While we haven't quite managed to whip ourselves and others into quite as much of a frenzy as the
Optimus series has previously garnered, the
Upravlator still is looking pretty hot, and now we know exactly how it's looking thanks to an exclusive pic of the device we just got in our inbox. Like we said
yesterday, it's a 12-button device, with a top-left button that switches context for the rest of the buttons. We've gotta admit we're a fan of this color swatch idea pictured above, and we're guessing there should be plenty more fun uses for the unit once some developers get ahold of the SDK. Of course, there's still no word on price or availability, that would be way too
easy, but we have to say this little thing is shaping up quite nicely. Be sure to peep a couple more functions after the break.
UPDATE: Good news, folks. Art Lebedev finally
updated their main site with the full low-down on the Upravlator. Turns out the unit is a whole 10.8-inch, 640 x 480 LCD, with the 12 transparent buttons slapped on top. Every button has four contacts, and can be activated left, right, up or down, or pressed in the middle for a fith function.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kevin Mogee @ Oct 19th 2006 11:47AM
Sweet looking device. Not sure what it should be called, but Upravlator is not it. C'mon Art, give us something we can pronounce. My guess for MSRP: $499.00 USD
Loneguitarist @ Oct 19th 2006 11:47AM
Nice - using it for graphic stuff there but I could see great uses in music tech and video stuff. Would make kick-ass MIDI controller
Keith @ Oct 19th 2006 11:52AM
Looks pretty hot.
peej @ Oct 19th 2006 11:57AM
wow! how revolutionary... buttons.
Just messing around, it does look pretty cool but I bet it's gonna be over a grand.
Zach @ Oct 19th 2006 12:10PM
$250 is my guess.
$350 for the optimus.
fs @ Oct 19th 2006 12:10PM
yes, it looks good and stuff, but isn't it actually less funcional and probably as (or more) expensive as a touch sensitive lcd? I mean, with a secondary, touch sensitive, lcd screen and the apropriate software, you would have more functionality than this thing because there wouldn't be a 12 "button" limit....
peej @ Oct 19th 2006 1:10PM
don't underestimate the benefits of tactile feedback that buttons can give. Touch screens don't feel as nice as a good button press.
spencer hudson @ Oct 19th 2006 12:20PM
what's the point of this device - you can get a 10" touch screen for 120 from ebay - you can then create all the functionality you want - group the buttons in a different way.
It does look good - but you've got to wonder why bring to market something that already exists - the only down side to the touch screen is you don't get the tactile feed back - but they are working on that
number40one @ Oct 19th 2006 1:33PM
how 'bout YOU make one, and then ship it out to me?
There's something to be said for a standardized button layout, as well as tactile feedback when working meticulously.
electro^plankton @ Oct 19th 2006 12:21PM
^^^
I agree. Couldn't you do this thru software with a touchscreen?
Eric @ Oct 22nd 2006 3:05AM
Tactile feedback is the sole reason this is being made.
vinegar @ Oct 19th 2006 12:22PM
oh yeah that'd be great for colour swatched. just wonderful. now in addition to calibrating my two real monitors, i'll have to calibrate 9 little monitors. fantastic.
b @ Oct 19th 2006 12:28PM
12
Julian @ Oct 19th 2006 12:34PM
Looks great for Lineage shortcuts
Tony Bowman @ Oct 19th 2006 12:38PM
it's one monitor to calibrate.and there's no need for it to be touch sensitive. it looks like a standard cheap LCD, with a raised frame around it to hold the raised buttons, which hides standard(cheap) switch electronics.
i bet all the magic is in the driver/SDK.
i'm definitely interested in this for the second display for my laptop. just hope it comes in DVI flavor.
Enzo @ Oct 19th 2006 12:51PM
That does look cool, but I would only buy it if it were in the $500 or under range.
Jeff Lewis @ Oct 19th 2006 12:52PM
Wouldn't it have been simpler and cheaper to take a 5" or 7" LCD and stick a touch screen in front of it add a minimal linux miniboard to drive it - then just draw the buttons on the screen?
