A keyboard where every key is a screen

Opens up vast possibilities for customization

[photon]

The Optimus keyboard [artlebedev.com] is "good for any layouts [sic]—Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabian—and so on to infinity: notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, mathematical functions." Keys can even display animation.

I wonder how much it will sell for. The claim is 'It will cost less than a good mobile phone."

[Macguru]

Very nice find photon!

I like it!

P.S.
You saw the crew [artlebedev.com]?

[snowman]

It'll only be "useful" for people who work with computers intensively every day, not for the average home user.

Imagine a 3 year old eating a cookie while poking at these (very expensive I'd imagine) keys.

[photon]

It'll only be "useful" for people who work with computers intensively every day, not for the average home user.

Which is why I posted it to WebmasterWorld. :)

Imagine a 3 year old eating a cookie while poking at these (very expensive I'd imagine) keys.

Imagine a grown-up using it while reading this forum, experiencing one of those "Foo spew" posts!

[ronin]

I would love to have something like this for switching between English and Russian. I'm not sufficiently familar with the Russian keyboard layout and trying to use (or worse, having to make!) a Cyrillic keyboard card to lay over the top of the keys is time consuming, fiddly and irritating.

[iamlost]

Nice find. Will definitely take one for a test drive when available.

Like the subliminal inclusion within faq:

Moscow is the capital of Russia

Our studio is located two blocks from the Kremlin

There's no snow in Moscow during Summer

Those art director pics - welcome to my dungeon says the art director to the new employee ...
I see: Dr. Jeckyl, the Mummy, the Werewolf, the Hypnotic Mad Slasher, the Vampire ... all of whom are really very nice in person I am sure.

[Syzygy]

Looks stunning.

And I like the little asides in the "frequently answered answers"..:-)

Syzygy

[PhraSEOlogy]

I also see: Rasputin in the crew photos - pretty scary bunch. I would not like to get into a patent dispute with those lot!

[limbo]

That is the future! :)

[TinkyWinky]

Imagine a 3 year old eating a cookie

EWWWWWWW! That ain't going to last long with my wee one either. The way she bashes the keys there's going to be whole load of cracked screens! ;)

Great idea though.

[Milamber]

where do I sign up to beta test... ;)

[Brett_Tabke]

That is the coolest kb I have seen since the backlite ones.

[Zygoot]

Yeah this OLED keyboard definitely looks awesome.

I heard they will try to launch it next year for $300 or more. I really like it but the price is just way too high.

[akmac]

Everyone still sitting in an aeron chair will get one. ;-)

Wish I'd thought of it.

And had the money to develop it...

And had an imposing artistic flair...

With a matching turtleneck...

[PyrettaBlaze]

Me likes...
I want one...

[Automan Empire]

Imagine a 3 year old eating a cookie while poking at these (very expensive I'd imagine) keys.

Imagine a grown-up using it while reading this forum, experiencing one of those "Foo spew" posts!

Hopefully the makers of this keyboard will take into account that humanity is not likely to give up masticating at the keyboard any time soon.

[photon]

It seems to me that this is one of those rare instances where the coolness factor is not inversely proportional to the level of practicality.

[aleksl]

That's supposedly the top design studio in Russia. Pretty impressive.

[Hester]

This is taking the web by storm. It's a killer product. I love the set of program icons!

The number of practical uses for it are probably infinite. Imagine a teacher programming a class full of keyboards to show certain keys relevant to each lesson only. Learning languages could be an example!

Awesome.

[MoneyMan]

Now if only they created a natural keyboard version of it, i'd be sold.

self edit>> I just read the FAQs and noted their plans to eventually release an ergonomic model in the future.

[Hollywood]

Damn I want one, someone from the company please message me or somethin' seriously!

Hollyweird

PS the price drop in Yahoo makes no sense at all, if it drops anymore I am buying a bundle, smart money says buy household names, with these revenues and this name, shoot good earnings and a 10% drop is a bigtime buy signal for me. IMHO

PPS - Currently in Poland, just got back from ID-T Sensation Black and White (Amsterdam, Holland), dam what a show!

[StephenBauer]

Okay...think of the possibilities:

1) Keyboard maps (with cool graphic underlays) for games.

If it is fast enough:

2) More real estate for visuals.
3) Visuals during audio playback.
4) Quickie games featuring the keyboard (smash-a-mole, etc.)

If its API goes public:

5) Tricks/Pranks that you can pull on loved ones and enemies.
6) Virii that display things that you need a virus cleaner to remove.
.
.
.
99) Web site enabled keymaps for short cuts and such, hit a key to enable it or a button on the site, then quickie nav to web site pages/sections with images on the keyboard.
.
.
.

All sorts of weird ideas.

I cannot wait to get one for gaming alone (if only I had time to game again).

[shortbus1662]

I'm glad you said "masticate" instead of another similar sounding term which, seen by viewing the top ten to 100 search terms on the net, is probably happening even more often...

[timchuma]

The good thing about it is that you will not have to replace the keyboard if the letters wear off. The bad thing about it is that my home keyboard is going in the biohazard disposal when I am finished with it as it is, I would hate for the same thing to happen with this expensive model.

[rich42]

from what I've read - this is a design project - not an actual product.

great idea - but the images are just photoshop work - not an actual proto-type.

[pmkpmk]

There was something like that already back in 1993 [technozid.de] - monochrome, and with smaller screens. It cost $1000 back then :-)

[websoftware]

Bad news for the ones that already saw that keyboard on their desk. It doesn't exist yet, not even a prototype. That keyboard is just a .jpg for the moment.
A very very cool .jpg too :)