The Optimus mini three
By Ryan Block 
posted Jan 14th 2006 10:50AM
posted Jan 14th 2006 10:50AM
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Haha, all those people thought it would be the keyboard in February...now do you believe us that it wasn't possible so quickly?
So, assuming those are Widgets, doesn't physically having Widgets sit on your desk/next to your keyboard defeat the purpose of Widgets entirely? Or is just too damn... literal?
what's the purpose of this thing? I don't think we'll ever see a keyboard from these monkeys
...and it says they're listening to tatu's new album... yay!
That Keyboard foes not exist ..
some 3d Images that everybody belives in ..
will take time to actually develope one .
and imagine how much power it will need to run
..
extra power cord ? .. nice
I guess you're not too technically inclined considering that comment. OLED draws ess power because it doesn't require back lighting. But I'm sure you already knew that...idiot
perfect, i can have an CTRL+ALT+DEL button, a ALT+F4 button and RESET button
Is that pr0n on the third key? small packages indeed.
Why would I need buttons with widgets in them?
And what would the buttons do when I pressed them?
Im gettin it.
I think most of us are missing the point. The picture does show Widgets, but theoretically the keys could display anything and activate anything. It is the exact same concept as the keyboard, except on a 3-key scale.
Say you were using Photoshop. One key could trigger the select tool, one could trigger the brush, and one could trigger the clone tool. Each would display a picture of their respective tool.
I think it is more of a proof of concept, anyway. Just to show that it is possible to manufacture a keyboard with OLED screens.
It would have been more useful with six keys, though.
You bring up strong points Mart. It would be funny if they gave you 5 dollars in free www.allofmp3s.com credit.
#5 Luap:
It doesn't have two power cords. The picture shows the front and back of the unit.
I agree that this is more of a proof-of-concept product.
"Lebedev has nothing. He is a 3ds max artist who can mock up OLED-Keyboards like no other but he is probably just one of a thousand little IT-Scammers hacking away in their ex-communist bedrooms."
Oh really? Did you even take a look around the rest of the site or google for "Art Lebedev"? Have you even checked wikipedia?
This is an interesting proof-of-concept device (With all the external LCD displays being modded into cases there's definitely demand for small sized external displays). If they can get it to market, they'll essentially have all the proof they need that the Optimus keyboard is viable (which is probably all they eed to secure backing to start production). Seems like a very smart move.
they make that look HUGE... not like a key at all... if that square IS roughly the size of a key, then why is only the inner half available as screen real-estate? and wtf resolution are those tiny screens?!
If it's as giant as it looks, then it takes too much DESK real-estate to be worth a crap. (the buttons look like 2 by 2 inches...) we'll see what happens.
Well, that's perfect for prev, play/pause, next in your musicplayer ;)
Did some math.. if the USB-Cable is 3mm in diameter, then the whole thing is about 4.5cm*11cm. One key is about 2cm*2cm.
And now for the americans:
Key = 0.8 by 0.8 inches
Device = 1.75 by 4.3 inches
Just estimations from the picture..
#18 (pableu) - I just did some measurements on the photo, and given a 3mm cable diameter the buttons are 4cmx4cm (7pix Vs 97pix) not 2cmx2cm. This would mean it could use standard mobile phone OLED displays...
It's so disgusting to see all of these negative, vitriolic, judgemental comments from people.
I challenge the next person to say what a stupid idea this is, to post a link to some of their work. Otherwise, you just look like some looser jerk with an internet connection. Or do you contend that no one should try to design and build anything unless it meets your dream of absolute perfection? What a shit-hole world that would be!
Dang! What's with all the anti-Russia vitriol?
You tell them Steve-Dave, I mean DAN.
Arg, make it tilt dangit....seriously, if that is laying flat on my desk, how the heck am I supposed to see it?
So many companies do this....it's like they forgot that I don't want to have to pick it up and tilt it everytime I look at it.
Could all those who believe Russians aren't capable of anything but drinking vodka and pirating music kindly f**k off and stop polluting this great site with your stupidity.
hmm, these are attitudes i expect from gamer forums filled mainly with enraged teens, but from a tech site based towards grown men and women? pathetic.
