Optimus Maximus official press shots

For $1,490, we should -- at the very least -- expect some free press shots of the Optimus Maximus this morning, right? Good, 'cause that's all we're going to get from the design cats at Art. Lebedev Studio. No prototype, no working OLED keys, just press shots. Still, kinda dreamy eh? Cue the Chinese knockoffs... now.

Gallery: Optimus Maximus official press shots

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[Dave R @ Mar 15th 2007 12:35PM]

No kidding right?
You'd think someone is threatening their family!
I wonder what they say when they see a $250,000 Diablo driving down the street

"I could buy 10 Jettas for that price, I could buy 5 BMW's" hahaha

Its a great, new, exciting idea for a keyboard. If you can't afford it just nod your head, and move forward. Just because you can't afford it, doesn't mean it's a bad idea.

[Othello @ Mar 15th 2007 3:09AM]

I hate the bevel around the keys. That is going to be incredibly distracting. I also don't like the font for the name, nor how its squished up against the barcode logo. Minor things maybe, but a fourteen hundred dollar keyboard that only has a lifespan of 5 years ought to be absolutely perfect in every way.

[Stephen Yuan @ Mar 15th 2007 3:14AM]

First, yay, it's finally out~!

[Nick @ Mar 15th 2007 10:22AM]

aaaaaannnd... no.

[Stephen Yuan @ Mar 15th 2007 8:31PM]

There, I did. I ranked my own post a bad one~!

[J Ozer @ Mar 15th 2007 3:34AM]

$10 a key, wow... $1030 just for the keys, I guess that semi-justifies the price. They still have no excuse for delaying the thing 3 years by changing the design every week. I fail to see how ANYONE can justify a $1400 keyboard. I can understand wanting a nice input device, but for that price, I could buy 7 19" LCDs, or a 30" LCD. You could also outfit yourself with a two of the latest and greatest graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire. If you are looking at input devices, thats 140 $10 NewEgg no-name keyboards, 70 IBM Model M keyboards (the best), or 7 Logitech DiNovo Edges, DiNovo Lasers, or Microsoft 7000s. Not to mention the quite well outfitted Dell or even iMac you could purchase with that kind of cash (keyboard included ;) ). I think that this keyboard is a terrible idea, not for lack of practicality or geekiness, but simply because the price is so astronomical that not even the geekiest among us can really justify the purchase (hmmm... keyboard or a week long trip to Hawaii...)

[Rob Terry @ Mar 15th 2007 4:06AM]

This is just a keyboard. Right? I mean does it roll sushi? Warm your coffee? What? OLED? So, maybe $149.00 but that's about it.

[fenixconnektion @ Mar 15th 2007 3:42AM]

I congratulate you, Optimus Maximus keyboard, on shedding your vaporware status. Godspeed and good luck in the world.

[Nick @ Mar 15th 2007 10:24AM]

This is still a computer mock-up... it's yet to extablish itself as a real keyboard, in the real real world.

[Andrew H. @ Mar 16th 2007 11:56AM]

yeah from vaporware to PAPERware

[CL @ Mar 15th 2007 3:47AM]

I thought they said this thing will "cost around a nice cellphone", I wonder what kind of cellphone will cost $1500...2 iPhones duct tape together?!

[West Hubbard @ Mar 15th 2007 3:53AM]

Hey Calm Down!!! This is no place for young and immature people like yourself to scream about how you don't like whats being posted. I mean if you don't like it, why the hell did you read about it.

anyways...

It will actually only cost $1030 to replace every 5 years, but sadly I still won't be buying it. Hopefully in 5 Years the price will drop down to around $100.

[onin @ Mar 15th 2007 4:01AM]

Gonna try to win that lottery first lol

[PreGHz @ Mar 15th 2007 3:08PM]

Why yes, yes it does.

How about the price point now?

[Matthew Rasmussen @ Mar 15th 2007 4:14AM]

Shouldn't that be cue?

Unless you're putting them in a line, that is...

