Optimus Keyboard Starts Shipping

Tom's Hardware is reporting that the Optimus keyboard that everyone was so anxious for (although maybe less so when they saw the price tag) started shipping this week. "According to an announcement made on the Optimus project blog, keyboards are now shipping to customers who pre-ordered the $1564 keyboard nine months ago. Keyboards with passive keys are delayed and will be shipping in about a month, the manufacturer said. [...] Earlier this month, one of the first Optimus Maximus keyboards was sold for $2750 on Ebay." Engadget even got the chance to test one of these expensive toys out.

Lawsuits?

[eldavojohn]

one of the first Optimus ...

I'll bet when Prime [michaelbay.com] saw this keyboard, he ran and got Lawyer-bot and they sued the ever livin' shit out of Art Lebedev.

... Maximus keyboards was sold for $2750

And then when Russel Crow [es-tu.com] saw it, he went and got Litigiosus Andronicus and did the same.

I think I have some good ideas for some more keyboard names:

• Neo Bourne
• Skywalker Castle
• Wolverine McBain
• The Incredible Thing
• Thor Rambo
• Rocky Terminator
• Frodo Potter
• Riddick Kenobi
• Walker Texas Bauer

Re:Review summary

[gEvil (beta)]

-Requires extra strength for keypresses, so unsuitable for typing more than a few minutes.

Phew! Good thing I wasn't planning on using my keyboard for that.

Re:Review summary

[eldavojohn]

Requires extra strength for keypresses, so unsuitable for typing more than a few minutes.

Assistant: Every student in the school's grades are still failing.
Principal: Well, what about all the super resistant Optimus Maximus keyboards we gave them to repress internet usage?
Assistant: That backfired and merely created a generation of hackers with super strong fingers. We've got them trapped in the gymnasium but you can only approach them in specialized suits with extra padding so they can't get their fingers around your limbs or any part of your body. Several teachers have had their arms and wrists broken after attempting to block all gaming ports ... things have gone from bad to worse, sir.
Principal: Damnit, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this ... *sigh* ... increase the creatine dosage in the locker room drinking fountains. And then ... release the jocks into the gym. Kill all power and lights to the gym and pipe loud Metallica through the speakers to hasten the process.
Assistant: But ... but ... sir how will we stop the overpowered jocks once they are done?
Principal: Simple, we just increase the depressants being injected into the goth kids and the problem will eventually take care of itself, we might even be on the news!

CmdrTaco sez:

[idontgno]

No wireless. More keyforce than an IBM Model M. Lame.

Re:Stupid

[jointm1k]

Haha, I bet the one who modded me as a troll actually pre-ordered one. Poor schmuck.

Re:No thanks

[Dogtanian]

don't move when you depress the key.

Personally, I like to depress keys by telling them that they're worthless and no-one likes them.

I Shall Not Leave My Tin Foil Lair

[eldavojohn]

In fact, you can get on a plane...

Woh woh woh ... woh. Slow down. Are you actually suggesting I leave the basement and expose myself to natural light?

You must be new here. I know that that's right when the government satellites will get me, why do you think the planes fly at such a huge altitude when they don't have to?! Duh, so that its easier for the satellites to brain scan you!

But in all seriousness, I believe most of that movie (The Gladiator) was fabricated. Yes, there was a 'Maximus' (if that was his name) but the events surely did not transpire as they did in the movie. It's not like I'm making fun of "I Claudius" or actual documentaries on Rome.

One of the three signs of the pending Apocalypse

[wowbagger]

One of the three signs of the pending Apocalypse:

• The Optimus keyboard ships
• The Phantom ships
• Duke Nukem Forever ships

Then the Destroyer will plug the Optimus into the Phantom, boot Duke Nukem Forever, and the universe will come to an end.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Hard key clicks?

[electricbern]

"And the larger the key, the more force is required, so enter is easier than space, but harder than tab. " whothehellneedsspacewhentheygota$2750oledkeyboard?

Third hotkey down on the right...

[Sqweegee]

Am I seeing this properly? Are the hot keys in the second column in the engadget article as follows?

Firefox, Youtube link, Lesbian porn link!?

With trends like this

[kcbanner]

Hey, if the tech industry keeps this kind of thing up, we might see a demo of Duke Nukem forever soon!

Re:Review summary

[snoyberg]

You can find iGestures on eBay, but they're fetching a pretty penny last time I checked. They even have a macro editor and such so you can assign any finger gesture to almost anything.

Any finger gesture? I have a finger gesture I'd like to map to "send nasty e-mail". Could be useful.

Re:Lawsuits?

[johnsonav]

I hate to break this to you and the rest of the illiterates, but Rome and Latin really existed. (In fact, Latin still does exist.) It's not like Star Wars or Middle Earth. In fact, you can get on a plane, go to Italy and see remains of it.

Whoa there! The reason we don't find any ruins from Star Wars is because it happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Duh. And how many remains are there from Alderaan? I've got video proof that those societies existed, not just some books written by guys with weird names like Plutarch or crap like that.

Re:Review summary

[cthulu_mt]

I use the Hulk Method: Find 'em and Smash on 'em.

Re:Third hotkey down on the right...

[BrentH]

Only on /. that could be modded informative...

Re:No thanks

[penguin king]

Or a program that tries to anticipate what the next character you type is likely to be, and lights that one up. Sounds like something MicroSoft would want.

I can just see it now... press ctrl, suddenly alt and del light up

Re:Review summary

[ronadams]

I'm going to have to contend with your gaming point. In an RTS, a decent player can have an APM (actions per minute) from between 90-250, depending on the game. Granted, a good bit of mouse clicking is figured in there, but it's a whole hell of a lot of hotkeys. A super heavy keyboard would drive me nuts while I'm trying to order 200 zerglings [wikipedia.org] to bite your medics.

Re:Lawsuits?

[Paradise Pete]

Rome and Latin really existed. (In fact, Latin still does exist.)

I'm pretty sure Rome is still there, too.

Re:I Shall Not Leave My Tin Foil Lair

[Paradise Pete]

and no I didn't imdb/wikipedia.

Because of course what really matters is not the conveying of information, but rather demonstrating that you know it.

Re:No thanks

[Pig Hogger]

Personally, I like to depress keys by telling them that they're worthless and no-one likes them.

If you weren't such an insensitive clod, you'd replace all the diodes in their left sides...

Re:Review summary

[Anonymous Coward]

The input model of, say, the film minority Minority Report , where you have to wave your arms around would in reality prove highly exhausting.

Not if you're an OT3 or higher.

Re:Review summary

[kaizokuace]

kids these days ain't got no gumption! boy in my day I typed on the way to school in the snow, uphill both ways! Punchin' those keys was like bench pressing a brick with each finger!

Re:Personally, I wonder....

[orasio]

Chuck Norris jokes, just like Chuck Norris himself, are old and tired. Please, let them rest.

Chuck Norris doesn't rest. He waits.

Re:No thanks

[Tetsujin]

don't move when you depress the key.

Personally, I like to depress keys by telling them that they're worthless and no-one likes them.

Ah, if only keyboards had Genuine People Personalities then you needn't bother... The keys would depress themselves.

Re:Review summary

[Brandybuck]

use your graphic editor of choice

Still some quirks to work out with Macs

That reminds me of the Model T. You get your choice of color so long as it's black.