Then you could have any pattern of keys in any shape...
It seems like this is becoming kind of a silly product...
Jay @ Oct 19th 2006 1:03PM
This seems like a kind of 'Playschool' concept. I mean, how much time will you save? Instead of reaching with your mouse pointer and clicking a button, now you'll have to reach out with your hand.
snife @ Oct 19th 2006 1:26PM
gotta agree with peej - ever tried typing on an onscreen keyboard on a touchscreen? not nice
larry @ Oct 24th 2006 5:12PM
Silly. This is a solution looking for a problem...
Jason @ Oct 19th 2006 1:33PM
Also you wouldn't need to color calibrate this, you'd see the color on your calibrated monitor.
Reginald @ Oct 19th 2006 1:39PM
Doesn't every fast food joint in America have something that looks almost like that for taking orders, and with more squares?!
Now kids at home can make pretend their favorite fast-food chain order-taking clerk.
james @ Oct 19th 2006 1:43PM
i already have something like this and it is really awesome, it helps a ton when i am editing and working in photoshop. it just has tons more of those tactile buttons, but not with lcd's. it's called a keyboard, and it might not be very pretty to look at, but then again i dont look at it, i look at what i am doing. and i can customize the shortcuts already, pretty nifty..
Wonderboy @ Oct 19th 2006 1:48PM
Hey James, can you hook me up with one of those, sounds pretty amazing. Did you make it yourself or is there a company that actually makes these "keyboards"?
Engadget should do a piece on this revolutionary input device.
RyanTV @ Oct 19th 2006 1:56PM
now the real question is why does he have time to make this thing when the Optimus keyboard has yet to ship to anyone. I think I'd rather have the keyboard than this...
Jesse @ Oct 19th 2006 1:56PM
You guys are comparing apples to oranges. This is more of a keypad than a monitor. A majority of computer users out there use their keyboards without even looking at the keys. If you had a touchscreen instead of a keypad, this ability would be tough. Touchscreens probably have a shorter life than a keypad would.
I see applications in CAD design, vehicular uses, gaming uses, and the list goes on.
Petar Smilajkov @ Oct 19th 2006 2:21PM
As far as I know, in Russian Upravlator = Controller... Get used to it :)
helio9000 @ Oct 19th 2006 2:49PM
As cool as all of Lebedev's computer stuff is I'm surprised at the constant love for him since, from what I can tell, they have basically just released a series of jpgs. I'm curious....has anyone ever taken actual possesion of any of these things?
Wait! I apologize, I found a xbitslabs review of the little guy:
http://tinyurl.com/yh8ueq
"The current version of Optimus mini Configurator boasts very scarce features that are much less impressive than what they promised us before the launch in the marketing and promo materials."
>>
Hmmm, now THAT isn't surprising...
Dustin Earnhardt @ Oct 19th 2006 3:11PM
Yeah, if they can deliver on the promises of this thing, I'm sold. I could imagine all sorts of great uses for this thing, especially in home automation.
Jeff @ Oct 19th 2006 3:12PM
Again with the optomistic pricing from people. There's no way this will retail for less than $1000.
And on a personal note, I can't think of anything I would do with one of these. I already know all the photoshop shortcuts, and it couldn't be positioned close enough to either of my hands to be useful in games.
thr33face @ Oct 19th 2006 3:16PM
i knew i should have patented that webdesign concept i did in january.
Chris @ Oct 19th 2006 3:24PM
Think about video editing and music mixing - it needs to be a lot more responsive than a touchcreen to mix realtime effects.
This is going to be key.
Rick Burns @ Oct 19th 2006 3:27PM
Wow, this could be the world's most expensive "Simon" game
teo @ Oct 19th 2006 3:43PM
Art is clueless. Looks pretty, but either the funtion is wrong or the target is wrong, one or the other. Telling us that this device is only for 5 year olds, but then those marketing pictures have nothing to do that a 5 year old would be interested in. "Render Scene Dialog", yea that's really part of a 5 year old vocabulary.
