Video: Optimus Maximus caught on tape at CES

Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont was able to catch up with Art Lebedev at CES 2008 and spend nearly six minutes checking out the oh-so-captivating Optimus Maximus keyboard. If you've managed to resist heading past the break and clicking play as hastily as humanly possible up 'til now, what on Earth are you waiting for?

[Ondra Soukup @ Jan 8th 2008 6:20PM]

First!! Erh...ok :)

Is Veronica playing "ask the obvious" ?

[Spoogy @ Jan 8th 2008 6:29PM]

First he makes Tetris, and now this?!?

Anti-fail.

[sean @ Jan 8th 2008 6:35PM]

he makes a stupid keyboard and everyone just somehow forgets that his brother killed Apollo Creed

[Jesse S @ Jan 8th 2008 6:44PM]

What does what his brother did have anything to do with him?

[Arthur Nonamiss @ Jan 8th 2008 6:49PM]

@Jesse

If you watched more boxing movies from the 1980's, you would get the joke. :)

[jamma @ Jan 9th 2008 7:22AM]

In the words of his other brother; Great Success!!

[Arthur Nonamiss @ Jan 8th 2008 6:20PM]

Why again are we so enamored with this thing?

[Constable Odo @ Jan 8th 2008 7:40PM]

Because of....well, it can....so you can show it off to your friends that can't afford an over-priced keyboard. In theory, for specialized jobs, this keyboard may be great, but this keyboard really seems like overkill to me. Buying a key or two at a time is very unusual. Did he say the cost of this keyboard starts at $400 and goes to a $1000. Wow!

Imagine needing to change key color backgrounds. Man is that ever useless except for some color-blind users.

[dj-kenpo @ Jan 8th 2008 8:02PM]

ODO, because some of us use computers for work, not just as entertainment. so when you 'work' on your pc for 40+ hours a week, $1200 for a good keybaord that can be customized in after effects, 3ds, photoshop, etc, is not a big deal. assuming that's what you do for work. and not just office typy typy.

it's more intended for people (or their employers) who may have just spent $4000 on a workstation, not someone with a $500 laptop that wants to show off.

[OneLove @ Jan 9th 2008 11:16AM]

leave VeRoniCA alone!!!

[Mark @ Jan 8th 2008 6:21PM]

His English is pretty good. I like to hear him say "Configurator"

[sauce @ Jan 8th 2008 6:25PM]

In mother Russia the keyboard types you!

[Samphex @ Jan 8th 2008 6:47PM]

shut up with these horrible jokes. I do not even get how that can happen now anyway.
jeez.

[Jeff @ Jan 9th 2008 10:43AM]

*Soviet Russia.

really. you have to at least get the reference right.

[Ethan Fahy @ Jan 8th 2008 6:25PM]

this technology is not that advanced. why doesn't logitech just copy it and make it better and sell it for 100 dollars like it should be?

[seoultrain @ Jan 8th 2008 6:28PM]

logitech probably will once the price for OLED displays comes down. It doesn't take a genius to know that the market for a $1500 keyboard is limited.

[Shannin @ Jan 8th 2008 6:56PM]

logitech keyboards are pretty price too, except one the price is more justifyed, you know what your paying for costs a lot to make.

not bashing logitech or anything, there stuff is very nice

[JJ @ Jan 8th 2008 6:59PM]

You see the problem with this world?
A guy comes up with a nifty idea I'm sure TONS of folks at peripheral companies have had, actually executes it, and we want some massive corp to just swoop up, take his idea, and make the profits. Puhhleeessse.

I wish Art all the best, and hope he becomes a stinking rich millionaire.

[Ethan Fahy @ Jan 8th 2008 7:32PM]

I'm not trying to take away from art's idea. it's just that he's trying to do this on his own which means he doesn't have the R&D to make this thing cheaply and has to charge 1500 dollars which is idiotic because he won't sell any of them. I wasn't merely wondering why logitech hasn't copied him, not that they should. Also why OLED and not regular LCD? Could he make one for 100-150 dollars using lcds?

[James @ Jan 8th 2008 8:25PM]

@Ethan, So I guess him not selling any of them is reason why they've been sold out everytime he allows people to pre-order. keywords. Pre-Order, Sold-Out

[Ryan Beesley @ Jan 8th 2008 8:32PM]

Ethan, using LCD would mean incorporating backlighting as well. OLED is its own lighting source, so there is no need for a backlight.

