@shinjikinomoto:
Every key on the keyboard has a small LCD screen on it. They keys can be customized to whatever you want it to be. When you launch an application, the keys can change to icons instead of letters. For example, opening up photoshop will change the keys on the keyboard to paint brushes, scissors, or whatever depending on the shortcuts you have set.

In the gaming world, the asdw buttons may change to arrows, and your weapon shortcuts may be an icon of the actual weapon instead of 1,2,3,4...

Xagest

So, I'm not understanding something. What's so special about a $1500 keyboard? I'm just not understanding this thing. ?_? I can understand $70 for something different like the DAS keyboard (want to get one), but this just baffles me.

shinjikinomoto

@kman2686: What you said.

Fortunately, that's easily addressed by this keyboard since you can apparently re-map it however you choose.

Unfortunately, it's about as ergonomic as a board.

/Dvorak on a Kinesis typist.

vliam

Have you guys heard of the Optimus Tactus keyboard? Now THAT sounds like the future

scorpi

1080p 50" TV... or a keyboard... hmmm, let me think about that.

UncleScrotar

Maybe it's just me, but I still don't see the point of this keyboard to 99% of PC users.
Even if it was cheaper.

I mean, if I were a better typist, I wouldn't even look at my keyboard... as I am today, I rarely do.

Wouldn't get it even if it was sub100 bucks.

I've read some reviews saying it's far uglier than pictures have shown... and now this?

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

I'm still excited for this product. But it's been SOOOO long since I've seen anytihng about it, I'm starting to not care.

They need to get their shit together. I wish one of the big companies like Logitech or someone would just steal this idea, and put the damn thing into production already.

Besides, last I heard, thos OLEDs are crap, and die after like 500 hours or something.

Nullzero

Are you sure the keyboard's wearing away the letter's because of how much you use it, or how you use it (pound the keys, or something?)? I love my typing, too, but the closest I've come to wearing letters is maybe with the WASD keys...

On the topic of grease... I'm sure they could find some sort of coating to make grease less noticeable...

Reilaos, Putting the Fun in Dysfunction!

It's just greasy 'cause of that guy right there.

Robotube

Wow, i thought i was the only one... i wash my hands so much during long pc gaming sessions that i've considered putting a sink in my office. lol...

K-Squad! (Badass Edition)

I'm happy with the Saitek Eclipse II keyboard. Purple backlighting, and the characters are formed into the keys, so you'd have to wear down through the entire surface before they'd be illegible.

Purple Dave

I remember when I was excited for this keyboard. Must have been about 5 years ago when I first saw the early concept renders.
 
I also remember when I stopped caring. It was when I saw the price tag.
 
Now grease is an issue too? Seriously? I mean, it's neat that it can change all the visuals on a keyboard, sure... but FEELING right is far more important that LOOKING right any day. It is a keyboard, after all.
 
Besides... if you're typing correctly, you shouldn't be looking at your keyboard anyway.
 
Yeah, this is just getting less interesting by the day (er... by the year).

dv8godd

urg. greasy dorks. i wouldnt touch handleable goods at this expo if you paid me. so much distributed body fluid you could probably catch aids.

red

wow talk about coincidence in profile pics.. creepy oooooooooooo

BaloniMan

im a medieval man

BaloniMan

Lunchlady Doris. Have you got any grease?

Yes, yes we do.

Then grease me up woman!

Okey-Dokey.

Apreche

It's the greasynees that killed it for you, the 1500$ price tag?

Yikes!

Woodwater

I've been following the development of oled's :D. I personally prefer to follow this kind of stuff on a larger scale.

I do really like the technology though, but I don't think it's ready for implementation yet. This keyboard is a good start, but I'm more psyched for the use of multitouch systems together with oled.

That would totally rock :D

marlblank

Hehe this reminds me when I would switch a few keys around on the keyboards in highschool.

People who couldn't type without looking were very confused as to why a G kept typing an S.

Jetter

@okenny :): I was wondering what that was. I thought it might have something to do with G Virus or G Spot... same difference.

Moonchilde

Vaporware of 2006, 2007 and soon to be 2008

Must be haven for you MMO macro'ers though.

Fyren

I've been following the development of the keyboard since the first concept renders were released. And I have been disappointed at the direction its taken, technology and budgets have obviously not matched up to their dreams. The most horrible bit was the short lived switch to black and white only keys.

The reason the keys get slimy is because the keys are flat and shiny. But they do click out of the keyboard quite easily, so it should be easy to clean. I hope they carry on honing the design further and further, because it is an awesome concept, and the guys at Art Lebedev have an awesome sense of style and taste.

hahnchen

Glossy keys being used 1000 times, I think anything being used that often would get greasy.

logicaldefense

@djricekcn: I believe that's for the Grayscale/Black and White version. D:

Atheist Jew

Now, was it greasy because of some quirk of the construction & materials or because of the thousand and one greasy nerds pawing it all day long at CES?