AvidDude @ Oct 19th 2006 4:13PM
So how is this revolutionary to me as an editor? Been at it almost 20 years now and I don't see this replacing my mouse/KB/Tablet combo thanks very much.
Rand @ Oct 19th 2006 4:15PM
I wonder how many buttons it will have when it gets to market. Ummmmm THREE!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!??? I'm sorry isn't this thing the Optimus Keyboard sorry Mini but with 12 larger keys, bigger OLED LCDs, hence easier to make and generally less impressive? How many ways is this guy going to slice the same idea until he finally comes up with something he can produce?
kevin @ Oct 19th 2006 4:45PM
ooh, 3D Studio Max. I like the gauges, it would make a nice HUD for gaming, maybe a good Media Center UI, one button for favorite channels, or shows, or whatever.
Supa @ Oct 19th 2006 5:04PM
So it appears that each button actually handles input from each bezel and the main button, so it's actually 60 inputs...that actually makes this thing seem a lot more useful...
Rob @ Oct 19th 2006 5:08PM
I can see there being a pretty mean game of "Simon" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%28game%29 played on this thing.
The Downer @ Oct 19th 2006 5:17PM
I can see it being used for audio mixing and midi sequencing. Hell, even as a cool control interface for a media center as Kevin mentioned, if for nothing but the novelty and bragging rights. Other than that, it would be just wasteful.
@Julian: People still play Lineage???
Juaquin @ Oct 19th 2006 5:27PM
Why not buy four minis and slap them together?
Ohhhh
That's exactly what they did.
I'll wait for the keyboard, but really, I'll never be able to afford the damn thing anyways.
Johannes Vinke @ Oct 19th 2006 6:17PM
Lemmehaveone
PLEEEEEEEEEEAAASE!!!!!
TVGenius @ Oct 19th 2006 6:37PM
Looks like the most idiot-proof video switcher I've ever seen...
Lt_Ladle @ Oct 19th 2006 9:53PM
I don't know why everyone is bashing this. So it would be easier to buy your own stuff, make it yourself, and program it?
yeah thats not gonna quite be so practical, and it almost definitely won't turn out as good as this.
This looks really useful for people who do video/music/graphic design etc.
NicleT @ Oct 19th 2006 9:59PM
Great looking! But when it's time to clean the device... finally a touchscreen might be more versatile.
Mike @ Oct 20th 2006 7:20AM
You people still think it makes you look cool to bash products you never even tried or understood. Well here's news: It doesn't. If you think it's so easy to do such stuff in software on a cheap touchscreen LCD then DO IT and come back then to compare it to the Upravlator.
Mike
Ryan D. @ Oct 20th 2006 11:17AM
I don't get it? I mean, forgive my inability to see beyond how purty it is, but.. buttons? It's just.. buttons?
Honestly, my interest was piqued by the name because I thought it said "Here comes that Utahraptor"..
Craigermike @ Oct 20th 2006 1:58PM
Sooory people...I still don't know what heck this thing does? Any suggestions beyond it looking cool?
frank @ Oct 20th 2006 5:58PM
Vertical markets. That's what it's all about.
To the average consumer, this is completely useless. But so are the devices that UPS guys carry around. I happen to think tablet PC's are useless too. But someone, somewhere, in some very specific industry is using one right now and it suits the job perfectly.
People have already pointed out that the primary advantage of this over a traditional touch screen is the addition of tactile feedback, which can be pretty important if you're using it all day. I can deal with a touchscreen on ATM or an airport kiosk but I sure as hell wouldn't want to type on one all day.
Sounds like the designer has serious case of Kamenitis (the disease where you think your invention is going to totally revolutionize the world). It's cool but it's utility is limited to a small audience.
Rog @ Oct 20th 2006 9:53PM
Another solution looking for a problem?