Optimus-103 keyboard pre-orders start December 12

Reporting on the Optimus-103 keyboard is rapidly becoming one of our guilty pleasures -- guilty because the Optimus guys seem averse to giving us anything more than tiny nuggets of information at a time, and pleasure because... well, we shouldn't have to explain why the Optimus-103 is intriguing to us. The latest piece of news from the Optimus project is an announcement that the company will be taking pre-orders for the Optimus-103 on December 12. That will hopefully also mean an unveiling of the price, and if we're lucky, some specifications for the keyboard. We're not getting our hopes up though, because these guys could reveal nothing and still fill their pre-order slots.

[Via Slashgear]

[Tyler @ Nov 18th 2006 9:18PM]

are they planning to update the iTunes logo?

[Jason Gold @ Nov 18th 2006 9:18PM]

looks cool, but the iTunes icon is for iTunes 6, not iTunes 7

[Tyler @ Nov 18th 2006 9:21PM]

great minds think alike eh? :P

[Rootay @ Nov 18th 2006 9:21PM]

http://community.livejournal.com/optimus_project/8800.html

are they really gettin rid of those 11 keys on the side!

[MrPumpernickel @ Nov 18th 2006 9:44PM]

And perhaps more importantly, have they fixed the problems with color and quality loss in the keys? The small version they released as somewhat of a preview some time ago had that problem that after not too long time of usage colors (first yellow if I remember correctly) started to fade more and more in the keys. Would be a shame if that's not fixed on this, considering that the sale price isn't anywhere near what a regular keyboard lands at, so you would expect that you're getting what you pay for at least.

[embee @ Nov 19th 2006 12:18AM]

I have a sinking feeling it's not Mac-compatible

[Dave Parks @ Nov 19th 2006 3:16AM]

re: mac compatibility

My guess would be that it's a distincy possibility

http://community.livejournal.com/optimus_project/9121.html

[Michael @ Nov 19th 2006 12:54AM]

Sounds great. Just too bad it's probably going to be a wired keyboard. I don't think I could ever go back to a wired keyboard again.

[Michael @ Nov 19th 2006 12:56AM]

Oh wait I was wrong, it is wireless. Excellent.

[shaninho @ Nov 19th 2006 12:55AM]

@embee

Actually I think they may have mac compatibility. My Russian's rusty (read: I don't know a single word), but their website has a picture with the good ol' command key.

[Dave Pevsner @ Nov 19th 2006 12:58AM]

it will be mac compatible. i'm pretty sure the mini 3 is, and even if the 103 isn't, it attaches itself as mass storage and stores all the key icons so you can still take advantage of custom designs.

[embee @ Nov 19th 2006 12:30PM]

mini 3 not mac compat. hence my worries. otherwise, stick the 103 with a mac-mini and you'd have some unstoppable hawt-ness.

[K-Zone @ Nov 19th 2006 1:18AM]

believe me, it will be mac compatible. mr. Lebedev use mac himself.

[iceman2929 @ Nov 19th 2006 1:19AM]

they also need to updat the IE logo, thats for ie 6 not IE7, haha all u firefox users missed that one hahaha

[ATT @ Nov 19th 2006 1:56AM]

bah i stay away from anything wireless if your a gamer.
i guess for office use or Media player lag infested keyboard is ok

hope they make a model like the Microsoft Natural Keyboard

[Evan Evans @ Nov 19th 2006 2:26AM]

Gamer. Ha! Like it's a freakin' profession. You losers are so funny. Gamer. (shakes head and rolls eyes).

Just call em Game Fanatics or obsessed person's with no life. Let's get real.

[aalqadaffi @ Nov 19th 2006 3:06AM]

I like it! I want it!

[willyolio @ Nov 19th 2006 3:09AM]

"looks cool, but the iTunes icon is for iTunes 6, not iTunes 7"
"a picture with the good ol' command key."
"they also need to updat the IE logo, thats for ie 6 not IE7"

you guys DO realize that the entire point of this keyboard is that you can change the icons and keys at a whim, right?

