Optimus 103 keyboard demands $1,200 pricetag -- yes, you read that right

For as much feature slashing and resulting public outcry involved in getting this thing out the door for a "reasonable price," it sure didn't amount to much: Art Lebedev just announce its uber-hyped Optimus 103 keyboard will debut in May of 2007 for $1,200. That's twelve hundies, for those keeping track at home, ten times the current price of the Optimus mini three 1.5. Sure, nobody expected this thing to be cheap, but $1,200 might be asking a bit much. Luckily, prices will be dropping to a "mere" sub-grand in September of 2007, and at that rate we'll be able to afford one of these things right around the time that thought-based typing becomes the input method of choice. Well, at least our dreams of keyboard heaven were fun while they lasted. If you're just crazy enough to try it, you can pre-order the keyboard on December 12th.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Ken @ Nov 29th 2006 2:31PM]

Who cares? Everyone already decided not to buy it when they killed the color. The price is just the last nail in the coffin.

[Excalibur @ Nov 29th 2006 2:32PM]

What a joke :P It could'a been a contender

[Tim Sanchez @ Nov 29th 2006 2:33PM]

That's a very nice keyboard...for me to poop on!
A $1200 keyboard should make me eggs and waffles too.

[Juices @ Nov 29th 2006 2:33PM]

You've GOT to be kidding me. Talk about over-hyped. Are they TRYING to cut their own throats?

Is it just me, or are all of the features that made this keyboard even remotely attractive gone?

No more color. No more full key. No more extra keys.

Bye bye.. good luck selling one.

[zak frazier @ Nov 29th 2006 5:04PM]

you mean over-"typed" heehee.

[T @ Nov 29th 2006 2:35PM]

what a rip-off. sony's arrogance is apparently contagious. and don't expect a lot of automatic support from software developpers, since very few people in the world will be able to get one of these at that outrageous price. and what happened to OLED? they downgraded the thing to yesterday's technology and raised the price into the stratosphere.

i used to be excited about this product.
i could have stayed excited, despite the changes, if it was going for less than $300.

apparently the studio's success has them deciding to become elitists now. it's sad.

[Christian Martin @ Nov 29th 2006 2:39PM]

HAHAHAHA no.

[apeguero @ Nov 29th 2006 2:40PM]

What a flippin' joke. Absolute vaporware if I ever saw one, and an expensive one at that too.

[Dan @ Nov 29th 2006 2:43PM]

Ooooo! This will look fantastic next to my diamond-studded mouse and ruby-laden mouse pad!

Next stop: Insolvency

[Colin @ Nov 29th 2006 2:48PM]

T - or Apple's or Verizons or etc etc etc....

Seriously...people buy BMW when a VW will do and people WILL buy this too. It just wont be down at the local Best Buy or Circuit City.

[Tachion @ Nov 29th 2006 2:50PM]

Ha!

I called it earlier this week when they nixed the color that they would still keep he ridiculous price.

I think it's safe to call this a complete failure now.

[Jeff @ Nov 29th 2006 2:57PM]

Television studios and/or other major corporations might buy this, if some use can be developed for it which is down-right critical. I can't see casual users buying one. At the very least, I don't WANT to see casual users buying one. $1.2k is insane. Absolutely insane.

And Juices is absolutely right. The features which made this attractive ARE gone.

[Seung-Hwan @ Nov 29th 2006 3:09PM]

People who buy BMW do not buy 1200 dollar keyboards.
Perhaps people with Ferraris and Aston Martins... maybe if they were the "new money" and were not pragmatic, they'd do it but come on... BMWs are not that expensive you know?
And please, VW does not do what a BMW does.
If you are strictly talking about transportation, subways do many things better than a Ferrari... who cares?
Automobiles are more than just wherewithal for people to get to places.
They're status symbols, some men's ultimate toy, hobby, and so on.

[Jeff O'Hara @ Nov 29th 2006 3:10PM]

Give Art Lebedev studios some credit here. It's not their fault that the technology required to make these things has not fallen in pricing, ie OLED displays. People are calling this vaporware, but these people have a track record of bring real products to market and working with some big name companies with their design. They came out with the 3 button display as a precursor. I bet you they are more anoid with the prices of OLED than we are with them coming out with their product. Pricing of OLED displays is the single factor of why these things are going to be expensive, and they can't take a loss on these things like a bigger company could do in order to get them out the door.