[Will Weinsoff @ Mar 15th 2007 4:34AM]

I am hoping that one of the budget keyboards they release have just the shortcut buttons and the ctrl alt windowkey/apple key are the OLED buttons most of the keyboard is not required to be oled but I would like to have it switch from an apple keyboard to a windows keyboard when i switch back and fourth between the Operating Systems. And man I hope its Sub-$200

[ZAMBONO @ Mar 15th 2007 4:46AM]

TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, LOL. OPTIMUS MAXIMUS, WHAT A JOKE. Oh and a $1500 cell, would be a Vertu.

[mrF1xIT @ Mar 15th 2007 5:00AM]

Now the real question is...

Is this thing even comfortable to type on? I'll stick with my M$ Nat Keyboard 4000

[Genome @ Mar 15th 2007 5:19AM]

Are you not entertained??

[elan @ Mar 15th 2007 6:18AM]

We can only hope for (cheap) Chinese knockoffs.

When I heard this thing would be "the price of a good cellphone", I assumed it wouldn't exceed $400-- even that would be a bit much.

[obtix @ Mar 15th 2007 7:29AM]

After waiting for this for so long I just realized something. The keys on this look identical to those on a Bloomberg trading keyboard in terms of how they rest in place. This could be very bad as that is not a fun keyboard to type on at all.

[Jonathan @ Mar 15th 2007 7:50AM]

For that price I hope the software is better than what they have for the Mini-Three. There are so many things wrong with the current software that prevents it from being truly usable.

[Jamie @ Mar 15th 2007 8:24AM]

Me: Honey, I just bought a new keyboard, I am soo excited!
Fiancee: Wow, it looks pretty, how much is it?
Me: Emmm, ur, $1400
Fiancee: Sorry, I could have sworn I heard you say 1400
Me: Yeah, you see it has OLED and it... ohhh, cmon honey! put the engagement ring back on! Honey!!

[JediFonger @ Mar 15th 2007 9:02AM]

for this price, why bother with this actual mechanical keys? why not design and sell a completely touchscreen a la star trek TNG's UI where you can re-arrange everything?

[Ken @ Mar 15th 2007 9:23AM]

I'll be willing to pick this up for the price. I know how much it takes to get off the ground with something like this.

[Chris @ Mar 15th 2007 8:33PM]

I'm going to hazard a guess that you are not married.

[MikeTLive @ Mar 15th 2007 9:42AM]

Waiting for the accessibility police to start a lawsuit because blind people cannot see the display keys.

[MichaelLC @ Mar 15th 2007 9:47AM]

I love the jaggies.

For a $1000+ keyboard, I would expect some ClearType.

[Vidikron @ Mar 15th 2007 10:02AM]

The keyboard looks awesome, IMO... I'd love to have one. But as is the case with most people, I really can't justify the price. I've got some upgrades to my home theater that need to be done which also represent a much better value.

[John22s @ Mar 15th 2007 10:25AM]

Me: Honey, I just bought a new keyboard, I am soo excited!
Fiancee: You are a flippin' nerd. Go clean the dog crap out of the backyard, now.
Me: Ok, but give me an hour to check out my sweet-ass new $1400 keyboard.
Fiancee: $1400!!! You f'n worthless piece of sh#@, where's the keys to the gun cabinet?
Me: Yeah, you see it has OLED and it... ohhh, cmon honey! put the shotgun down! Honey!!
BANG

[Jeff @ Mar 15th 2007 11:05AM]

Ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculously over-priced.

That said, I still want one.

[Aaron @ Mar 15th 2007 11:14AM]

Well, it does look nice, but not $1,490 nice.

[Gordy @ Mar 15th 2007 11:44AM]

Well, I'll buy one. If for no other reason, I'm buying for the joy of seeing the rest of you pick these up in Target 10-15 years from now.

Yep...the bleeding edge...that's where I roll. Someone has to do it.

[Naturally @ Mar 15th 2007 4:56PM]

Meh ... might as well get one. What else am I going to spend my money on.