[fredo412 @ Nov 19th 2006 4:10AM]

I was looking at buying a new keyboard. I was really planning on buying Logitech's new Dinovo Edge keyboard, which I must say is one of the sleekest out there. I remember seeing this keyboard a long time ago, but now that it's going to be released soon, maybe I might wait. This thing is going to be crazy expensive, Logitech's Dinovo Edge is already $200, how much will this possibly cost?!

[Morpheus Says @ Dec 6th 2006 3:03PM]

$1200.00 - believing or not

[LR @ Nov 19th 2006 4:30AM]

GOD i hope they ship internationally!!! saw this in T3 mag or sumthing about a year ago ( thats why the itunes logo is so old, because it is an old photo) looks amazing but the price and durability of mini lcd screens being smashed by giant-by-comparison fingers make me weary.

[Alex M @ Nov 19th 2006 4:32AM]

Digg It

http://digg.com/gadgets/Optimus_Keyboard_Pre_orders_on_12_12/

[Ignacio @ Nov 19th 2006 9:42AM]

@ willyolio: And you do realize the reason that was mentioned was to point out that this keyboard has been "in the works" _forever_?

[ozi @ Nov 19th 2006 1:21PM]

well if its inexpensive why not, it looks really nice!

[Revrant2394 @ Nov 19th 2006 2:54PM]

I'll stick to my superb Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 thanks.

This has always been a fascinating idea, at it's price and with it's problems it's going to be novelty for a while, but it's entirely possible that it will be a standard one day, much like Wireless or Function keys.

[dalle @ Nov 19th 2006 2:58PM]

That they have old logos dosent mather as u program the keys urself

[Mark @ Nov 19th 2006 3:11PM]

Looks like a great keyboard, but I'm used to a split-designed keyboard. The non-split keyboards are too cramped for me now.

Once this is released in a split-design, I'm all over it. But for now, since it isn't, I can't see myself being able to use it.

[john @ Nov 19th 2006 4:57PM]

can you put a big picture of porn on your key board?

[tekdroid @ Nov 19th 2006 5:18PM]

I'm not a fan of over-complicating (and over-pricing) what should be a simple, cheap device.

To me, the same thing can be accomplished with transparent keys with a little slit on each key to accept slide-in paper squares. Sure, it won't glow in the dark. But chances are it can be seen in the bright light a lot better. (it can be made to glow with simple modification, anyway...far less expensive than a small display on each key.

To make things easier on the masses, you could bundle a dedicated printing application. All you need to do then is cut into little squares where the dotted lines are. Slide paper into each key's slit. Re-configure your 'dedicated' keys in software. Done.

And no tears if/when the keyboard/ dedicated keypad fails. A future version could use e-ink that requires no power and backlight to stay on.

I prefer wired keyboards to wireless, too. Sure, wireless is handy sometimes, but not as my main device.

[Matthew Meta @ Nov 19th 2006 10:58PM]

Do you look at your keys when you type? What's the point of this? Absolutely none...

[Kris @ Nov 19th 2006 11:40PM]

Deep down, we all know this product is destined for failure. I would bet the farm that it will be riddled with shortcomings and compromises if it even makes to market at all. The technology just isn't there to build these commercially at a reasonable pricepoint.

Wait for Logitech to figure it out. Speaking of which, how about a new G15 w/ color LCD. Am I right?

[Tom @ Nov 29th 2006 6:41PM]

And the question we all await the answer to:

How long will it take for the "keyboard saver" programs
to start to arrive for linux?

Since at least 80% of open source code (by volume) is
screensavers, can keyboard savers be far behind? :-).

[Smg @ Jan 31st 2007 2:09PM]

I'm growing sorta bored about this keyboard late. It's surly very nice and everybody would like to have one but after having seen the iphone nothing avoids me to think that a keyboard with that touchscreen technology would be able to be available before Optimus-103.