[Richard @ Nov 29th 2006 3:19PM]

I thought they had axed the oled displays?

[helio9000 @ Nov 29th 2006 6:17PM]

Sorry I disagree that Art Lebedev �deserves credit here�. The stuff they have done for other people is somewhat cool but, from what I can tell, all of their Studio products have been way overplayed and more about getting attention than they are about function. (Probably to score enough attention to keep getting paying jobs.)

Yeah they came out with the button pad. Call me a cynic but personally, I was surprised they made it that far. Then I read reviews which noted that the usable functions were far, far below what was promised and it started to make some sense. It has been obvious for months that this product is same thing - fantastic promise vs harsh reality.

It would be one thing if it were monochrome because the color version would have cost $1,200. However, the fact that first they cut the color and then come out at this absurd price makes it all too obvious that the full color version wasn�t remotely feasible for them from the very beginning. Hey it is still a great idea but call it a flagship concept or studio showpiece and be upfront about it! Don�t be churn out well-timed and tantalizing press releases without being honest about what you are up to. Don�t be coy at all and pretend even slightly that you are bringing magic to the masses!

On a side note, is it possible at all to temper the amount of press this sort of place gets? I think it is funny that Engadget calls this thing �uber hyped� since they have pretty much posted the various glowing press releases straight Lebedev itself. Engadget, you are great and I realize that this is an all-time-gadget-dreamy-the-way-the-world-should-be product and that you can�t comment editorially on everything...BUT it would be nice if once and a while you could at least acknowledge when you have played a big part in the �uber hyping� of something. Especially when, as in this case, it is clear (ages ago IMHO) that said �uber hyped� object was more about scoring press than manufacturing a really useful product. Lebedev & Co. could care less what I think of these shenanigans but a bit of restraint from the likes of you might talk some sense into them. Just a thought.

Full disclosure � Already been drinking Lebedev hateraid

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/19/here-comes-the-upravlator/2#comments

[Don Wilson @ Nov 29th 2006 3:16PM]

They killed the color on the keyboard? That's friggin insane.

[diulei @ Nov 29th 2006 3:19PM]

Ha! Shooting themselves in the foot indeed. Or perhaps heart.

And this keyboard != BMW. Unless BMWs were $50K vehicles with no AC or ABS, etc.

[NHAnimator @ Nov 29th 2006 3:22PM]

You guys can naysay all you want. I'm having one installed on my Segway. Oh wait... I didn't but one of those either.

[Baffled @ Nov 29th 2006 3:23PM]

So... I'm confused here.

I was under the impression that Art Lebedev was a company that wanted to make money off of its products?

Since when does (slashing almost all useful/cool features and technologies) + (charging WAY to frigging much) + (overhyping the sh*t out of your product, then not delivering on what you promised) = profit?

[andy @ Nov 29th 2006 3:42PM]

"Baffled @ Nov 29th 2006 3:21PM

Since when does (slashing almost all useful/cool features and technologies) + (charging WAY to frigging much) + (overhyping the sh*t out of your product, then not delivering on what you promised) = profit?"


since Sony launced the PS3. ZING!!!!

[binaryvisions @ Nov 29th 2006 3:24PM]

No, Colin, your comparison isn't even close. The people who buy a BMW when a VW will do are buying Logitec G15s for 5x the cost of a normal keyboard. I myself have a nice Saitek Eclipse because I find it comfortable, simple and compact and I spend a lot of time on the computer and type very quickly, so a nice keyboard is meaningful.

This keyboard is more like someone buying a 150hp Ferrari for $150k because it's got some nice body styling and was "handcrafted." Only the car at least would be a status symbol, which would be the only reason to buy it.

They killed all the features that excited people and then priced themselves into the stratosphere. They might sell a small handful to the idiots who also bought a PS3 on eBay for $3500 to avoid waiting a few weeks, but I doubt even that will happen. It's unfortunate, but this keyboard, instead of being a pricy bit of electronics that a lot would simply consider to be an expensive indulgence, will be a total flop.

