Optimus Maximus delayed until February, unless you skimp on firmware

We've been waiting this long, what's a couple more months? Art Lebedev has announced that the Optimus Maximus keyboard isn't quite ready for prime time yet, and will be delayed until late February. Lucky for you reckless early adopters out there, if you pre-ordered the Maximus you can get Art Lebedev to ship you the keyboard now, it'll just be lacking its final firmware, and therefore you've got a bit of a hack job to look forward to when Lebedev releases the full firmware -- which will be software-updatable. Not exactly exciting news, but we'd much prefer Lebedev get this out the door than sit around a few more years waiting on perfection.

[blade417 @ Dec 26th 2007 9:11AM]

NOOOOOOOO!!!


/darth vader voice

[Michael LaFramboise @ Dec 26th 2007 9:23AM]

Luke maybe?

[Tavis Veighey @ Dec 26th 2007 11:47AM]

No, Darth Vader at the end of Episode 3, when he is told he killed Padme.

[Blackstar @ Dec 26th 2007 3:27PM]

"This is not the keyboard you are looking for." *waves hand around like some kind of Jedi.*

[Flashpoint @ Dec 26th 2007 9:11AM]

The mother of all keyboards:
costs way more than most gaming rig computers and doesn't come in a natural hand wave shape.

Decisions Decisions.

[Joseph @ Dec 26th 2007 9:13AM]

I hate having to site around.

[andyo @ Dec 26th 2007 9:15AM]

Hmm...

Oooh...Kay?

NEXT!

[BobTurbo @ Dec 26th 2007 9:19AM]

Those oled keys will be great for touch-typists.

[RC @ Dec 26th 2007 9:30AM]

Hahaha

[OneLove @ Dec 26th 2007 10:08AM]

still delayed?

[Michael Reyes @ Dec 26th 2007 10:09AM]

Vaporware 2.0

[George @ Dec 26th 2007 10:12AM]

The firmware's actually done, they're just holding debates over what font to use on the GUI. Expect 300 rendered screenshots of "possible" designs to be posted on Engadget later today, with the firmware actually being released in... oh, a few months sounds about right for deciding on a font for the Art Lebedev guys.

[Electromodo @ Dec 26th 2007 10:44AM]

I am glad they do not have debates over the package box design... or maybe they do? ;)

[Sal24 @ Dec 26th 2007 10:55AM]

It's going to be a sweet day when they finally get the original concept to market for under $100.

[TheCow5 @ Dec 26th 2007 11:05AM]

not this again, a big wast of money.
unless engadget wants to give one away, then I am all in.

[euclid @ Dec 26th 2007 11:29AM]

...damnit. Was hoping I wouldn't hear about this again in 2007... But noooo. We just had to talk about it one last time didn't we?

I hope this keyboard finally does come out. And soon after, our Chinese brethren will make this for pennies. And everyone who bought the original will whine and I will smile. muahhaha.

[Andrew @ Dec 26th 2007 11:34AM]

I'm surprised Logitech hasn't released something like this already. They'd have it done in a matter of months and with a more ergonomic design.

They're a lot bigger and have existing production capacity to make something like this.

[Tavis Veighey @ Dec 26th 2007 11:52AM]

They alreadyhad the box debate, that delayed it 2 months. Next they will debate the exact shade the progress bar will be when the installer installes the software.
The next delay/debate that is scheduled is if the lable on the software disk should be B&W or Color. They will post a snotty blog post saying that it will be B&W for now, and a color version will come later. Then tomorrow they will post a blog post stating that the lable will infact be color. Then they will announce that the software will cost an additional %300.00.

[Emil Rensing @ Dec 26th 2007 12:01PM]

Personally, I like that they are keeping people "involved" in the development process and up to date with what's happening. If they were any other consumer electronics manufacturer, we'd either know nothing about what was happening with the delay or they'd ship the product with weak firmware to hit an arbitrary quarterly goal.

I give these guys huge props for doing what they're doing AND doing it the way they!

[Tom @ Dec 26th 2007 12:42PM]

I like how people are complaining that a design firm is debating about minor details such as the box, labels, and the product itself. My complaint is: Why the hell aren't the other companies doing this? I hate opening up a crappy ugly box to find a crappy product that yes, does it's job well, but doesn't look like I'd want to show it off on my desk. Yeah, Logitech could have made this product in a couple months - but in all likelihood they would have produced something that looks like a cheap plastic "gaming" product with way too many blue and green LED lights covering the rest of the keyboard. This keyboard not only does its job well, but also looks like a lot of thought went into all aspects of it (including the design).

We need design firms producing more products I think - form comes with some function as well.

[Alexander @ Dec 26th 2007 12:46PM]

How would you know it does it's job well, when there is no hardware to test with?

[Tom @ Dec 26th 2007 12:57PM]

Easy - I live in NY so I made it to the Wired store showcase. Unsurprisingly, there is hardware to test with. Don't you read Engadget?

[Alexander @ Dec 26th 2007 12:42PM]

Ha! HAHAHA! *continues to laugh for a good while*

Whoo... I needed that. Now my idiot users don't seem so stupid anymore.

Thanks.

[Nick @ Dec 26th 2007 1:12PM]

What's that I smell? Ahh the sweet, sweet vapour of the Optimus.

Seriously, this guy is a genius... collect $500,000 worth of pre-orders, stash money in a high-interest account for close to 12 months; issuing 'delays' to the final product for as long as possible. Then call the whole project off for 'technical and economic reasons' - refunding everyone their money, and living off the interest accrued for the next few years.

What a glorious scam.

[Tom @ Dec 26th 2007 3:00PM]

When was the last time you saw vaporware with a working product displayed in NYC for all to see and touch? I seriously can't believe there are people who STILL think this thing is vapor...

[Sauerkraut @ Dec 26th 2007 1:49PM]

I'm so ready for this keyboard!!!!!!

when it's 300 (even that's a lot)

[Verified Insanity @ Dec 26th 2007 2:15PM]

Sigh... Why can't these companies just understand that if they hype a product, it's all lost if you delay! Man! Like when the iPhone was rumored to be delayed, stocks went down the crapper!

Argh!

[Kevin @ Dec 26th 2007 3:14PM]

Does this work with the Phantom I preordered??

[Jeratain @ Dec 26th 2007 4:56PM]

It seems like it was only 3 years ago this was first announced. Who would have thought this would be the case that very day?

[tim @ Dec 26th 2007 6:35PM]

Why is this keyboard such a big deal? Seems over priced just to have a back light keyboard!

[Standingfast @ Dec 26th 2007 7:43PM]

Its not a "backlight" keyboard, every key contains a tiny OLED display that can be changed and modified via software (i.e. for changing keyboard layouts, photoshop shortcuts, small program icons, etc...)

[sockatume @ Dec 27th 2007 8:05AM]

This isn't a delay, the keyboard was always set for Feb. 2008. All that's happened is that they've offered people the chance to buy a pre-release version a month early, with some functionality issues.

[allanrubin @ Jan 28th 2008 4:05PM]

Mine arrived today!!!