Art Lebdev is not some wackjob 3dsMax artist making trojan horses and vapourware while smashed on vodka, they are a serious design firm. They've done work for a company that you may be familliar with... korean, starts with an 's'... ring any bells? SAMSUNG! Observe: http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/samsung/sweetheart/
Cummon guys, just because it may look too good to be true, doesn't mean that it is. Like the Viliv P1, no one though that they had actually created a product with all of the features and design we want in a PMP, but now it won't be long 'til they ship.
Look into something before dismissing it a vapourware, it'll make everyone's job a lot less flame-ridden.
Some of the anti-russian comments made above are just appalling to me as a european, and would in many countrys be prosecuted as being racist. I would've hoped that the US made some progress since McCarthy...
Boy they really dropped the ball with this one.
But really, lets say they DO make an oled keyboard, what are you going to do about bad pixels or faulty keys?
Seems to me this is a display extension device, not a 3 key keyboard. Much like the ambient dashboard:
http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/dashboard/
By the OLED's are way better than analog.
Mystery solved.
This is an interesting proof-of-concept device (With all the external LCD displays being modded into cases there's definitely demand for small sized external displays). If they can get it to market, they'll essentially have all the proof they need that the Optimus keyboard is viable (which is probably all they eed to secure backing to start production). Seems like a very smart move.
I would buy one to check it out and see if I really wanted to fork out $200 - $400 (US) for the Optimus keyboard. I would consider it an investment in them and hope it could help work some bugs out and get the Optimus into production.
if its coming out feb 1st shouldnt they have real pictures of this by now?
Ah, so you weren't basing you opinions on predjudice, just inability to do some simple research.
So, what exactly is it about this keyboard that is so much of a technical impossibility that it cannot possibly be developed?
These guys rock because this rendering of a keyboard with tiny monitors rocks!!!
it looks like it's the size of a mouse judging by the wire in the picture.
It's so disgusting to see all of these negative, vitriolic, judgemental comments from people
Personally I don't like ArtLebedev design. He is thinking he is doing epoch-making thinks when he really doesn't.
I have been watching Artemiy's progress for about 8 years, he is very dynamic being - usualy coming thru with promices.
CTRL-ALT-DEL :p
This is actually a brilliant idea. 3 little keys that can tell you how many e-mail you have, news headlines, weather, or display a live tv feed. When you see that you have new e-mail...press the button. Simple, functional, intuitive. Nice!
It's actually a brilliant idea. 3 buttons that can display current information like unread e-mail, current news, stocks, weather, tv shows. When you want to see more detail/switch tasks, press the screen/button. Simple, functional and intuitive. Nice!
ART Lebedev Is my hero. Because Im Russian(live in USA) and Its always good to see great stuff from my home country. And whats with the hate?
you can find out more here...
herechapter two.
BOOOOOOOOOO!!! COP OUT! release the damn keyboard.
It'll be interesting to see how much the little thing costs, because no matter what they claim, i dont think the keyboard can be made for less than $500.
I personally would like to thank Russia and Sweden for hosting some of my favorite BitTorrent Tracker sites.
I can bet, if the news about keyboard published on first page of Art lebedev's homepage, this keyboard will be released. I've seen enough news there, promising the interesting, and it always does. What's about russians? Who were first in space? :) I hope they also release the first OLED keyboard.
At the very least, release a 25 key (5x5)pad for gaming. Thats all I really want.
Dang, I was hoping it would be a full numpad. I really need a USB numpad in the worst way. This I don't really have a use for.
really if this is coming out in february why dont they have actual pics of this?
can someone tell me where to get the engadged favourite icon? i won't show up in Opera browser... i know how to add the image i just can't find it anywhere.
Thanks
Peter
Peter McCaffrey: http://www.engadget.com/media/favicon.ico
this will SO rock! i imagine in the shown photo, the left key would open youre email program, the middle one a weather prediction webpage and the right one the media player.
Who says they are tall keys? they may well be more pad-like - maybe rise a millimeter or two above the rest of the mini-3....
