Optimus Keyboard – IT Geek’s Dream Keyboard

Long awaited Optimus keyboard by Russian designer – Artem Lebedev is taking pre-orders now. The thing that makes this keyboard totally different from others is that, every key has its own display (screen) on top, where you can practically display (assign) any image you want. You can put your own image if you want (try for delete button ;)

Some keys are too far for your fingers? No problem, you can re-assign any letter to any key on the keyboard, making it your special keyboard. Playing games and having hard time to remember shortcut keys? Placing images on the shortcut keys without the confusing letters (as seen on the screenshot) will help you play better HalfLife or your other favorite game.

It’s a great keyboard, but comes with a great price too. It costs approximately USD 1,564! This year about 200 keyboards will be sold, if you pre-order now you will get it at the end of the year (Dec, 2007).

Other Great Features

In Optimus, pressing CapsLock does capitalize all the letters on the keyboard. Isn’t that great? And pressing NumLock replaces the Arrows, Home, End buttons with Numbers (see screenshot below). If you want to see it in action, here is a demo that is done in flash, click here.

Conclusion
It’s great keyboard, but it’s expensive. Nevertheless it’s in my Wish List, I hope next year they can go mass production and achieve some economies of scale and then, it’s my hope that the price will come down.

If you want to know more about Optimus, check their FAQ here. You can pre-order it here.

P.S I have ordered his book on design, called Kodovstvo. It’s a very comprehensive book not only for web design, but for everything, it’s full of tips for designers. (Language: Russian only).