Optimus Maximus Keyboard Buy ((TOP))
The Optimus Maximus keyboard, previously just "Optimus keyboard", is a keyboard developed by the Art. Lebedev Studio, a Russian design studio headed by Artemy Lebedev. Each of its keys is a display which can dynamically change to adapt to the keyboard layout in use or to show the function of the key. It was launched initially in 2007[1] and is no longer available to new orders.[2]
optimus maximus keyboard buy
The design featured on the studio's website received attention on the web when it was featured on Slashdot on July 14, 2005, and afterwards for a few weeks on other technology websites. The original release date was "end of 2006", however production issues caused the Optimus mini three to be developed first, with the full keyboard delayed until the end of 2007. The keyboard was number 10 in the Wired Magazine 2006 Vaporware Awards[3] and number 4 on the list in 2007[4] due to its numerous delays and feature reductions.
The Optimus allows for greater user interaction, by dynamically displaying the current function of the keys. For example, when the user presses the shift key, the pictures would change to upper-case versions. It would also make switching between different keyboard layouts (such as English and Cyrillic) rapid, and could make the switch to alternative layouts such as Dvorak easier for people who only have a QWERTY keyboard with no possibility of rearranging the keys. To demonstrate this concept, there are computer renderings showing example layouts for Quake III Arena and Adobe Photoshop.
Art. Lebedev Studio released a smaller three-key version of their keyboard, named Optimus mini three. Each of the keys is larger than a standard key. The mini three can be adjusted, through the configuration software, to either a horizontal or vertical orientation.
On July 21, 2008, Engadget posted about a new version of the keyboard, originally named Optimus Pultius. It features 15 OLED keys in a three-by-five arrangement and a USB port. Engadget also reported that the Pultius had been renamed to the Aux[8] and included a new rendering of the rear side showing that there would be two USB ports instead of one.[9]
In 2014, the existing models in the Optimus range were discontinued and superseded by the "Optimus Popularis" model which uses a single large LCD screen under the transparent keyboard instead of individual OLED displays for each key.[citation needed]
The patent for this "Display Keyboard" expired in 2016. However, the first programmable LCD keyboard[10] was developed in the mid-1980s in Germany. This keyboard, sold under the LCBoard name in the U.S. until 1999, contained many of the features of the Optimus keyboard including monochrome graphic icons on each keyboard key, macro programming, context sensitive and application dependent switching between functions. S. Bigbie et al. published related ideas in an IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin (Vol. 21 No. 2 July 1978), as did Alan Bagley of Hewlett-Packard in (U.S. Patent 4,078,257).
Engadget[16] published an early impression of the keyboard, approving of the quality of the displays, the build quality of the keyboard, and the customisation software. However, they note that the keys' high resistance means that it is tiring to type on (exhausting the author in "30 seconds to a minute"), and therefore "it's better off used as an absurdly configurable Swiss army knife".
Physically, the Optimus Maximus is a bit clunkier than a standard keyboard. Its 6.75-inch depth and 1.25-inch height isn't that extraordinary, but at 21.25 inches wide, the Optimus Maximus is only one quarter of an inch less broad than Logitech's older G15 gaming keyboard, which is the widest modern keyboard we're aware of.
Open up an image-editing program through the configurator and you can draw freehand over an image of the keyboard layout. Whatever you care to draw on top of that layout will appear on the keyboard as soon as you save your new file. You can assign different layouts to appear on the keyboard when you open a specific application or with a certain key command. The software also comes with media controls, Gmail notification, and CPU performance presets to assign out, among others.
As the Optimus Maximus works with both Windows PCs and Macs, it will recognize each operating system automatically and load up the familiar Windows icon and Apple command keys by default, depending on the system. The default settings reside on an included 512MB SD Card, and you'll find an SD Card slot on the back of the keyboard. This lets you save custom layouts and bring them with you if you move the Optimus Maximus between different computers.
As technically impressive as these capabilities might be, it's hard for us to imagine who might truly need them. Gamers, Web developers, and professional digital image or video editors might seem like natural customers. However, given the level of familiarity most of those kinds of users tend to have with their computing hardware, it's the configurability rather than the visual reminder afforded by the Optimus Maximus's OLED keys that's most important. Much more affordable, mechanical keyboards from Logitech, Razer, and others offer similar customization flexibility through dedicated hot keys, macro programming, and even keys you can physically remove and rearrange in the case of the Razer Tarantula.
