Art Lebedev Studios' Mus2 mouse

We know how you've all come to love and anticipate Art Lebedev Studios' Optimus keyboard (and to a lesser extent, the mini three), but keyed input isn't their only bag these days, it would seem. The Mus2 is a literally shaped device for all you cursor-jockeys out there that ironically doesn't look all that terribly comfortable in the hand, even despite their reassuring claims that it "doesn't cause any discomfort." And yes, the mousepad says "click," sicko.

[matt @ Feb 26th 2006 10:37PM]

i'd get a black bluetooth version for my macbook pro :)

[John Gilman @ Feb 26th 2006 10:42PM]

I would not have thought anything about the mouse pad had you not mentioned something.

Then I laughed snot on my laptop. Thanks.

[JoE 950 @ Feb 26th 2006 10:45PM]

Who cares? They look bad! (by bad i mean Fantastic!)

seriously, id hang it on my wall if it turned out to be completely unusable. oh, and regret the lost cash... ok, im not buying it....

so when does that fancy keyboard come out for the mac again? $$$

[Jack Cheng @ Feb 26th 2006 10:50PM]

I still want to see a pic that's not a rendering

[gabe @ Feb 26th 2006 11:09PM]

Why was this posted now? I saw this thing back when rumors of the optimus first started surfacing. Its really old news.

[Taylor Alexander @ Feb 26th 2006 11:23PM]

So, ummm.... wtf?
There have been plenty of mishapen computer mice, and at least some of the other have had a scroll wheel...
This doesn't make any sense anyway, since the optimus keyboard was all about increased productivity... and this is... well, just a gimmic...
-Taylor

[DT @ Feb 26th 2006 11:29PM]

Does this studio even have a product beyond the render phase? They deserve a lifetime achievement award in the vaporware category.

[bermuDa @ Feb 26th 2006 11:40PM]

looks to me like a well-manicured middle finger to anyone willing to buy it. Is there something wrong with designing a MORE efficient HID??

[eggie @ Feb 27th 2006 12:38AM]

Finally, a mouse I can stab someone with!

[ozzzy @ Feb 27th 2006 12:55AM]

#7 The lifetime achievement in vaporware should not be given to just anybody. To deserve this distinct award one must have spent 5+ years promising a product that never materializes. For example, this award is proudly bestowed by 3d Realms' Duke Nukem Forever development team, Dr. Dre for Detox, and Infinium Labs and their Phantom console platform.

[Dahk @ Feb 27th 2006 12:58AM]

LOL @ #2.
I did exactly the same thing.

you darn sick people.

[neimad @ Feb 27th 2006 1:42AM]

Art Lebedev Studios is a joke. The 'optimus' keyboard is a fantasy, and this mouse attrocity is just another half-baked attempt at hyping themselves.

The optimus is just plain fantasy. There aren't such OLED keyboard switches being manfuactured by any company, anywhere, and I feel pretty sure that Art Lebedev doesn't have the manufacturing ability to make them themselves.

They really don't deserve to be legitimized by being posted in this, or any other forum, until they have actual verified working products.

All Art Lebedev has achieved so far is to prove that a sucker really is born every minute.

[CJ @ Feb 25th 2008 4:14AM]

Bet you feel pretty stupid now

[Deluxe @ Feb 27th 2006 2:16AM]

neimad, this website is built around hype and what's new, you're a fool if you expect otherwise.

[Kevin @ Feb 27th 2006 2:53AM]

#12 Oh really? And their three key version that they released is also fantasy?
Please get your story straight before you post. Is that too much to ask?

[gristle @ Feb 27th 2006 3:49AM]

Geez some pretty narrow minded sorts here... Ever heard of the word concept??

[Nick @ Feb 27th 2006 6:44AM]

They look terribly uncomfortable, not to mention rather large too.

Sticking with my Mighty Mouse :)

[Nick @ Feb 27th 2006 8:02AM]

They should come out with one that looks like a hour-glass, etc that way I can switch out my mouse to match my current icons.

[blore40 @ Feb 27th 2006 9:21AM]

Like someone quoted a few days ago "real men use keyboard shortcuts".

Here is an idea for the likes of Mr. Torrone - hack an eyetoy to track user's eyeball and move the cursor accordingly. Users look at where they are clicking anyway. This way, we can keep our hands on the keyboard at all times instead of moving back and forth between keyboard and mouse.

[Eugene @ Feb 27th 2006 9:28AM]

"They look terribly uncomfortable, not to mention rather large too. Sticking with my Mighty Mouse :)"

Which also looks terribly uncomfortable. It's funny how people say "it's uncomfortable" about things thay haven't touched. Like PS3's gamepad. ;]

[kenny @ Feb 27th 2006 10:28AM]

i don't know...but depending how you hold this mouse...might be fine

just put 4 fingers over the arrow part on one side, and the thumb on the line part(does that make sense?)....would make the mouse okay for left and right handed people...the clicker part being the index finger...

[kevin @ Feb 27th 2006 12:29PM]

the fingernail buttons arent as appealing, maybe if they put OLED display in them =)

[Josh Glaser @ Feb 27th 2006 3:19PM]

The original Mus was better. I mean, it still had the impractical (but cool!) cursor shape, but since it only had one button, the entire mouse was a button (a la Apple Pro Mouse) and it didn't look like it had a fingernail. I think it was glossier, too.

People here who are asking if Art Lebedev has a product outside the concept phase obviously don't know much about the studio. They do more than technology design, folks. They've designed everything from lamps for banks to appliances for Samsung. The Optimus keyboard might be a "halo" concept (for now), sure - but many of their other products are very much real.

[Di @ Feb 27th 2006 4:02PM]

I like it. It looks ergonomic enough to be comfortable and it would double as a weapon. Useful if you work in the post office maybe. I wonder if TSA agents would let it on a plane?

[Misato @ Mar 10th 2006 2:49PM]

For everyone, who think that Art. Lebedev Studio is a joke, please look here: http://www.artlebedev.ru/portfolio/process/2006/03/09/

And whole this section, called "process".