Sub-$500 Optimus keyboards in the works, and other newsimus maximus

Those following every twist and turn of the Optimus Maximus keyboard have plenty to sink their teeth into on the always dependable optimus_project LiveJournal today, including the tantalizing detail of a soon-to-be-announced sub-$500 model. More details on that (and a sub-$1,000 model) will apparently be coming next week, when each will also supposedly be available for pre-order. The blog also dropped word that the first lot of Optimus Maximus keyboards has been sold out, and will start shipping in December or January, with the second lot set to arrive in February. Those first few keyboards will apparently be "somewhat functionally limited," however, with firmware updates planned "every month or so in the beginning" to bring them up to speed. Lastly, comes word that Art Lebedev will be introducing a "couple of new Optimus concepts" this year, with another model set to be released sometime next year, no doubt starting this whole long, drawn out process all over again.

[mlb @ Nov 5th 2007 4:12PM]

Still about $450 too much for me.

[Blackstar @ Nov 5th 2007 10:24PM]

But it comes with the Phantom Game console. Along with a map to Jimmy Hoffa's unmarked grave. It's true!

[SugarDaddy @ Nov 6th 2007 8:44AM]

Especially for a non-ergonomic keyboard...

[MichaelM @ Nov 5th 2007 4:13PM]

Oh God help us!

In the past you've created options to view the site without seeing news about Apple or Microsoft. How about an option to not see anything about the Optimus until it actually ships - and works - as promised?

[ScOObyDoo @ Nov 5th 2007 4:19PM]

And in other news, Art Lebedev will be shipping this keyboard with "Duke Nukem Forever Special Edition DVD".

[itlnstln @ Nov 5th 2007 5:02PM]

Yeah, and the OLED keys are powered by Bitboys OY!

[ajprice @ Nov 5th 2007 4:21PM]

"Those first few keyboards will apparently be "somewhat functionally limited," however, with firmware updates planned "every month or so in the beginning" to bring them up to speed."

Out the box, the letters work, first firmware update lets you type numbers too, and the second update lets you type symbols?

[Preston @ Nov 5th 2007 4:23PM]

What's the point in paying so much money for a keyboard? I really don't get it.

[Eugene @ Nov 5th 2007 4:26PM]

Mmm... Shiny! ;-]

[nathan @ Nov 5th 2007 4:37PM]

if you are not a lazy american and actually work/write/know multiple languages this is really handy! especially if one of them is non-latin charset based, like arabic, hebrew, chinese, etc... you can change the keys to suit which ever you are working in....or at least that seems to be the point to me.

[Peter @ Nov 5th 2007 4:52PM]

Nah I'm with Eugene on this one.

Ooo.. shiny...

[Sean D. @ Nov 5th 2007 6:20PM]

Hey Nathan,

Thanks for using the feedback on this article to take a stab at us "Lazy Americans." Handy, yes, but worth the cost?

Aren't you the lazy one if you need your keycaps to change every time you enter a new program (or use a different language) instead of learning character maps and hotkeys?

[boriquajake @ Nov 5th 2007 6:07PM]

Nathan, people speak the languages they need to speak to get by. Many euros can speak more than one language because alone their native language doesn't offer them the opportunities that Americans derive from just speaking English.

In short, Pierre speaks more than one language because he has to, not because he is enlightened or cosmopolitan.

p.s. I am a fat, gun-toting, religious fanatic American and I speak almost perfect Spanish.

p.p.s. Kiss my ass.

[palehorse @ Nov 5th 2007 4:30PM]

Pretty programmable keys?

yay.

I still don't get it...

[palehorse @ Nov 5th 2007 4:33PM]

pretty... programmable keys... oh joy.

I still don't get it...

[BananaBoat @ Nov 5th 2007 4:45PM]

Every time I see a story on Art Lebdev and his stupid vaporware POS, I feel like vomiting.

[Tavis Veighey @ Nov 5th 2007 4:46PM]

If they released this one FIRST and did not jerk us arround, than I would have been interested.

However after they teased us (B&W,no nevermind we will release it in color) and makd the price higher than most high end laptops, they can stuff it!

