Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard Unboxing
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There were people waiting up to seven hours in my live chat room today. I FINALLY have gotten an Optimus Maximus keyboard, courtesy of ThinkGeek. I am completely stoked, since I’ve wanted this thing for like… EVER. I managed to let it sit on my desk all day, and build anticipation. People in chat ended up being as impatient and excited as I was for the unboxing.
Time to take a second mortgage on your home or break into your kid’s college fund. With the singing of angels and a ray of sunlight parting the clouds, the fabled Optimus Maximus Keyboard has descended from Russian design studio Art Lebedev like an orgasm of geekiness. As you should know by now this amazing keyboard features a tiny screen on each key… that’s 113 screens in all. What can you do with these tiny screens, you ask? Well, each key can change its image dynamically depending on what you’re doing. Hold down SHIFT and all keys go uppercase. Run Photoshop and you can set it so each hotkey has an image representing its function. Set a key to monitor your CPU usage or display what iTunes track you are currently playing. You can make a key into a tiny clock with moving hands and play animated gif files or even quicktime movies. Of course all this futuristic technology is going to cost you a pretty penny… but we figure you’ll just expense the Optimus and tout its “incredible increased efficiency when using PowerPoint hotkeys” in your expense report summary.
This thing is just… fricken AWESOME. From day one, I wanted this keyboard. Now that I have it, I’m in Geek Heaven. Every key is a separate screen. Look how shiny it is!!!! The keys don’t feel awesome, but that’s not the point. It’ll fit really well front and center on my desk.
After much hard work, I finally got the power run behind my desk, and was able to turn the keyboard on. Look at the secksay purple lights backlighting every key. The coolest thing is when it was plugged in. Before being plugged in, the keys on the keyboard had the Windows key, CTRL key, etc on it. You know, native Windows keys. However, when I plugged it in, it immediately recognized that I was using a Mac. Those Windows keys changed over to Mac keys!!! How fricken cool is that?! The OLEDs aren’t actually on the keys, they’re under it.
Don’t worry, you’ll get to see much more of my amazing new keyboard in upcoming videos. All I have left to say is… I HAVE AN OPTIMUS MAXIMUS!!!!.
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20 Comments
Multilingual Mac
August 17th, 2008
at 9:04am
Someone has actually finally gotten a copy of the long-awaited Optimus keyboard, which can display the keyboard layout for any language directly on its keys via 113 OLED screens underneath them. For more information seethis blog.This report indicates that the keyboard may not actually work the way one would expect, at least on a Windows machine.
Ergotron
August 26th, 2008
at 10:30pm
Matt Cutts – Software Engineer at Google. Information on SEO and how Google fights search spam. Chris Pirillo – Irreverent funny product reviews and technology news via live video. This unboxing of theOptimus Maximus OLED keyboardis good example of his work.
Victor Agreda Jr
August 15th, 2008
at 6:31pm
With great power comes great responsibility. Now hack that mutha to play Minefield!
Optimus Maximus Keyboard Control Fun ~ Chris Pirillo
August 15th, 2008
at 6:48pm
[...] the unboxing of my phenomenal new keyboard is complete, and it’s time to play. I turned off the lights in [...]
Kellen Gorman
August 15th, 2008
at 7:21pm
Haha, I’m so jealous of you. I would not like the glossy feel of the keys. I guess typing on my MacBook for so long, nothing but Apple keyboards feel right. And also I think that it would be cooler if they made most of the spacebar key a screen. Glad you finally got that! I think that I was the one who sent you the e-mail. Later
Sorting it all Out : Optimus: from science fiction to fiction to frustration to geek porn, in just 24 months
August 16th, 2008
at 12:13am
[...] got to witness Chris Pirillo receive his Optimus, plug it in, and take the first look at it (ref: Optimus Maximus OLED Keyboard Unboxing).And three days later, the video of the live session was ut up. I felt almost self-conscious [...]
Henri
August 16th, 2008
at 7:59am
That took quite a while you to get that :D
I saw that in Finnish web store called verkkokauppa.com even 2 years ago.
Leo Yale
August 16th, 2008
at 8:00am
For the Man who has everthing else!
peoplephobic
August 16th, 2008
at 9:22am
This keyboard does not appeal to me at all at $1,599.00. I am a touch typist so I really don’t see the point of spending so much money to have keys with screens in them. I would imagine that anyone who would invest this much in a keyboard is already a touch typist. The programmability is amazing but there are lots of keyboards and gaming key sets that can program macros and keystrokes. Why spend so much on lcds that you won’t be able to see because your hands are in the way? Typing classes will get you far more productivity than a $1600 keyboard will buy you. And even if I’m wrong and this keyboard makes you super productive what employer or company would get you one? Maybe if it was $200 or $300. I’m really not one to complain about the price of things but this keyboard is just way too much money. Get one of those blank keyboards from ThinkGeek. They’re cooler anyway. If you need programmable get some gaming keyboard or keyset or x-keys.
Although, I would like to get one of these just to hook it up to a windows pc and type “macs are too expensive” in the chat room from it…
joelg88
August 16th, 2008
at 5:37pm
That Keyboard is so cool. Its a very expensive keyboard but its a very cool keyboard. You should put a Pirillo Face on one of the Keys and link it to your Blog lol. I also like Optimus Tactus keyboard which they have on there site. The keyboard is still in Concept though. Its still on the drawing board. The Tactus has no Buttons. Its like one huge touch screen.
ROBERT BOWRS
August 16th, 2008
at 6:05pm
Are you expecting it to give birth very soon, then will the size be more managable and we begin to see your ears?
Tom Terranova
August 18th, 2008
at 10:14am
thanks for allowing me to live vicariously! the only thing better would have been if art lebedev had sent you one when they first came out. i really wanted to not like it (since i couldn’t afford it) but I have to admit, it’s beauteous.
Kyle Teachman
August 18th, 2008
at 3:43pm
Wow that keyboard looks REALLY cool… I’m not surprised Apple, Microsoft or Logitech hasn’t quite taken this concept.
Dion Dicello☺ 4!!!
August 19th, 2008
at 11:14pm
Mm nice keyboard http://thecreativeone.tv/techsurvey081908
Robert Rosenfeld
August 20th, 2008
at 8:13pm
Great keyboard Chris! You truly deserve it! I love the Optimus Maximus and think it is a great keyboard. Productivity must be outstanding with keyboard shortcuts and being able ti fully customize the keyboard. Unfortunately $1600 is a lot of money for a keyboard. i am saving now by recycling. Not much but it gets the job done. I have already earned $50! :)
LegoShark
August 20th, 2008
at 8:34pm
This is very cool- nevermind, amazing. I Happen to own a $190 Bella Pro Series keyboard for final cut stuff. This whole things seems to be made of pure win.
RockerX
August 20th, 2008
at 10:09pm
If this were a few hundred dollars cheaper, I would get one, but I do not have the money. That is the only downfall.
tawni
August 20th, 2008
at 10:17pm
OMG that keyboard is so cool. I was watching Kat play with it briefly and now I want one.
bradleybradwell
August 25th, 2008
at 7:43pm
This keyboard is the future of technology. I’m sure the price of it will be coming down soon as there will also be other great new things available to the consumer. Chris you definitaly made a fantastic well deserved investment. I hope you like it.
Mousing About ~ IT Professionals
September 22nd, 2008
at 3:47pm
[...] about the hardcore users? Well some people such as Pirillo, have opted for the Optimus Maximus keyboard and others still, are seeking out possibilities with [...]