--neg
Can I just put in a big fat I Told You So...
http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/08/optimus-keyboard-shipping-february-1st/#c906988
I even gave them too much credit. "8-16 keys"...heh.
Could you please stop referring Art Lebedev as a single person.
'The Art. Lebedev Studio is the largest design company in Russia, founded in 1995 by Artemy Lebedev. They create both industrial and graphic design; their motto is "Design will save the world." As of 2005, they have six principal art directors and over 100 employees.' Wikipedia
It might be just a pretty visualization, but there certainly is some real industrial design behind it.
The Optimus mini three - could be a very-very nice, and useful for me... If it'll be cheap enough.
Really, Jukka is right!
When you mention Art. Lebedev - you mention Art. Lebedev Studio - which is not very small team...
And Artemy Lebedev - is a person, a one of most well known russian designers.
Then we got Logitech on the other hand:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=9950
The full keyboard is obviously a fantasy. As far as the hardware required to build this, it doesn't exist. There is a company called NKK Switches, which has LCD Buttons called "Smartswitch" - http://www.nkksmartswitch.com/ these are small monochromatic LCD displays mounted on top of a pushbutton switch. These aren NOT OLED displays, and if there were such a market for OLED pushbutton switches, you can bet that NKK would be manufacturing them already, if the technology were available today to build such a thing. Sadly, it seems very unlikely.
While it is true that there are OLED displays small enough to fit on a pushbutton, the circuitry required to drive just one of these buttons is not a trivial thing to implement, and especially implementing it on the scale of a desktop keyboard with that many buttons placed very close together.
The original keyboard design is definately faked, as the technology doesn't really exist to even wire something like that up.
It is far more plausable that someone in Russia is pulling your leg.
yes. it is very useful and nice to see one before the fullsize keyboard.
3 keys is enough
you could make sub menu after pressing one key ;)
http://dini.ee/lj/optimus.jpg
Хочу такую клавиатуру! Где купить?
I would love to see this (would prefer the whole keyboard). The thing I notice is that of the 3 keys shown, they all have graphics depicted showing activities which can be updated them in real-time.
Would love to see this make it into a real keyboard with features such as RSS scrolling on the function keys, customizing my keyboard colors to match my backgrounds (heck, loading my backgrounds into my keys), etc...
I don't know where that picture comes from. I can't find anything about any sort of "optimus mini three" anything on Art Lebedev's site. Is there a link to the unit on Art's site? Where is it? I think this particular unit is a hoax unless I see something linking back to ArtLebedev.com stating any information about this "mini three" thing.
Oh, and for you non believers, the main page of the site does say "Good things come in small packages, Feb 1st, 2006". and on the keyboard info page it says "Look out for news February 1 on the main page.
(http://artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/)". Then in the portfolio>Design of Objects section it reads "Expecting in 2006 (http://artlebedev.com/portfolio/id/)" under the link to the Optimus Keyboard. Now anyone with half a brain would know that having those three things linked together would mean that something about the Optimus Keyboard is going to be made public on Feb 1st. Either Art is going to announce the company that is taking on the production of his design, or some other news. There are news releases (like the one found here... http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/99/jetsons-moment.html) that tell us that Art wants this unit avialable by summer time. And that means there probably won't be a release date in Feb, but that does say that announcing the company that will make the product (i.e. Logitec, Saitek, etc...) would be the news to look for on the 1st of Feb.
So, now I'll wait for the "Optimus Mini Three" from ArtLebedev.com to show up, and until I see that, I'm going to assume that Engadget's information that people posted is no longer credible in any respect.
Three keys is a bit of a dissapointment but, a full size will be insanely great for design and animation apps.
They should make a mouse with a small LCD in it.
http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus-mini/
Way to discredit people without having any proof yourself. Well now you have it.
G'day
If you look at the description page (http://artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus-mini/description/), it says the keys are 32mm x 32mm and the screens themselves are 20mm x 20mm with a resolution of 96 x 96 pixels. The device itself is 118 x 51.8 x 18 mm. Also, the screens can handle 5 frames/sec, 262000 colors, and are viewable at 160 degrees.