Optimus Maximus OLEDs finally tested

Funny, after a first-wave sellout of their Optimus Maximus keyboards, we kinda figured that a "first test" of those OLED keys would have occurred before now. Au contraire my pirate-patched friends. A video of just one of those 113 keys (the spacebar, apparently) has been published showing RGB in all the glory you could expect from a 10.1 x 10.1-mm, 48 x 48 pixel display. Let's just hope they can somehow dampen the Johnny Cash-era freight train effect before these units ship. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Fantastico]

[L. Cyphre @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:23AM]

...What the hell was that.

[Garrett @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:30AM]

Blue seem kinda weak to anybody else?

[nih @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:43AM]

You mean compared to red/green? Because I doubt anything looks weak next to that demo taken as a whole.

[Mike Cerm @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:53AM]

It's probably just a white balance thing. The red and green were blindingly bright, the green on the board was a little over-saturated, and the presumably silver solder points looked red.

Don't worry about blue. You should totally be able to use this keyboard for a year at least before the blue starts to fade. (Actually, by the time these things ship, which is probably still a long way off, blue OLED technology will be much more mature.)

[tchiseen @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:35AM]

wait wait, lemme go get $1000 right now because i really really want that little light. hold on,

[Craig @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:02AM]

WOW look at the pwetty liiiights!
how about showing some letters or pictures? it might just be somewhat useful for a keyboard...

[Juaquin @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:03AM]

Well at least they're trying to turn vaporware into real (albeit extremely overpriced) hardware. Although the fact that they're only displaying 3 solid colors isn't too inspiring, and the colors didn't even look even.

[simjim @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:20AM]

OMG what a POS!

[Revrant2394 @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:24AM]

The heck is so impressive about that? I've been following this thing since it was vaporware and I still don't see why it'd be useful outside of Photoshop usage.

[matt @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:51AM]

If (and I stress IF) it worked like the original concept drawings, a keyboard like that would have been great for video editing... you could set up context sensitive keys that changed their appearance based on what you were doing. It would be extremely handy.

As it sits, not so much.

[nih @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:13AM]

It'd be worth it for a full-keyboard animation or visualiser while you typed, but yeah. That's about it for the coolness factor now I'm afraid.

[David @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:14AM]

For anyone who uses computers professionally, and is dependent on massive use of shortcuts in a large number of programs (CAD, visualization, video editing, graphic design...); it would be a blessing. If you only play WoW, write letters in Word, and edits your family photos in PS; not so much.

[Carlton @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:44PM]

I use computers professionally (CAD and such) and can tell you, you learn shortcuts very fast, and they work on any keyboard, any computer, without paying an obscene amount of money on a keyboard.

[Ryan P @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:53AM]

I like my spacebars slightly wider. ....I just looked down and there is nothing written on my spacebar anyway....

[shmengie @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:24AM]

can't believe i (or someone else) haven't/hasn't brought this up before: if this thing ever gets released, will it open up a new world of keyboard viruses? hey, how's come my keyboard spells out viagra.com?

[brian welch @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:08AM]

Gak, dude, shut up! Not so loud, the moron spammers might hear and get an idea.

[Tony @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:37AM]

I think I'll post a video of me turning a torch on and off, pointed at a camera and say it's Sony's new HDTV or something. It'll be just as informative and interesting as that video.

[Alexander @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:55AM]

No Linux support == no sale from me.

[Ellianth @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:39AM]

Unfinished product == no sale for me.

[Alexander @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:46AM]

Also a very good point. It's only taking so long as they are an 'art' firm, and they are more interested in making it look pretty than they are in making it quickly.

[Carlton @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:44PM]

Absolutely ludicrous price for a keyboard == no sale for me

[Dave @ Aug 5th 2007 9:34AM]

Keyboard that induces seizures = no sale for me

[Alexander @ Aug 6th 2007 9:46AM]

There has been a lot of good comments, but I would like to debunk a few:

1. 'unfinished' product. Of course it's unfinished--the development blog should have given that away. Don't buy 1.0 products, or .01 products.

2. high price of a keyboard. If you would have read the blog, you can purchase just the keyboard with static (non-display) keys. Then, when you have extra funds, you can purchase the keys from them. If you don't purchase 1.0, you should have plenty of time to save up for version 2 of the keyboard with all the keys you want.

3. Seizures. The screens are not 'flickering' and if you can use a LCD then you can use this keyboard. The screens are actually pretty high-res for what they are. It's not like you'll go blind looking at them. They aren't designed for text or continuous updates, just an icon or something that is mostly static.

Just playing devil's advocate here. It's a relatively good idea, but it just needs some fine-tuning. Lets see about v2

[root @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:44PM]

lets disco!
what a hell of a keyboard.

[Hagrun @ Aug 3rd 2007 3:59PM]

Hope that guy was happy spending all the money on that! Shoot I'd flash a few different colored lights and dance around naked for less then the cost of that keyboard.

[Josh @ Aug 4th 2007 4:46AM]

pixpls?
kthnxbai! :-p

[idk @ Aug 3rd 2007 6:32PM]

That's uhh... unexiting...

What I really want to see is a full completely different video playing from each of the keys simultaniously, That would be useless.... but awsome!