Optimus Maximus changes layouts on video

Don't feel bad, we're getting just as tired of hearing all about the Optimus Maximus. Granted, all that will hopefully change once we actually get one in our hands, but we digress. The latest posting on the Optimus Maximus site shows the oh-so-admired keyboard (in black and white, mind you) changing layouts before our very eyes. Unfortunately, the clip is only bound to make you more frustrated with the wait, but c'mon, it's not like you're gonna hold off or anything. Check it out after the break.

[Derry Quinn @ Nov 12th 2007 5:50PM]

:( i need one

[Josh @ Nov 12th 2007 6:26PM]

me too :(

Santa - who do you love?

[enzo @ Nov 12th 2007 10:42PM]

productivity booster?... or hours wasted programming different keyboard layouts?

[Marcelo @ Nov 12th 2007 5:51PM]

These keyboards are amazing... Are they just USB, or do they support PS-2 as well? (I'm a USB glutton, so I'm all out of USB slots)

[Michael L. @ Nov 12th 2007 5:58PM]

You probably can afford a new USB-PCI card, if you have the money to buy one of these...

[Justin Stigall @ Nov 12th 2007 6:50PM]

Think about it for a moment, how are you going to get that data over PS/2?

[Tavis Veighey @ Nov 12th 2007 7:08PM]

Ether get a USB2 PCI card (If you have the slots). They are not that expensive.

OR get a good quality USB Hub. I have 2 that are 6 port hubs, they are both full... And that leaves me with 3 free USB ports on my laptop!

[W00ter @ Nov 12th 2007 5:52PM]

Jeez. It actually looks nice and possibly worth the $1,500 price tag. Though can someone inform me what job would require consistent use of multiple keyboard layouts?

[Nick Catalano @ Nov 12th 2007 5:59PM]

Someone who uses a lot of languages?

[Eugene @ Nov 12th 2007 6:04PM]

Gaming. ;-)

If you want to crouch in HL2 you'll have to press Ctrl. The same action in Bioshock is mapped to C. And, yes, you can remap keys, but it can be a pain - for various reasons. This thing is cheaper than a nice gaming PC, and it's üBercOol!!! ;-)

[julleelel @ Nov 12th 2007 6:23PM]

yes of course when you're gaming you spend all your time looking at you keyboard and not at all at your screen ?!

[Dan @ Nov 12th 2007 6:42PM]

"If you want to crouch in HL2 you'll have to press Ctrl. The same action in Bioshock is mapped to C".

And that's about the extent of keys used for crouch. How hard is it to realize which game uses which button? Jeez, the most complicating switch I've come across was going from E to F for function keys (HL and Crysis), and that only required about four whole seconds to remember.

[mik @ Nov 12th 2007 7:31PM]

audio engineers and video editors would definately benefit from something like this. changing presets for apps and projects on the fly would be a great time saver.

[John @ Nov 12th 2007 9:01PM]

Switching between mac and pc, using FCP on the mac and Chyron Lyric on the PC

[Nick @ Nov 13th 2007 9:39AM]

3d artists... when i was using maya 7 it had 3 or 4 different modes and each one has its own keyboard hot keys.

Side note - will they just release the damn thing already! this is getting to be a joke. Let start pool to see how much longer this company can say they want to release it but keep putting it off.

[Randavance @ Nov 12th 2007 5:58PM]

10 years from now every computer will have an Optimus Maximus keyboard.

A virus will circle the internet that switches the location of the P and X keys.

[sepirioth @ Nov 12th 2007 6:01PM]

That is not a half bad prediction, I'm sure it wont be this one perse but something close enough for it to be true.

[Will @ Nov 12th 2007 6:21PM]

A single touchscreen with tactile feedback seems more likely.

[Griffin @ Nov 12th 2007 7:26PM]

XIPs plz

[THIS IS SPARTA @ Nov 12th 2007 8:13PM]

that would never haxxen you are just trying to scare the xoox out of me..... wait..... AHHHHHH

[RandomVillainZA @ Nov 13th 2007 4:28AM]

Heh, there are no viruses on Mac OS P! Oh.

[Ash A @ Nov 12th 2007 6:02PM]

That's pretty crazy. Makes my Mac keyboard seem like a typewriter :S

[Ellianth @ Nov 12th 2007 6:32PM]

you just had to go and talk about your mac, eh?

That's it! You, me, playground, lunch time, tomorrow. I'm gonna teach you a lesson!

[Ash A @ Nov 12th 2007 6:34PM]

Funny thing is I'm using a Mac keyboard with a Dell PC running XP Pro. I got it for cheap and it's nice. It doesn't have LCDs for keys but it's nice.

