This keyboard features an OLED screen in every key, which makes it highly configurable, from different language template layouts, to application template layouts, Photoshop for example with all of it's shortcuts graphically displayed on each key. Game mapped keys, custom keys, that you can configure the icon thats displayed.
QuoteProblem: Have a keyboard with displays in every button produced.
Every key of the Optimus Maximus keyboard is a stand-alone display showing the function it is currently associated with.
Optimus is equally good for any keyboard layoutsâ€"Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, hiraganaâ€"and so on to infinity: notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions, images etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Keyboard
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/
DEMO:
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/
Have a look at the demo.. Okay, this is not cheep, in fact it's probably the most expensive keyboard on the market.. at around £700 - £800 GBP or
Price: 43990.00 p.
approx. 1564.37 US$
approx. 1256.86 â,¬
More expensive than a lot of computers these days.. Having spent the last hour, or 2 reading the development blog: http://community.livejournal.com/optimus_project/ It's something I'd consider buying when/if the price drops. I can see this kind of technology being integrated into many other devices.
Thanks to Mongey for posting the link: http://www.engadget.com/photos/hands-on-with-optimus-maximus-at-last/501548/ in my chatroom, and if you guys have already seen this, 8)
Not sure exactly what you have to pay all that money for ?
The shortcuts for photoshop as one example is allready implemented in the Photoshop itslef and easy to use as is with just about any keyboard. Ok, they dont have images on them, but you learn them pretty fast when your using photoshop every day.
Same for the halflife game keys, I have seen Kevin play that game for so long now, and he never even look at the keyboard, the fingers know what buttons to press on auto hahaha.
So i think it's a GREAT deal of money for "nothing" , but again, i might have missed the point with it or something ???
Agreed it's expensive, and I know my way around the shortcuts in Photoshop, and did with any games I used to play. I certainly wouldn't pay that much for it, it's a bit Star Trekky too.
But, I can see uses for it and over the next few years, displays like these will become more common.
It wasn't long ago people refused to use a mobile phone.. I don't know many people without one now.