Hopefully a larger manufacturer can pick up the idea and produce it at a lower cost. I'm disappointed. The Optimus could have been a neat item, but $1,200 is simple insanity.

[Colin @ Nov 29th 2006 3:24PM]

Seung Hawn

BMW = $121 000 Most expensive
VW = $40 000 Most expensive

[PreGHz @ Nov 29th 2006 3:33PM]

Colin,

A Volkswagon Phaeton has a base price of $96,700USD for the W12 model.

I hate to be nit-picky, but hey, you're off by a lot.

[SL @ Nov 29th 2006 3:25PM]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

[Tavis Veighey @ Nov 29th 2006 3:29PM]

OK That tears it. I do not want any keyboard, or any product from them, ever! That is the final lie! They stated many MANY times that it would be the price of a good cell phone. Now name a Cell Phone that costs $1200 that is NOT jewel encrusted, rare, pre-release on ebay, or a one of a kind!

Buying a B&W LCD or OLED keyboard for $1,200 is like putting a cheap crappy sounding surround sound system in a Pinto, and selling it as a premium Sound system!

There is keeping the public informed about a project, and there is getting our hopes up just so that they can sell a product at an inflated price!

If they had not "Kept us informed" then there would Be guarantee that NONE of the B&W keyboards would sell at the $1,200 price-tag! This is Bait & switch & switch & switch & switch & switch & switch & switch marketing!

They should have NEVER giving any hits about pricing if they were not SURE that they could come CLOSE! This is easily 4 to 5 times the price range they originally told us. I could see if they were a couple hundred higher than the estimate (Maybe a high end price of around $600.00) But this is not even on the same planet as the original price range!

I was all geeked for this, however I would rather get a PS3(Ewww) off of eBay or a new dual or quad core laptop!

This stunt tells me that this dream keyboard is nothing more than an overpriced price of computer bling. There is no way that the performance of this keyboard is worth the $1200 price-tag.

[PreGHz @ Nov 29th 2006 3:42PM]

Also, forgot to mention.

The flagship BMW 750Li has a base price of $75,800USD.

Less than the Phaeton.

Comparisons don't fit the situation.

[Loonie @ Nov 29th 2006 3:36PM]

Buy one now and get a free 2 x X1950 crossfire Athlon FX-60 gaming rig!

[Colin @ Nov 29th 2006 4:45PM]

Hey...

I was comparing prices of cars currently available for sale in the US. The Phaeton was discontinued in North America in October. Thus I didn't include it.

Also...

The BMW I quoted (their flagship is the 760 not 750) is right from their website: The 760 Li Sedan has a STARTING price of $121,400 http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/7/760lisedan/default

So I know you want to not be nit picky...but you are correcting me with wrong info

If it makes everone feel better say BMW and Yugo then.

[hspirate @ Nov 29th 2006 3:43PM]

H-Y-P-E

do they think they will really sell any of these???

[SHOTT3R @ Nov 29th 2006 3:56PM]

Hahaha
Hahahahahaha
HAAAAAAAhaha
*breath*
AHAHAHAhaaaaa
ha
ha
*whew*

They won't sell ONE

[Barrald @ Nov 29th 2006 3:58PM]

I think this might be a sarcastic joke...
just throwing that out there for people to think about before they get too worked up.

[bluemonq @ Nov 29th 2006 4:12PM]

You know, originally they were a design company and this was just another design concept. It wasn't until so many people clammored about wanting one that they even tried to produce it.

See, it's all your consumerist asses fault. If it stayed a concept, it could have been a nice dream. You all killed it!

j/k

[DoubtfulSalmon @ Nov 29th 2006 4:26PM]

OK, I've read through all the comments so far on this story and I've gotta say, the only thing that didn't surprise me is the price of the Optimus keyboard.

What we have here is a whole heap of whining and complaining and flaming from what seems to me to be the "entitlement" generation. "I want a 113 key keyboard with full colour oled displays on every single keys (even the keys for which putting a display would be illogical) and I want full featured open sourced drivers for my mac and my pc and windows and dos and linux and my kitchen sink on release day, and I want to pay no more than $99.95 and..."

I want and I want and I want and I want and I want and I want.

