Optimus 103 Keyboard: Available for a mere $1200!

Man, that would have been a steal even at $2000 :P

Published on November 29, 2006 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

A lot of commotion has been made the past year or so about the spiffy keyboard from Art Lebedev that could display dynamic images on the keys themselves. Combined with programmable function keys, it looked like the Optimus keyboard might offer something really new and interesting to the pretty boring world of keyboard tech. Well, time came and went and it looked like the Keyboard of the Future wouldn't materialize. Then the company reappeared saying it was still coming, but they would have to cut out some features in order to make the device available at a "reasonable price". What was lost? Key displays were supposed to be color, and were switched to black & white.

Unfortunately, it looks like that "reasonable price" is anything but. I'm not sure many people can justify a keyboard that costs as much as a good gaming system, especially considering how much abuse keyboards endure and how likely they are to break.

Oh well, it was a really neat concept anyway.

Comments (Page 1)

ZubaZ

on Nov 29, 2006

ZubaZ wants to skin keys

Winmodify

on Nov 29, 2006

lol...

thomassen

on Nov 29, 2006

Awh! Crap! I was looking forward to that keyboard. I was even prepared to shell out quite a bit for it. But $1200... No way hosé! They said it'd be the price of a good mobile phone. ...well.... I'd say you can get a good mobile phone for half that price. If I payed that for a mobile I'd expect the top of the range bleeding edge. As far as paying that for a keyboard... Naha! Let's hope technology will be puched further and that we'll see this in a truely reasonalbe pricerange.
One of the reasons I was particulary looking forward to this keyboard is that I'm from Norway, but currently use a English computer as I've been living in the UK for the last three years. It'd be nice to switch between the two layout. I know that you can do that in the locale settings or from the languagebar, but I got a crappy memory and can't (or wonth bother) memorising the keyboard layout in my head. Since I do quite a bit of programming and scripting it'd be useful as the norwegian key layout isn't ideal for that. the open and close brackets are awkwradly hidden under a Alt+Gr key combo and the HTML/XML open and close tags are moved into one key causing more keystrokes and fingermovement to write a piece of code. And some applications with hard coded hotkey are unusable. For instance Ctrl+; as the ; symbol is written using Shift+, . Pressing Ctrl+Shift+, will not invoke the command either rendering the shortcut pointless.

*sigh*

thomassen

on Nov 29, 2006

hm.... I see a few people in the comments who think the price is a joke. I hope they are right. In an eariler post they said the price would be announced on the 12.12.2006.
In the same post where he say the price is $1200 he also talks about sarcastic comments. Wonder if it was a poor attempt of sarcasm.

Digital3000

on Nov 29, 2006

This is a great deal, I have to buy 5 of them. I can't believe it's so cheap!!! How's that for sarcasm.. lol

But seriously it looks like an interesting product, if it wasn't so much I would actually purchase one.

Threi

on Nov 29, 2006

a keyboard over $100 is a waste of money in my eyes...but to anyone who buys this i say to you that this is a prime example of the imbalance of wealth in the world...that money could go to feeding someone who needs it for a good while.

(i got my wireless keyboard/mouse combo for $12 @ a garage sale and im PROUD OF IT!

)

ZubaZ

on Nov 29, 2006

but to anyone who buys this i say to you that this is a prime example of the imbalance of wealth in the world

You are right . .we should take all the money and food and resources in the world and put them in a big pile and everyone take what they need.

You first.

People that have money to spend on things like this give more than most.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2682042&page=1

ZubaZ

on Nov 29, 2006

Can't edit my post above.

Most/Many people that have money to spend on things like this give more than most.

Threi

on Nov 29, 2006

You are right . .we should take all the money and food and resources in the world and put them in a big pile and everyone take what they need.

so you are saying if you actually had the $1200 to spend you would buy the keyboard then?

is there not a limit that people can see that merchandise that is pretty much not very advancing or useful in technology (its just "shinier") is a stupid buy? I guess you cant stop technology...but its still annoying to see people spend large amounts of money on something that is pretty much the same as an older version with 'a new light on the side' and then try to justify their purchase as being smart.

Most/Many people that have money to spend on things like this give more than most.

i disagree...unless you are referring to people who have large amounts of money and are in the spotlight...and their motive for giving may be to avoid criticism...just a thought...

Viney212

on Nov 30, 2006

The sarcasm is just typical engadget.com

Pretty sure that price is real, and pretty sure they'll go out of business the way they're running things.

Looking forward to this keyboard when a company that knows what the hell they're doing picks up the design and actually intends to sell it's product.

Orion

on Nov 30, 2006

but to anyone who buys this i say to you that this is a prime example of the imbalance of wealth in the world

I don't know where to even begin with all that's wrong with that ignorant statement. When you actually have to earn a living and support yourself and a family, you'll begin to feel differently. Like Zubaz said...You first!...or more accurately, Your parents first!.

On topic, that's a rip off

...although I would buy it if it were in the $300-400 range.

starkers

on Nov 30, 2006

Yeah, I'm sure people with old 486's they got at an auction for $50.00, and still running Windows 95-98, will wanna rush out and buy one of these babies.....it'd be like adding a crystal chandelier to a falling-down outback dunny (toilet)

Maybe a power user with a PC that scores 10.10 on the Richter scale of Vista-ability might consider one at an eighth of the price, but there's considerably fewer PC owners with up-to-date technologies than those still making do with prehistoric machines and Flintstone keyboards that have keys made of sabretooth tigers teeth.....a mouse fashioned from an armadillo shell.

Yup, at 1200 smackeroonies, this sucker's gonna sell like hot-cakes....and some are gonna be so enthused by this marvellous feat of keyboard engineering, they're gonna get a second for an addon to their luggage sized ol' laptops that help them remain productive while sitting on the bog.

How's that for sarcasm..

Orion

on Nov 30, 2006

a mouse fashioned from an armadillo shell.

I remember those!

Threi

on Nov 30, 2006

and you talk about ignorance...and then you make stupid assumptions like that...i dont find that funny like the smiley face you put after and thus im not responding to ignorance like that.

I still stick by what i said - if you are really going to buy a keyboard for $1200 then i have choice words for you. And that will never change.

Lantec

on Nov 30, 2006

I was thinking maybe $200-300 when i first saw this a few years ago but $1200 yikes! Maybe that's in Rubles.

At $250 (and with a good warranty) I'd probably go for one...but I've got lots of other things to do with the other $1000 dollars.

I do remember commenting on this very possibly being a con-job looking for investors to string along while living "high off the hog" for as long as the train would run. Maybe I wasn't so far off.

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