key lock to prevent people from taking it, on a another note the other keyboard that is in development on their site seems pretty cool as well. Also, is it just me or does the plastic on the keys look incredibly smudged?

Go ahead and lock the keyboard to the desk.... I'll just nab all your OLED keys and swap them for standard units :P ohlol

OleJ · 8th Jan 2008, 15:06

To me it's an obscene waste of resources in any way possible.
And where the black design with black buttons and black power and usb cord looks really good I don't understand why in H*** they've chosen to demonstrate it at CES using a white keyboard with black keys and black cords coming out of it. It looks like a monstrosity straight out of the 90s.
The original render was a beauty but this final product looks so sad IRL. The USB ports are okay sort of but the SD card sticking out? It's a freaking eye turd. And the cords are placed so you really notice them. The jacks should have been hidden so it was only the wires coming out. And that at the bottom of the keyboard. Not in the freakin' middle (horisontally). Strike 1 in my book.

I think some things went wrong at the last mile with this product. Unfortunately because the concept was b e a utiful.

iggy2k · 8th Jan 2008, 15:54

Quote:

It also means great protection in the future should a key go dead - ten quid will get a new one off to you in very short order.

warranty?

Henry · 8th Jan 2008, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by OleJ

To me it's an obscene waste of resources in any way possible.
And where the black design with black buttons and black power and usb cord looks really good I don't understand why in H*** they've chosen to demonstrate it at CES using a white keyboard with black keys and black cords coming out of it. It looks like a monstrosity straight out of the 90s.

They have both colours at CES, Brett and I just managed to be in front of the white one.

Quote:

The USB ports are okay sort of but the SD card sticking out? It's a freaking eye turd. And the cords are placed so you really notice them.

You really cant see the SD Card, it's almost flush with the back when it is in.

Henry · 8th Jan 2008, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by iggy2k

warranty?

I don't remember if Brett asked, I didn't, but the life of the keys he said is 20k hours. That might be the point where they are half as bright....

Da Dego · 9th Jan 2008, 04:35

No, unfortunately I didn't really think to ask about warranty life. As Henry said, keys have about 20k hours mtbf. Oh, and a big thanks to him as my photographer for it (as I've no macro lens)

CanadianViking · 9th Jan 2008, 05:58

I want one.

cjmUK · 10th Jan 2008, 13:49

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

Wow!

8th Jan 2008, 07:21	#1
Da Dego Brett Thomas Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH USA Posts: 3,906	Optimus keyboard due out in a month http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/01...e_in_a_month/1 CES 2008 - Many who have followed industry news are quite familiar with the Optimus Maximus keyboard. We have good and bad news - it's out next month and we've played with it, but it costs $1500 USD. __________________ "Frankly that seems overkill. iluvtrees2 arguing with spec is the intellectual equivalent of a bunny rabbit taking on a pissed-off lion." - Nexxo

8th Jan 2008, 07:45	#3
Blademrk Why so serious? Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Here Posts: 2,342	How easy are the keys to swap? __________________ The Bit-Tech.net X-Box Live! Leaderboard My X-Box Live & X-Fire GamerTag: BladeMRK WII#: 0379 8536 3210 2060 My Flikr albums Twitter

8th Jan 2008, 08:17	#4
Pricester Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Coventry, UK Posts: 105	If you only buy 1 OLED key, does it come with normal keys for all the other positions, or do you also have to buy a set of normal keys as well? __________________ Rule 7: By the time you've finished building it, it will be out of date Known as Rocketeer almost everywhere else

8th Jan 2008, 10:27	#7
Bauul Sir Bongaminge Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Godalming, near Guildford Posts: 1,553	Of course it costs a lot, it's like having a few dozen mini monitors all lined up infront of you. You could probably use them like normal monitors too with the right software, have all pretty patterns and even watch movies on your keyboard. Lol, pointless, but cool. __________________ Pentium 4 CPU 3.4 Ghz \| 1Gb + 2x512Mb Corsair DDR2 667 Mhz Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 512Mb\| WD Raptor 36Gb, Seagate 300Gb \| Asus P5LD2 SE Ibanez RG 470 Japanese Edition \| 1991 Japanese Lo-TRS Tremolo \| V7 S1 Custom V8 HSH Pickups

8th Jan 2008, 10:36	#8
Jamie bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 7,620	The only reason I would want that keyboard is so to make ripples of colour spread from each keypress. That would look awesome. I generally don't ever look at my keyboard so displaying meaningful things on them would only be a gimmick. __________________ bit-tech hosted by tsohost.co.uk twitter \| flickr \| xbox live \| last.fm \| moot

8th Jan 2008, 07:27	#2
AcidJiles Multimodder Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 152	meh

8th Jan 2008, 08:55	#5
bilbothebaggins Multimodder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Austria Posts: 113	1500 is ... ouch :-) (even 500,- is for a keyboard) On the other hand, it seems a great product and you get what you pay for. I hope it will survive until I'm obscenely rich to buy one :-)

8th Jan 2008, 15:06	#11
OleJ Me! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Posts: 1,983	To me it's an obscene waste of resources in any way possible. And where the black design with black buttons and black power and usb cord looks really good I don't understand why in H*** they've chosen to demonstrate it at CES using a white keyboard with black keys and black cords coming out of it. It looks like a monstrosity straight out of the 90s. The original render was a beauty but this final product looks so sad IRL. The USB ports are okay sort of but the SD card sticking out? It's a freaking eye turd. And the cords are placed so you really notice them. The jacks should have been hidden so it was only the wires coming out. And that at the bottom of the keyboard. Not in the freakin' middle (horisontally). Strike 1 in my book. I think some things went wrong at the last mile with this product. Unfortunately because the concept was b e a utiful. __________________ Quickr! Clickr to my Flickr! Canon camera stuff. Some aluminium PC, an HTPC and a MBP 17"..

9th Jan 2008, 04:35	#15
Da Dego Brett Thomas Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH USA Posts: 3,906	No, unfortunately I didn't really think to ask about warranty life. As Henry said, keys have about 20k hours mtbf. Oh, and a big thanks to him as my photographer for it (as I've no macro lens) __________________ "Frankly that seems overkill. iluvtrees2 arguing with spec is the intellectual equivalent of a bunny rabbit taking on a pissed-off lion." - Nexxo

9th Jan 2008, 05:58	#16
CanadianViking Beast from the North Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 201	I want one.

10th Jan 2008, 13:49	#17
cjmUK Old git. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: UK Posts: 1,936	http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/ Wow! __________________ P180B, Q6600 [with Thermalright HR-01+/Noctua NF-P12], 8GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500, EVGA GTX 260 SSC, 3.75TB worth of Samsung F1s, running on Windows 7 RC