[Zi Yue @ Mar 15th 2007 2:01PM]

Yes, you can buy 10 Jettas with what you pay for a Diablo, but the Diablo spanks the Jetta in performance. The Diablo doesn't just look cooler, it out performs the Jetta by a long mile.
Here are some stats:
Jetta: 150 HP; 0-60: too damn slow; how fast it will get you laid: uhmm.. good luck.
Diablo: 530 HP; 0-60: 3.9 secs. how fast it will get you laid: if the 3.9 secs is any indication.

So, unless Optimus Maximus can show it out-performs, which I don't see how it's possible, the best keyboard out there right now, I think we can safely conclude that the makers of Optimus Maximus are smoking crack.

[apeguero @ Mar 15th 2007 12:40PM]

"Optimus Too-Expensive-For-Me Maximus"

[rotelle3 @ Mar 15th 2007 12:45PM]

I don't know if these "press shots" are of a functional prototype, but if the typing "feel" is as good as my Matias Tactile Pro (after all, it's meant to be typed on, not just admired), I'd consider after the usual markdown to $999. For people who type for a living, the keyboard and screen are the most important tools they have, so investing $200 a year on a keyboard is not a big expense. Try developing something like this from scratch; investors want their money back WITH interest.

[Antonio @ Mar 15th 2007 1:22PM]

... and it's ready to play duke nuken forever?

[bmckim @ Mar 15th 2007 1:23PM]

you'd have to be completely brain dead to purchase such an item.

[Grace @ Mar 15th 2007 1:49PM]

So when should we be expecting an exclusive Engadget first review ?

[MrSatyre @ Mar 15th 2007 2:08PM]

This keyboard gives me a big stiffy, but I wouldn't spend even $300 on a keyboard, let alone $1500, no matter how sexy!

[Alex Whiteside @ Mar 15th 2007 2:25PM]

According to their LJ, they're also working on a cheaper version where only the ten function keys on the far left have screens, and the rest are just backlit or somesuch. Still going to be expensive, but if you want a more justifiable option when it comes to buying an absurd keyboard, it'll be there eventually.

[S @ Mar 15th 2007 3:17PM]

Oh don't you just hope it has that horrible high pitched wine that the mini 3 has as well? And you gotta love the shiny key surface...all the better to get dirty and show fingerprints. There's a reason most keyboards aren't shiny and white. Just look at your typical cell phone screen...and imagine an entire keyboard!
This is still vaporware as well- these could still be 3d mockup photos as far as anyone knows!
I would purchase this on the day it came out, if it cost $100. If they outsourced manufacturing, they could prabably mass produce oled's for a lot cheaper, and if it really costs that much, then they should have used led backlit lcds instead.

[Dudeskee @ Mar 15th 2007 3:50PM]

Boy, nothing convinces me that something exists like a 3d computer rendered image released by a company who has been repeatedly accused of producing vaporware and who keeps changing their answer to the question "When is it coming out already?"

Ah, and where are the wires? Or is this $1,500 machine powered by two double AAs and wishful thinking?

[Rick Lyon @ Mar 15th 2007 3:57PM]

$1400? Wow. haha. OK.

[Rick @ Mar 15th 2007 4:21PM]

A real keyboard is focused on typing and not reading it. That's why I love my UNICOMP keyboard with the original IBM-style buckling-spring technology. $70 and worth every cent.

[Jerusalme @ Mar 15th 2007 4:33PM]

all hype, no type

Not gooing to be connected to my computer even for 140$, let alown 1400$.

[wargarurumon @ Mar 15th 2007 5:01PM]

oh gimme, gimme, gimme
all those pretty colors, now if i only had 1500 dollars

[Ted @ Mar 15th 2007 6:35PM]

Very nice. When I was single I would have picked one up for $1500 easily. Now with a wife and kids, I'm a bit more conservative with my money.

It's unique and it's beautiful. Even if it is expensive I think they'll sell enough to recover their investment and survive to make a version 2.0.

[Stephen Yuan @ Mar 15th 2007 8:14PM]

Go Chinese Knock-off, I command you guys to make a good one with ergonomic NOW!!!