No-one seems to *understand* what goes in to designing and designing-for-manufacture and sourcing components and manufacturing and shipping and selling a product so innovative as this. Complex consumer-electronics projects built from scratch like this are *phenomenally* expensive. No-one seems to care that at $1200 / unit they're probably making a mind-bogglingly big loss on the first ten thousand units and that they probably had to beg and plead and sign over their first born children to their accountants just to be allowed to run with this.

These guys have been honest and open and up-front *all* the way through the development process. They're good guys taking a massive risk with a very innovative product.

And what thanks do they get from the entitlement generation? "I'm out", "Are they mad", "Are they fucking serious?", "Smoking crack", "Ridiculous", "monochrome only - forget it", "no-one will pay for this", "I want", "I want", "I want", "I want", "I want", "I want", "I want"

Then there's the tosser who is convinced that the whole world thinks like him. "I cannot afford this amount of money, therefore *no-one* will buy this product". Moron.


Frankly, you entitlement kiddies are a bunch of wankers ("wank" = Australian slang for "masturbate"). Screw you all. You go to hell and you die.

[suntiger @ Nov 29th 2006 4:36PM]

Wank is British slang, dude. Moreover, most of the Internet knows what it means already.

[Blog Jones @ Nov 29th 2006 6:44PM]

Dude, the customer only cares about the product and the price. The customer does _not_ care what kind of crap you had to go through to bring the product to market.

$1,200 for a keyboard is too much money. It's not a good value, even for something cool like this. Even for a color version that was everything they promised when they first announced this product.

It's not a matter of the "entitlement generation." It's a matter of value vs. cost. It's not _worth_ $1,200.

[Lebeu @ Nov 29th 2006 4:36PM]

Hah, Barrald beat me to it...

[shirizaki @ Nov 29th 2006 4:46PM]

I can't wait to plug this into my Phantom Game Console!!!!

[sethx @ Nov 29th 2006 4:50PM]

theyre crazy. i would never have payed that much for a color version. go figure for a bland b/w version.

art lebedev needs to get a brain or two under maintainance.

[PreGHz @ Nov 29th 2006 5:07PM]

You can still buy a Phaeton.

You have to preorder a 760Li.

[PreGHz @ Nov 29th 2006 5:10PM]

Dude... and Yugos don't suck.

Just kidding.

MCoupe and a Geo Metro.

[Nova @ Nov 29th 2006 5:10PM]

Damn. 1200 BUCKS! and not possible to play movie on it? For big crazy geek only...

[dunzhao @ Nov 29th 2006 5:11PM]

For that price, i will buy a 30" ACD and cut it into little pieces and just enjoying it~

[Wuju @ Nov 29th 2006 5:27PM]

Design keyboard concept that everyone wants.....$1000
Place internet ads and articles to generate buzz for your company and product...$2500
Remove all the cool features from your product days before announcing preorders...-$2000
Announce pricing for buzz product- Optimus 103 keyboard 1@$1200
Driving your business into the ground while the world laughs hysterically..... Priceless

[Rioku @ Nov 29th 2006 5:28PM]

It all comes down to the terrible designers.
I had an e-mail conversation with one of them before the 3 came out and he was a complete jerk. He said things to the affect, �I am designing it, I can do what I want"... it does not surprise me that it is so expensive and no one wants it. It is sad such a good idea has gone to waste.

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 29th 2006 5:29PM]

What a joke. This whole thing is a joke. Such a good design yet suck screwy engineering. Failures, nothing but total failures.

[The Downer @ Nov 29th 2006 5:42PM]

Leave it to Art Lebedev to create a revolutionary way to let everybody down.

[Ulrich @ Nov 29th 2006 6:25PM]

I can't really believe this is true.. they even specifically said (check the "Answers" Section) that:

-It�s in the initial stage of production.
-We hope it will be released in 2006.
-It will cost less than a good mobile phone.

[Mark @ Nov 29th 2006 6:40PM]

Colin, a Volkswagen Toureag costs over $60K, a Volkswagen Phaeton is over $100k. In Europe, they cost even more.

[Juaquin @ Nov 29th 2006 7:40PM]

What a way to shoot yourself in the foot. I'm not paying $1200 for vaporware!