X-bit labs

Art Lebedev Shows Off “Optimus Maximus First Test”.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/03/2007 | 07:50 AM ]

The ambitious Art Lebedev Studio on Friday posted a video footage displaying a flashing keyboard key with built-in screen. The video is meant to demonstrate those interested in the device that the developing has proceeded to a certain phase successfully. Unfortunately, this may also be an indicator that the product will be late to market.

Several months ago the design studio outlined a roadmap under which it planned to obtain the first functional electronic engineering sample of the Optimus Maximus keyboard in early June, whereas the engineering sample should be built by late July. According to the plan, starting from August 1, an engineering sample should have been delivered to regulation authorities, but right now the studio only displays how a key with embedded OLED screen works on a print-circuit board (PCB).

Captions from the video currently available on YouTube.

Optimus Maximus is a full-sized 113-keys keyboard with colour OLED screens located inside each key. The screens are 10.1mm² large and have 48x48 pixels resolution, according to its developers. Specially designed software will be able to change images on the colour screens depending on the program running.

Art Lebedev started accepting pre-orders on its Optimus keyboard on the 20th of May and it took the company 12 hours to pre-sell 200 keyboards that cost $1564 each.

The company planned to ship the first batch, or 200 pieces, of Optimus Maximus starting 31st of November. The company promised that in December, 2007 and January, 2008 it will ship another 200 and 400 units, respectively.