[Ethan Fahy @ Jan 8th 2008 10:06PM]

ok james i didn't mean he would sell literally zero units. but this is not going to be a mass market device at this price. thanks pal.

[Camperton @ Jan 8th 2008 11:49PM]

I'm with JJ.

It's a super cool idea pulled off for real by a small company. I applaud them.

[Tom @ Jan 9th 2008 10:57PM]

@Ethan:
LCDs are also not feasible because LCD displays require a big ol' bezel around them. Not much room for a bezel on these displays, so the one-two punch of no backlight and no bezel on the OLED displays really kicked it off.

I love Art, and I would love to give him $1500 and a big ol' hug. This will do me wonders at work. Also, I'll have a cooler keyboard than the guy in the cubicle next to me.

[John Seamann @ Jan 8th 2008 6:25PM]

C'mon, it´s just a keyboard with tiny lo-res screens in a world full of tablets and touch-sensitive handheld devices.

[Jreg @ Jan 9th 2008 9:54AM]

which takes us onto his next envisioned keyboard... mmm mmm

[EDALBNUG @ Jan 9th 2008 11:50AM]

Well until they put practical tactile feedback on those touch control devices, physical buttons/keys will always find its way on any electronic products. Simple rumble feedback when you touch won't do the job. There's also a reason they used the mechanical key stand from Cherry and not cheap membrane ones that lots of keyboard makers use.

[seoultrain @ Jan 8th 2008 6:25PM]

finally get to see it in action, but how about loading some of those "tasteless colors" on the keyboard itself? All we got on that vid was the 10 multi-function keys, which never changed, and the color cycle startup.

Pretty cool that you can play minesweeper on it, though.

[Stan @ Jan 8th 2008 6:26PM]

That's how technology should be presented. We already knew all about the maximus, but I bet most people watched the video anyway :)

[heffeque @ Jan 8th 2008 6:30PM]

Cool to see that it works on Macs too :-)

[heffeque @ Jan 8th 2008 6:30PM]

Cool to see that it works on Macs too :-)

[Rob Conway @ Jan 8th 2008 6:50PM]

huh? it's being demonstrated on a Mac.

[heffeque @ Jan 8th 2008 7:01PM]

That's why. These gadgets usually only get software support for Windows and as you can see it's running Mac OS X.

[brad77 @ Jan 8th 2008 7:03PM]

I think that's his point, Rob.

Huh? What?

[michael @ Jan 8th 2008 9:14PM]

Does anyone know if it works for PC's as well?

Just wanted to double check.

[holycow @ Jan 8th 2008 6:30PM]

Haha.. his shirt says XYU (if u look closely), which translated from Russian means P_NIS!

[eduardo88 @ Jan 9th 2008 9:45AM]

Haha I just noticed that, it took me a while when i watched the video again to realize it tho. Хуй

[heffeque @ Jan 8th 2008 6:31PM]

Ups, sorry for the dupe post.

[Senor_Tom @ Jan 8th 2008 6:57PM]

You apologise for double posting, and therefore triple post.....logic...has...gone.

[Jm @ Jan 8th 2008 7:34PM]

This guy was really nervouse while on tape...

BTW this keybord is awsome

[dustandechoes91 @ Jan 8th 2008 7:44PM]

You could tell he got more and more comfortable as the interview went on.


I think the one where its one big touch sensitive screen with no buttons is a lot cooler.

[dirty @ Jan 9th 2008 1:29AM]

Ant it will be
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

[Aless @ Jan 9th 2008 11:05AM]

A transparent touch keyboard with a display under the class. Yes.

[jivetrky @ Jan 12th 2008 2:07AM]

He's probably a geek and was just nervous around the pretty girl.

[Sam @ Jan 8th 2008 6:37PM]

engadget button!

[michas_pi @ Jan 8th 2008 6:45PM]

I need to start washing dishes at McDonalds.

[Ryan Worrell @ Jan 9th 2008 12:03AM]

No Joke. I washa de dishes and make $100 and get 10 keys. But how much special tool called key remover cost? lol. He's fucking hilarious though how he just slips that shit in.

[svetoslav.dankov @ Jan 8th 2008 11:40PM]

Yeah, I love his target market - Mcdonald's dishwashers hehehe

[tumnasgt @ Jan 9th 2008 5:24AM]

Since when did McDonalds even have dishes? I could swear that Big Macs are served in cardboard boxes. =P

[utka @ Jan 8th 2008 6:55PM]

btw, this is a Mr. Lebedev