[whatishalo? @ Nov 12th 2007 6:14PM]

Will this work with my Mac Color Classic? (yeah I know, but everytime I think I want to upgrade, someone tells me 'something better' is right around the corner...maybe this year...)

[Tiptup300 @ Nov 12th 2007 7:29PM]

When you are using a mac, theres ALWAYS something better.

[Craig Phillips @ Nov 12th 2007 10:42PM]

ROFLMAO! It's probably the only Mac I've never owned... to think of all those high-performance cars I could've brought... sigh...

[paul34 @ Nov 12th 2007 6:20PM]

Totally a photoshop. The reflections are all wrong.

In addition, I've already seen this video for another company's keyboard.

[RedBull Runner @ Nov 12th 2007 6:26PM]

its funny on /b/ but not here... gb2 4chan

[Jon @ Nov 12th 2007 7:07PM]

Damn Rebbull, just damn...but you are right.

[Nick @ Nov 12th 2007 9:31PM]

XKCD reference?

[ram.kandasamy @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:59PM]

only nick saw it...
You people have no culture.

[Homeboy @ Nov 12th 2007 6:21PM]

The Russians failed to get to the moon but at least now it seem like they'll take us to the height or gadget-orgasm.

They need buy themselves a camera with a higher caputuring rate than 7fps though.

[Bill @ Nov 12th 2007 6:22PM]

Meh... I still think this is WAY overblown. I mean, yeah, it's cool to look at, but for the kind of money they are asking for, it's SO not worth it. On top of that, I can't imagine the software or hardware associated with this thing being reliable. There's way too many little screens in this thing, plus the software to set it up. I wonder what a Blue Screen of Death looks like on a keyboard?

[Homeboy @ Nov 12th 2007 6:24PM]

It will be more like the red screen of communist USSR.

[Allister @ Nov 12th 2007 6:53PM]

In Soviet Russia, Optimus keyboard type on you!

[m @ Nov 12th 2007 8:24PM]

red? the soviets would never have built a luxury item like this. this is the decadent new "capitalist" russia, all the way. only an oligarch could afford one.

[sarpulas @ Nov 13th 2007 6:13AM]

@m

in the worker's paradise, optimus keyboards are produced en masse, and every worker gets one to boost productivity.

...then the state collapses.

[kuzu-b @ Nov 12th 2007 6:31PM]

After all this hard work, some other company is going to streamline the manufacturing and sell a version of this for a fraction of the cost. Not really a bold prediction considering that this sort of thing happens about 95% of the time.

[Sander de Regt @ Nov 12th 2007 6:39PM]

Just imagine that you'll get a crash in the software driver for this keyboard. How are you going to press CTRL-ALT-DEL if the keys keep changing places?

[Samo @ Nov 12th 2007 7:00PM]

LOL at that comment, but then I thought about it... They would probably add a reset button (like the ones on a PDA) at the back in case all else fails, and maybe a way to flash the keyboard if it gets REALLY F'd up, no?

[John Doe @ Nov 12th 2007 7:09PM]

Cool. Next generation virus.

[John Doe @ Nov 12th 2007 6:58PM]

By the time these guys come out with the actual product Apple, Toshiba, etc will already have these things in all their laptops.

[Micah @ Nov 12th 2007 6:59PM]

Each key should have an appropriately sized screen. The space bar especially looks a bit weird just with the little square in the middle.

[nate @ Nov 12th 2007 7:01PM]

while this gets amazingly cool points, it's not really all that practical...

[MEAT! @ Nov 12th 2007 7:09PM]

Doesn't it look like it takes many moments to switch the layouts? As if it has to transfer all that information and is struggling to do it? Notice how he appears to be expecting the top keyboard to change to colors before it happens, then moves away as if he gives up, and then it lights up, finally. That, or something is randomly and slowly switching the layouts.

[Panq @ Nov 13th 2007 4:49AM]

Yeah, if it was responsive enough, it would be quite nice to hilight all the active hotkeys in generic OS dialogue boxes. For example, hilighting Y, N, and Esc (perhaps also enter?) when you try to close an unsaved document. Would be completely pointless if there's any sort of delay though.

[Joe @ Nov 12th 2007 7:23PM]

One keyboard overlay and I just saved $1500

[Fruition @ Nov 12th 2007 7:47PM]

Oh good, for a while I was worried I wouldn't get to see any solid blocks of color in this video, but they were in the last few seconds of footage.

[Imran @ Nov 12th 2007 7:55PM]

I also enjoy watching paint dry.