There is no way in HELL I will purchase any device (Especially from them) Based on the "Promise" of future features via firmware updates. I have seen too many devices released that had a "Comming Soon" for some features... That never came to be!!!! My friend is stillw aiting for Pinicle to release their damn TV Guide software "update" for his video capture card. Well not really he gave up after a year and purchased an ATI card.

Do not sell me a couple slices of bread and promice you will fill it with meat and cheese later! Either finish making the damn thing, or do not even bother to release it!

Optimus used ot mean "OMG I can't wait!!!"
However now it means "We are acting like rockstars, even tho we have not recorded one single hit song."

If I happen to see one of their keyboards in the bargin bin at my local computer store... With a price tag of $20.00, I will have to think about it for a while to decide if it is really worth it.

[Justin @ Nov 5th 2007 4:54PM]

How is a $1500 laptop high end?

[bjrcboy @ Nov 5th 2007 5:37PM]

Lol exactly my thoughts. Tell me where I can get a "high end" laptop for 1500. Maybe high end for normal people but then again, normal people don't really visit this website more like tech nerds.

[Matthew Hilario @ Nov 5th 2007 4:48PM]

but can it play doom?
will it make me love vista?

[hi2u @ Nov 5th 2007 9:46PM]

No, but it can play Duke Nukem Forever.

[hi2u @ Nov 5th 2007 9:48PM]

Whoops, missed ScOObyDoo's comment above!

[Nick @ Nov 5th 2007 4:48PM]

#1 the sub $500 will take another 2 years to ship

#2 It will be an 20 button SureType keyboard not QWERTY.

#3 How about they just start shipping gen1 before they start doing spin offs.

[Tavis Veighey @ Nov 5th 2007 5:07PM]

Most laptops are in the $300-$800 pricerange. $1,500-$2,500 is "high end".
Anything over $2,500 is just liek a flashy car. Just for show. ;)

[bjrcboy @ Nov 5th 2007 5:39PM]

not if you like to play video games, 3d work, movie work, ect ect 1500 wont buy much for that. 2500 will but if your serious about it your go even higher...

[dudeInAmerica @ Nov 5th 2007 5:56PM]

I'll wait for the sub $475 model. With wireless.

[Khidr @ Nov 5th 2007 8:56PM]

and a 15 minute battery life.

[Tony @ Nov 5th 2007 8:52PM]

If you don't mind the PS3 sized battery pack next to it.

[getz76 @ Nov 5th 2007 5:56PM]

Actually, the concept for all of the products is great for someone who does any work in something like Protools, Cubase, Logic, Photoshop, etc., especially if you switch in and out of various programs (I track in Cubase and mix in Protools). Considering specialized keyboards for those programs can run $400 (really just key replacements), this wouldn't be excessive.

[Sirocco @ Nov 5th 2007 6:01PM]

And people talk about the ethics of receiving (and keeping) 5 Asus Eee pc's for the price of 1. No wonder our economy is in crises (or so they say).

[John @ Nov 5th 2007 6:06PM]

You can announce different product offerings willy-nilly when you aren't actually shipping anything.

[KC @ Nov 5th 2007 9:30PM]

Actually, this would be pretty cool. The price tag is way too high for anyone to purchase one for home use, but for work, I can see how this can apply for application training and such.

[dave @ Nov 5th 2007 11:42PM]

sub-$500 next year might mean sub-$200 a few years down the road. i can live with cheap keyboards until then, and from what i've seen so far, the optimus line is going to be well worth the wait.

[Wwhat @ Nov 6th 2007 1:01AM]

Display playing cards on the keys and use it for online poker, that way you can also afford it if you win a lot.

[USA homes @ Nov 6th 2007 3:38AM]

Rather expensive. I will have to hint my friends to buy it for my birthday then)

--------------------
Flexible houses

[MikeG @ Nov 9th 2007 10:39AM]

We only want OLED on our F-keys, how much would that cost?

[Chanz @ Nov 21st 2007 7:43PM]

Maybe the next iteration will have "Multi-Touch" keys.