Mire

@goddessakasha:

1. Insert hand in bag.
2. Remove handful of Crisps.
3. Shove in mouth.
4. Blog.
5. Repeat.

doubtful

yeah, but does it transform into a transport truck?

legacyed

This freakingkeyboard costsso much.

Price: 12,999.00 p.
approx. 462.27 US$
approx. 371.40 €

djricekcn

How does a keyboard get greasy?

goddessakasha

@okenny :): skin not "g skin"

okenny :)

I would take a guess and say just due to the fact that you won't have several thousand mouth-breathers handling it everyday will make that a non-issue.

Cell9song

DOWN WITH QWERTY!

kman2686

I wonder if there's a valve like the trombone (to drain spit from) that you can use to drain the collected human g skin grease.

okenny :)

Greasy? You're not supposed to eat fried chicken while pawing at the merchandise!

Gouki4u

Mmm, keyboard.

...?!

Great, now I want a keyboard sandwich, because you have associated it with one of the five food groups. (grease, sugar, starch, fat, and taurine.)

2K Ghede

That's not grease, that's....!!

evslin

yay!!! grease!!

Flurp

Can't wait for the Apple version, it will cost 3x as much and require a reformat to use on PC.

x999x

Stick with the nice Logitech G15 (too bad they dont make the one I have anymore)!

EnigmaNemesis

I saw this keyboard and I thought it would so helpful for my Photoshop activities. Of course it could also be a great gaming keyboard (maybe). I remember hearing about this YEARS ago and FINALLLY after a billion years, it's out.

That is definitely a hefty price tag, before it was initially suppose to be around $100? Now I guess I can see why it's bump to $400, but still expensive. I'd go for $250 max.

1SwtDeception

If I had the money to spend on it right now I would definitely buy it, for later professional use of course.

Nabilac

I cannot believe you're complaining about the keys getting greasy as if its a design fault. Is your current keyboard made of some kind of magical degresing material?

sh0v0r

I also love the comments about how $1500 is expensive for a keyboard, like everyone else forgot.

jynxycat

They have been producing these since last summer, how is it vaporware ? -_-

jynxycat

@x999x: Wow, troll much? I use keyboards and mice interchangeably-the Apple Pro Keyboard works pretty well for UT3, actually.

I want something like this at some point, but it looks like the tech is still a few years from sitting on my desk. We all want Star Trek style control interfaces, but getting them to be usable is the hard part ;)

DaiMacculate

I don't get these complaints about its price, I mean, Sony has an 11" OLED tv that will cost $2500... 11 inches? For $2500? And it offers know more functionality than your standard 60" LED DLP HDTV for about the same price? LOL! That keyboard is a bargain, I say.

Nabilac

@scorpi: No, no it isn't. The tactus is a crock of shit compared to this. All that is, is a touchscreen monitor pretending to me a keyboard. It'll probably have some ARM processor in there which makes it a computer in its own right.

But it won't be a decent keyboard to use, because the haptics just aren't there yet. We need tactile feedback, we need to feel the click of a key, I doubt that the Tactus has top of the line force feedback which can emulate these.

Instead of concentrating on the Tactus, I hope they'll continue to refine the Optimus Maximus. Bigger keys, better buttons, cleaner design and better drivers.

hahnchen

@Reilaos, Putting the Fun in Dysfunction!:
Most keyboard icons are painted on the surface of the keys. If the paint doesn't bond really well with the button surface, it'll be prone to chipping, and fingernails that aren't meticulously trimmed will start hacking away at them (particularly in the ZXCV row where you use the tops of your fingertips, and even moreso if your fingernail beds don't stop a ways short of the end of your finger). Even if you aren't carving up the paint with your fingernails, _constant_ use of a keyboard will still begin to wear away the paint. The fullsize keyboard that I use with my laptop (which I use a _lot_ more than my desktop PC) is the Eclipse II, and even though I've started to wear out the actual keyboard mechanics (the "C" button doesn't work reliably anymore unless you hit it extra hard), every key is as legible as it was the day I bought it. On the other hand, I use a Dynex keyboard with my desktop right now, and even with the limited use I put it through, some of the keys are already showing hazy characters. The worst keys by far are A, C, N, M, and the left CTRL key. There's also a shiny spot on the spacebar where my right thumb rests because I've started to wear off the texture. It's just a natural part of keyboard wear and tear.

Purple Dave

With a name like "Optimus Maximus," it better damn well transform into a robot.

Truck not keyboard. :)

Skunky