Optimus keyboard

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This article contains information about a scheduled or expected future product.
It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the product.

A computer rendering of the keyboard prototype.

The Optimus Maximus Keyboard is a keyboard currently in the production phase, from the Art. Lebedev 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.

1 Overview
- 1.1 Optimus mini three
2 Similar keyboard
3 Expected features
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Overview

Photoshop layout

Quake III Arena layout

The design featured on the studio's website received attention on the web when it was featured on Slashdot on 14 July 2005, and afterwards for a few weeks on other technology websites.

Even though the pictures on its product page are computer graphics renderings, the designers stated that they intend for the keyboard to be a real product. The studio is currently looking for a manufacturer in China or Korea. According to the official newsletter, the Art, Lebedev Studio expected to receive actual samples of the keyboard by the end of 2006. The keyboard is supposed to be in production in 2007, but the studio is planning on creating another model after the release of the Optimus mini three.

The Optimus would allow 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 the Dvorak easier for people who only have a QWERTY keyboard with no possibility of rearranging the keys. To demonstrate this concept, the computer renderings show example layouts for Quake III Arena and Adobe Photoshop.

The intended primary audience of the keyboard is typographers and translators; the secondary audience includes graphics professionals and gamers.

[edit] Optimus mini three

Optimus has 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.

Initial reviews have been mixed. The keyboard functions as advertised, but it has been criticized for inordinately high CPU usage, slow response time, and buggy configuration software.[1]

[edit] Similar keyboard

A keyboard with similar functions, called the 205PRO, features 20×20 pixel monochrome LCD function keys is manufactured by United Keys. [2] The patent for this "Display Keyboard" (U.S. Patent 5,818,361 ) is held by inventor Elkin Acevedo [3]. Other, similar keyboards have been thought of before this, but due to high production costs none have been mass produced so far. Some are calling the 103 key keyboard "vaporware" due to no real prototype just design concepts.