We can't say that the capability to alter your keys' appearance is a negative, and it's hard to deny that the Optimus Maximus has a very high novelty factor. Custom visuals on a keyboard are at worst harmless, and we can picture plenty of scenarios where they might be relatively useful, from teaching someone how to use a program, to switching between control schemes for different applications, to driving a home theater PC. The problem is that its $1,600 price tag is so far out of whack with the other keyboards on the market, that we simply don't find what the Optimus Maximus has to offer enough of a benefit to offset its cost.
[CES 2008] We played with the (elusive) Optimus Maximus OLED keyboard from Art Lebedev and here are our first impressions: as we expected from the previous photos, the keyboard is quite bulky. The keys feel like one of the older mechanical keyboard (think IBM), which I personally like. Just as reported before, each key features a 10.110.1mm that displays clearly a letter/icon. They look great and the keyboard is very readable. Optimus Configurator, an image editor lets the user edit/add key icons/letters. In the back, you can find. To power the displays, there is an AC plug in the back. An anti-theft lock is also a nice detail. (See it in the photo gallery)
The keyboard runs on Windows/Mac and Linux and Art Lebedev is currently shipping pre-ordered keyboards. New orders will ship next month. 104 languages are currently supported (the image keys are stored in the SD card) and they keys are removable (that can come in handy if the tiny displays die).
The Optimus Maximus keyboard launched in 2007, so it has been around for almost 10 years. Unfortunately, inventive programmers wanting to shove other old PC games onto a key are out of luck, as the peripheral currently is not in stock.
LAS VEGAS -- What if your keyboard was your screen? What if it were dozens of screens? At CES, Russian design firm Art Lebedev showed off its upcoming Optimus Popularis keyboard, along with its Optimus Aux and Mini Six keypads, a set of unique data entry devices where every single one of the keys is its own separate, customizable LED screen.
On the Popularis keyboard, the keys themselves can show different characters (switch to Hebrew or Greek letters with a click), show icons for your shortcuts or run macros. You can even run little mini apps in the keys like a stock-ticker key that shows the current price of a particular stock then takes you to your online broker when depressed. A wide screen between the number and function keys can display all kinds of content as well, leaving open a world of possibilities from news and stocks to calendar appointments, emails and Twitter feeds.
We can also imagine professionals modifying the keyboard based on what application they're using. Video editors might make the tiny screen show a timeline or sound level visualizations. The keys could light up with icons for particular shortcuts in Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. The possibilities are endless.
Due out later this spring, the Popularis isn't Art Lebedev Studios' first All-LED keyboard. Its Optimus Maximus keyboard has been out for a while now and features 113 keys, including a numeric keypad, but no dedicated screen above the number row. Here in the U.S., ThinkGeek sells the Maximus for $1,799, but it's currently out of stock.
In addition to the pricey Polaris, Lebedev is introducing a couple of keypads that can sit beside your notebook or keyboard. The Optimus Aux has five rows of three keys each for a total of 15 and includes two USB ports on its back so you can attach other peripherals to it. The Optimus Mini Six is much smaller, with three rows of two keys each.
None of these devices will come cheap when retailers start selling them, as Lebedev estimates retail prices of $1,290 for the Optimus Popularis, $600 for the Optimus Aux and $450 for the Optimus Mini Six. However, if you are a professional who works in media editing, these custom keys could prove invaluable to you. We imagine more people will go for the Aux and the Mini Six than the full keyboard, not only because of cost but also because typing on a full keyboard with square, clear plastic keys might seem a little awkward to them.
Art Lebedev Studios premiered its Optimus Maximus keyboard in 2007; the device featured individual OLED displays for each key and provided a range of customizability never before seen in the PC input space. It also reached stratospheric heights in terms of pricing. The peripherals success has spawned an expansion of the line; first with the Mini Three and Aux (3-key and 12-key variants, respectively) and now with the Mini Six and the Optimus Popularis. 041b061a72